[About] Call of Duty
Call of Duty is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision.The game simulates the infantry and combined arms warfare of World War II. The game is based on the Quake III: Team Arena engine. It was accompanied in September 2004 by an expansion pack, Call of Duty: United Offensive, which was produced by Activision, and developed by Gray Matter Interactive, with contributions from Pi Studios. The "Hardened" and "Prestige" Editions of Modern Warfare 2 will include a code to download Call of Duty for free. Call of Duty is similar in theme and gameplay to Medal of Honor, as it is made out of single-player campaigns and missions. However, unlike Medal of Honor, the war is seen not just from the viewpoint of an American soldier but also from the viewpoint of British and Soviet soldiers. The game is somewhat unusual in that throughout the single-player mode, the player is joined by computer-controlled allies who range in quantity from two infantrymen (in some of the British missions) to an entire regiment of tanks (in the Soviet missions). The computer-controlled allies will support the actual player during the missions (notable in this is the AI's effectiveness compared to other games like Medal of Honor).They also further the game's goal of providing an immersive and realistic experience; that is, soldiers in World War II were usually part of a larger group, as opposed to the "lone wolf" seen in video games such as Wolfenstein 3D. However, there are some missions where the player is alone. Call of Duty also featured "shellshock" (not to be confused with the psychological condition of the same name): when there is an explosion near the player, he momentarily experiences simulated tinnitus, appropriate sound "muffling" effects, blurred vision, and the action moves slower.

Reception
Upon its release, the game was very well received by critics, earning a 91% average on Metacritic and 92% on GameRankings.
Call of Duty won "Game of the Year" for 2003 from several reviewers. It was the recipient of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Scinences 2004 "Game of the Year" award, defeating games including Command & Conquer: Generals, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, and Rise of Nations.The game also received "Computer Game of the Year" and "Computer FirstPerson Action Game of the Year", and was nominated for "OutstandingInnovation in Computer Gaming", "Outstanding Achievement in OriginalMusic Composition", and "Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design" inthe Interactive Achievements Awards.Call of Duty was also nominated for "Best Game" at the 2004 Game Developers Choice Awards.While it did not receive that award, it did win Infinity Ward the"Rookie Studio of the Year". Chuck Russom was also presented with the"Excellence in Audio" award for his work on the game. Review website IGN rated Call of Duty9.3 out of 10, with reviewer Dan Adams saying "You have to love a game that glues you to your seat and keeps you interested... A thrilling piece of software that action fans should grab a hold of and love fiercely." His only negative critique was on the short length of the game, which many reviewers pointed out.

Spin offs
Because of Call of Duty's success, it spawned numerous spin offs and sequels. Call of Duty 2, was developed by Infinity Ward and was released in October 2005. Some Call of Duty spin offs were developed exclusively for consoles, such as Call of Duty: Finest Hour by Spark Unlimited and Call of Duty 2: Big Red One by Gray Matter Interactive and Treyarch. Call of Duty 3, the first sequel to appear on consoles only, was released in November 2006 and developed by Treyarch and Pi Studios. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and the PC. A handheld version was also produced for the Nintendo DS. Another handheld game, Call of Duty: Roads to Victory was released March 14, 2007 for the PlayStation Portable, the N-Cage, and the Pocket PC. On December 3, 2007 it was announced that Call of Duty: World at War would be developed by Treyarch. It was released November 11, 2008 in the US, and on November 14, 2008 in Europe. A sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare called Modern Warfare 2 is in production and will be released November 10, 2009. A seventh Call of Duty game is currently in development by Treyarch, and is due for release in 2010.