Xbox users were delighted to find out that the multiplayer services for some of the classic Call of Duty games were restored in July. According to Circana, a market research firm, Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Call of Duty: Black Ops III saw a significant increase in sales and player counts after the servers were back online.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II, which was released in 2012, returned to Circana’s top twenty best-seller list for the first time since April 2017, claiming the 13th spot. Call of Duty: Black Ops III, which came out in 2015, landed on the 20th spot, after spending June at 28. Player counts in these games also surged as players discovered that they could enjoy the online multiplayer modes again.
The multiplayer issues for these games started in May, when Xbox users reported that they were unable to join or host matches. Some speculated that this was due to a server update or maintenance, while others feared that Microsoft had discontinued the support for these older titles. However, Xbox Support confirmed on July 14 that they had fixed the problem and apologized for the inconvenience.
Fans rejoice and revisit their favorite Call of Duty games
The news of the multiplayer fix spread quickly among the Call of Duty fan community, and many players expressed their excitement and gratitude on social media. Some shared their nostalgic memories of playing these games with their friends, while others invited new players to join them online.
One of the most popular games among the fans was Call of Duty: Black Ops II, which is widely regarded as one of the best entries in the franchise. The game features a futuristic setting, a branching storyline, a zombies mode, and a variety of multiplayer modes and maps. Many players praised the game’s balance, innovation, and fun factor.
Another fan favorite was Call of Duty: Black Ops III, which introduced new features such as wall-running, thrust jumping, and specialist characters. The game also has a co-op campaign, a zombies mode with its own story and maps, and a multiplayer mode with customizable weapons and abilities. Some players enjoyed the game’s fast-paced and chaotic gameplay, while others appreciated its depth and diversity.
Video game sales rise in July despite hardware shortage
The revival of the classic Call of Duty games was not the only notable trend in the video game industry in July. According to Circana, spending on video game content (i.e. games, DLC, subscriptions) was up by 2% from July last year for a total of $3.7 billion. Hardware sales fell 19% as compared to last year, for a total of $292 million. This was mainly due to the ongoing shortage of PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles, which are still in high demand but low supply.
PS5 reigns supreme in both unit and dollar sales, with the Nintendo Switch taking second in the same categories. Accessories sales were up 8%, resulting in a $173 million total. Gamepads, especially the DualSense Edge, drove accessory purchases up.
The total amount of video game spending in July was $4.2 billion, a 1% increase from last year. The best-selling game of the month was Remnant II, followed by Diablo IV and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Other new releases that made it to the top twenty were Pikmin 4 at the sixth spot and Exoprimal at the 16th.
