Amidst news of a forthcoming Call of Duty film adaptation directed by a veteran of naval combat movies, a look back at Activision's previous multimedia endeavors reveals a more peculiar and entertaining past. In 2011, alongside the release of Modern Warfare 3, Activision launched Call of Duty Elite, a premium subscription service that offered more than just DLC maps and social features. The service also included three distinct video series.
Friday Night Fights
Executive produced by Ridley and the late Tony Scott, 'Friday Night Fights' was a game show that pitted teams of players against each other in unusual matchups. Hosted by Stacy Keebler, episodes featured competitions like police versus fire departments or rappers versus rockstars. The series ran for three seasons, concluding in 2012, and aimed for an esports-like tournament setup in its final season.
Cocked Hammers
Created by actors Will Arnett and Jason Bateman, 'Cocked Hammers' was a unique Machinima-style show that blended animation with in-game footage. The series imagined Arnett, Bateman, Peter Giles, and Justin Theroux as characters sucked into the Call of Duty universe. Its humor was often crude and adult-oriented, exemplified by a skit where Will Arnett's character, unable to urinate due to a lack of a penis, unlocks a "premium upgrade Magnum" and reacts with colorful language.
Noob Tube
Hosted by comedian Andrew Santino, 'Noob Tube' served as a community-focused show where Santino reacted to player-submitted gameplay clips. The series incorporated skits, including a fake advertisement for a spa on the Bootleg map and a fictional weather report for in-game maps. While its jokes were hit-or-miss, the series provided a lighter, community-oriented approach that some find reminiscent of a bygone era of Call of Duty content.
These past multimedia experiments, despite their dated nature and occasional cringe-worthiness, offered a level of creative absurdity that the author suggests Activision should revisit. The article posits that these kinds of "weird, creative projects" would be a more compelling alternative to what is anticipated to be a standard war movie for the Call of Duty franchise.