Call of Duty players all have one big thing in common: Call of Duty. Sounds obvious, I know, but I think that’s enough. Now, some of you reading this are fantastic Call of Duty players. Some of you stink on ice. Let me slide over on this big block of frozen water to make room for you folks in the latter camp. Come sit next to me and we can talk about why we always seem to be on the wrong end of a noob tube.
That said, the gap between the masters and the students is not that wide. We’re all playing for the same reason – Call of Duty games are fun, that’s all. I’ll always take an opportunity to learn and improve, but even when I get my ass handed to me online, as long as I enjoy the company of the people I’m playing with, I’m more likely to leave a session laughing, regardless of KDR.
This is where Call of Duty Elite comes in. Not many games have 30 million people playing them, so the idea behind Elite was to give all those players a common ground – a service that would help them connect, compete, and improve. We’re all playing together as it is; let’s play together better.
This summer, some of you may have had a chance to check out the Elite beta, which gave PlayStation 3 players an early taste of the service. The beta only incorporated data from Black Ops, but Elite’s launch date of November 8 – same as Modern Warfare 3 – is no coincidence. The beta was truly just the beginning. Well, before the beginning, if you think about it.
Check your stats. Tweak your loadouts. Analyze heat maps from all the matches you’ve played in the last month and learn what you did right and wrong. See your stats using each weapon in the game and get detailed advice on how to use it better. Track your performance and compare it instantly to that of your friends on custom leaderboards. Create a clan and Join social groups of players with similar interests. I found groups for guitars, juggling, and Ghostbusters; if you don’t see what you’re looking for, you can create your own. (You are hereby invited to join the OneOfSwords group – that one’s mine.)
All that stuff is free. No charge. Thank you for being a Call of Duty player, says Activision. Enjoy this extra stuff.
What’s more, in MW3, Elite is fully integrated into the game. Wanna change your loadout during the day for your big match that night? Just visit the website, change your settings, and it will automatically push to the game, waiting for your next login. Don’t want to use the web? Use your iOS or Android device. Just want to do it all on your console? No problem – there’s a PlayStation 3 downloadable program that you can download and use from directly within MW3. That Elite PS3 application is free. The mobile app is free. The website is free, too.
If you are a dedicated player and you want more from Elite, you can sign up for a premium membership (using the funds in your PlayStation Wallet, of course) to access a ton of extra features – most notably, you’ll get ALL of the MW3 DLC content as soon as it is released on PS3, ready and waiting for you the day it comes out. You’ll also have access to exclusive Elite TV programming to high-stakes competitions for real-world prizes (like iPads, Jeeps, and trips to Paris) to more video storage space to all the MW3 DLC that will be released, ready and waiting for you on the day it’s released. There’s a big chart that goes into all the relevant details here. And if you like what you see, anybody who activates a premium membership before November 13 will receive Founder status, which comes with its own benefits. Plus, you get to say “I was there from the beginning.”
Regardless of how you wind up using Call of Duty Elite, just remember why it’s there: to serve and unite the community of CoD players. Maybe you’re wonderful sniper, maybe you’re terrible flag runner, or maybe you’re simply a work in progress as a player. Call of Duty Elite is here to make your triumphs into celebrations, your losses into educational tools, your performance into prizes, and your opponents into your friends. After all, we all have one big thing in common.
Hi Dan, keep rocking. I like the fact that the basic elite service is for free, that was unexpected :) I’m too busy playing MW3 online right now, it’s the best COD since COD4. Greetings from the Czech Republic.
ok sir please answer me i asked this every where Activision support and cod elite twitter and no answer please help
if i bought the elite membership from US psn store will it work for my UAE account?
Dan, sorry but Ive been trying to get to PS3app codElite and first was SERVER NOT RESPONDING, got the mw3 the 8 at 12am, pre bought elite a week before, and nothing. So went online in my pc and registered, like i did with B3. Had a lot of troubles until finaly signed up and logged in. ALL THE TIME from 11-8 @ 1230am till 11-9 @ 1am tryin to loggin thru ps3 was reloading the agreement or server not responding. Right after i did the pc signed up, I have been getting on ps3 app request error. so if people think that servers are slow is not it, is something going on in ur side. Hopefully i wont have to call u guys because i didnt got the founder stat under the time limit, cause been spending all this time going nowhere. i really paid the extra 49.99 for the maps and fouder stat. anyway u can help us as what is going on and what can we do? But dont want to hear we are learning about the troubles and fixing it and blah, blah. How many CoD and MW have u guys released? u guys should have learned a lot already so stuff like this dont happen in every game… and thanks
Looking forward to try out Elite once everything works, I also got the Hardened Edition so I hope those DLCs will be worth it.
Still no login through the web, facebook OR the elite ps3 app
So here i sit looking at my hardened copy…………
why do i pre-order this and then have to wait untill the 13th to activate my founder status??
Rockin
Dan, whether MW3 will go to the PSS ?
I’d rather buy versions of the digital.
peace
Seriosuly why would I buy MW3 when you guys treat us ps3 players as [DELETED]? Firstly we get the DLCs a month later and second the graphics are much worse on the ps3 version than the xbox360 version.
If you guys would not have had COD in the name you would’t sell anything.
@ZOMBIE-PAPA: You don’t have to wait, use the PSN code for the Tokens that’s on the back of the Hardened booklet and download the 1-year Elite sub and then play a game in MW3. You have to do this BEFORE the 13th to activate your founder status.
@Lirion , thnx i did that yesterday, but what is the founder card in the hardened package for then?
Listen Dan, Why do Xbox owners always get the dlc a month before ps3 owners? I think that it should either be released at the same time, contain more maps, or come cheaper in terms of $. I hate how everyone keeps on going on how 360 is better and “Xbox has halo and kinext, ps3 sucks!” I think ps3 is better already but I want it to have something special from activision, ea games, or Sony itself! Please listen and consider this, I don’t want ps3 going old school…
Hey i really need help….I bought the hardened edition that comes with COD Elite i typed in the redeem code and checked my service lists and i have COD elite on my account, but yet i dont have anything that was promised for elite, i dont have my ingame stuff and it wont let me access the COD elite menu ?!!?!?!
@ZOMBIE-PAPA: I’ve been wondering that myself but it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with anything on Elite, at least not yet. Even when it worked yesterday I could not find anywhere to put in the code on the card.
The founder page says it can take up to 48 hours before you see yourself as a Founder though.
@Dan Amrich
Ok cool, i didn’t see that comment before me LoL
WOW! ! ! I can’t believe PS3 owners will still have to wait for the DLC :-/ Yeah i know MS have got that deal until 2012 but you would think paying for ‘Call of Duty Elite’ you would get all the stuff at the same time :-( Oh well.
I will try out the free Elite service. I think it is great they are trying to expand the gaming experience. As for the paid service/DLC, I will pass. Although I enjoy playing MW, I have a hard time supporting the DLC due to the ‘business agreement’ that delays the DLC on the PS3. Those types of agreements are bad for gamers, so this is my little protest. That being said, loving the game and I look forward to an end to the exclusive agreemnt.
Considering that the DLC is so pricey, can you guys consider a GOTY edition with all the inevitable DLC included? I might purchase this then.
hey mister Dan Amrich, does the PS3 version have dual PSN ID sign-in? as in the i (Barajas_201) and my brother (E5_0_1B) can play on both of our accounts on splitscreen online, black ops didn’t have this and so my brother would have to be Barajas_201(2) or i would have to be E5_0_1B(2), please tell me it does because many games have this (very important) feature like: resistance 2, resistance 3, little big planet, little big planet 2, uncharted 3, motorstorm and there are also third party games that have this like scott pligrim vs the world and borderlands this are all the games i know for a fact that have this but their could be many more.
hey if it doesn’t have it now why not patch it later on, i mean Resistance 2 at launch did not have this yet insomniac games made it available via patch so you guys can actually do this if you truly wanted to, i ask this because i have not bought the game yet and i will like to know more about the product before putting out 100 bucks (mexican price) for a game that is feature lacking as oppose to its brother xbox version, also is it possible to add custom soundtrack in multiplayer only like killzone 2 and 3? i truly hope you answer this because you seem to have interest in what the playstation call of duty community think about, at least i hope…….
@Dan Amrich
I have not bought an Activision game since Call of Duty:Modern Warfare. And will not waste my time with your company’s garbage products until they stop with the BS business practices! If you make people pay 60$ for a product you should support that product the same way and TIME across all platforms! Activision’s business model is corrupt and greedy! I for one, will not feel sorry for Activision employees when their time comes to stand in the unemployment line.
i cant even put my code in i got from gamestop for my pre order of elite. i paid 50 bucks for what?
How do you respond to this Dan? http://playstationlifestyle.net/2011/11/08/modern-warfare-3-the-60-expansion-pack/
MW3 is CLEARLY a $60 Expansion Pack. I don’t understand why don’t you guys work as hard as Naughty Dog to release a good game?
This is seriously sad. A team like Naughty Dog should have way more popularity than Infinity Ward and those CoD devs. I bought Black Ops just for Zombies, and I’m not falling into the same mistake twice. Not getting Modern Warfare 3 even if it was the last game on earth.
I’m enjoying my time with Uncharted 3, the game that deserves everything it earns. And I’m sure the reviews are going to be bad for MW3, it even got less than MW2’s score at IGN. A 9.0. IMO it deserves an 8.
It’s not that I hate on you guys, but that’s the truth. And the link I provided even further strengthens my point of view. This game is a Modern Warfare 1 clone.
Forget the elite bull crap. Can some one tell them to fix the chat on mw3. every one sounds like a robot or like there stuck in an old arcade game. Can’t even communicate with your friends on team matches.
I pre orderd the elite at gamestop and my code dousn’t work. It says its already been used or it is invalid. I called gamestop and they told me that there is a problem with the codes and they wont accept through the playstation stgore. anyone have any input on that thanks! i dont want to get screwed out of founder status!
@grumpy2007 im havin same problem! this should get fixed ASAP!
@71 message
MW2, Black Ops and MW3 has been a copy paste, no kidding, of the freaking same game with the same [DELETED] engine…
It was time already to people start realise it..
Has anyone had problems with connecting there account from the Elite with their Playstation account? I have done the verification and so forth and it keeps kickin gme out when I put in my email and so forth for the link but nothing happens.
Can anyone give me some guidance?
i found out what to do with your gamestop codes that dont work. you have to go to this link http://www.gamestop.com/gs/landing/codps3code/default.aspx they will sen you a new code within 24 hours. I have not gotten mine yet.
JDean50 I keep getting an error when i try to connect threw the app that you download
@grumpy2007 thank you for letting me know, I guess it is like most things at launch, nice on paper but it takes a little time to get it working right.
I guess like with anything I will keep trying and trying.
MW3 sold so well that only if one moron out of a hundred bought into this Elite crap, it would still be a massively successful marketing of a nonproduct.
i was able to get onto Elite for a brief sec but couldnt do anything on it. since then i havent been able to access Elite. just keep getting Error jumble. i went and registered my psn name on Elite the activision site as well (via computer) and it appears its not linked with my psn game play. its extremely annoying that the designers (probably pretty smart people) cant come up with a retardedly simple method to redeem the purchased Elite pack and be able to have it work properly. this kinda stuff makes me wonder if you really test this stuff thoroughly before selling it to the consumer.
i may consider buying DLC for a call of duty game once the contract is up and we’re getting it at the same time as the people on 360. I’m not a supporter of favoritism, whether it be through contractual obligation or not. I know too many people with 360’s that memorize the maps before we even get to play them, and then go either also have a ps3, or go to a friend’s house to play it on ps3, just so they can own everyone else before they get used to the new maps.
Also, i think that it’s kind of a cheap shot on the multiplatform concept,
The idea of multiplatform is to sell as many copies of the game to as many people as possible, not to convince people that are still considering which console to buy, to choose the platform that gets dlc sooner.
I will be buying the dlc for battlefield though, because at least their contractually obligated favoritism is only a week, which with maps the size they are on battlefield, is hardly enough time to even get mildly accustomed to a map.
If they renew this contract next year and we continue getting jerked around on the DLC front then i will honestly be able to say that one pack for MW2 will have been the only piece of dlc i’ve ever bought from activision or call of duty.
Also, one last thing,
Has anyone noticed how out of shape the soldiers in call of duty are?
Have they ever even talked to any actual military personnel? because i’m almost positive that the first thing they start working on in basic training is the ability to run for long periods of time…
Which, 20 yard maximum is not adequate…
Battlefield has giant maps, and i can honestly say that my guy has never run out of breath. and i run all the time.
So yeah…
You have tiny maps, and i can’t go across them…
And honestly, why not just slow down the run mechanic slightly, and allow it indefinitely? because i detest having to hit L3 repeatedly.
not to mention the fact that if all of the guns shoot straight with no bullet drop, which ISN’T realistic, then why not give us the ability to run indefinitely?!
it’s irritating.
Pick realism where it HELPS make gameplay more ENJOYABLE, not more frustrating.
hey i have a very important question regarding DLC for the Elite package.
i purchased the Elite and that comes with all the DLC maps. i have 3 playstations, 2 at my house and 1 at my GFs house. i was wondering if its possible to download all my MW3 DLC content to all 3 of my PS3s since you guys will be changing the number DLC possible on NOV 15. on the blog post about limiting DLC it says that anything PURCHASED before Nov 15 will still receive 5 “copies” to be used. so since i BOUGHT my elite before Nov 15 with all DLC i should be able use it on 5 of my PS3s correct?
im already assuming you get more than one “copy” of the DLC with purchase of Elite cause if its just one than thats a rip off like none other…
With such an emphasis on stat tracking, what does Activision have in place to counter boosters?
@JoeTheBeast16
your post makes no sense! you complain that MW3 has no bullet drop and is not realistic but you love how in BF3 you can run around the map with unlimited stamina carrying around 70lbs of equipment. how realistic is that? no one in the world, military or not, can run forever without getting tired.
and the fact that you want to run 24/7 throughout maps just shows how much of a noob you are, youtube “gamebattles matches” and you’ll see how real gamers who play for money and prizes move through the maps. i imagine your that guy on the Final Kill Cam that runs around the corner and gets merked without even getting a shot off…LOL…dont deny it!
hey is anyone out there. who cares about bullet drop and how long your guy can run. The biggest issue is the chat through the headsets, it sucks. you can not hear but bits and pieces of what anyone says. sounds like an old arcade game.
im pretty sure the chat through the headsets aint the biggest issue for MW3…
Why does the console app for Elite not support black ops?
I purchased the premium membership for elite but do not have MW3 yet. I want my founder status but I receive a prompt that I must play a MW3 multi player match before I can activate the premium service.
So wait a second, could you explain this a little more for the DLC side of things?
It’s my understanding that Elite subscribers will get the MW3 DLC “early” but that won’t be until the contract date is up. Wouldn’t this mean that Elite gets the DLC the same amount of time as PS users would have before, but now regular users have to wait longer? If so it’s still kind of a slap in the face of PS owners.
@DAN, eplain this:for people that pre-order the $50 Elite, I would think that they are loyal customers of CODs’ and MWs’, that they put their faith and trust on u guys doing a good work and instead look at all the PNR (positive to negative ratio) that u have in this blog. And U as a company, lol. Well not really because I’m really mad. U guys get paid for working doing the games while we paid for games plus extra **it and spend hours breaking our heads figuring out how to use or get to the content that we pre-paid for. It would’ve been nice that when u bought the Elite stuff pre-paid like in PSN, that they could’ve sent u a message to our emails or the message center in the XMB on PSN giving you the chance to start signing up for the account stuff, etc. I own COD2, COD3:MW, MW2, COD BOps and now this and never heard about the Elite Beta though. But a reminder when we Pre-paid for it could have help witha lot of issue about signing in. Right now I feel like getting to the no buy Activision Clan and maybe Infinity. Let’s see how u guys make up from here to the 13…
Hey, how come when I try to redeem my code for call of duty elite, it says the code is invalid , expired, or incorrect? Please help me with this, I dont want to have 50 extra dollars wasted!!!.
SERIOUSLY, who think this game is worth $110 dollars!!!!! Sorry, $109.98 without taxes. I’m so disappointed… For that dough I wish I bought not 1 but 2 games,, Batman and U3. Don’t you think at the moment MW3 compares for the price for this 2 games, SERIOUSLY? And is true what SHADOW-MAN_4 in #71 had to say and the link about it. I have played campaign and MP and it just looks like a DLC for MW2.
@ Dan A
I understand at the end of the day its all about the benjamins, i think its just sad to see us true PS fans get hung out to dry due to coorperate greed, thats all. I bought BF3 and im not even considering buying COD anymore. Thats just what i think. PS FOR LIFE
Found needed to select the 1 year subs in the PS store. Only thing left to do. Activision, an idea, instead of bad server, server not responding, server unavailable its easy a HAVENT SUBSCRIBED YET ON PS3. Or with the elite app download on ps3 if you bought it it should ask u to subscribed or accept before the actual download of the app. Posting this in support in activision and PS
Sorry, Found out why wasnt getting the elite on my ps3 or my PC. explanation in #95
So guessing that the people responsible for the PSN coding errors that led to the hacking and shutting down of the PSN network, were fired then hired by Activision and they asked them to put together the sign up for Elite and thats why this sucks so bad.
So PSN gave us free games, you can’t really give us free dlc since its included, so how bout you negotiate with microsoft and give us the dlc at the same time to the paid elite subscribers on psn, as an apology for hiring such complete idiots and noobs.
Also love how this guy in red blocks answers all the questions with “were working on it” and ignores all the “how do you set up clans” questions. Classic
Holy mw3 sold 9.3 million copies yesterday alone and the predictions were 6 million…
I still can’t get Elite going. Also, the COD forums don’t have a “reply” or “new thread” button for me to click to post anything. When I use to go on for Black Ops it worked, but now I have no way to post anything.
Also, MW3 needs an optional partial install to HDD option, so the game doesn’t have to constantly load – even after you’re already in a MP match.
@38 …it is the civic duty of the wise to enlighten the ignorant. not mock or scoff at them. but im sure someone so refined and dignified such as yourself already know this ;D