Map Packing

March 30th sees the release of the first Modern Warfare 2 DLC, Stimulus Package, on Xbox 360. Details are scarce; all that's been confirmed so far are the inclusion of five multiplayer maps (including two 'classic' areas from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare), and a premium price point of 1200 Microsoft Points - about £10 / $15 in real people money. Despite rumours of three new weapons, more multiplayer challenges, and an extra Special-Ops bracket, developers Infinity Ward seem quite happy to appear as panhandling misers, shilling solely on the playgrounds.

Maybe that is all we're getting? The studio recently lost two senior employees amidst rumours of a possible defection, and a failure to honour contracted bonuses by owners Activision. The sacked studio co-founders have since made clear an intention to secure contractual rights over the Modern Warfare strand of the Call of Duty franchise. With property ownership apparently up the air, until this announcement hit it seemed possible that add-on packs might not emerge at all. Could the effects of this very public beheading be felt by the consumer?

Thrifty conjecture fans need not fear! DLC allows for the strict rationing of new achievements - games are typically buffed with quarterly additions of 250 Gamer Points, raising their abstract earn value from 1000 up to a maximum of 1750. As a studio Infinity Ward are notable for a reluctance to issue any such points on multiplayer experience - all previous IW developed Call of Duty games contain achievements that can be earned solely in offline play. Jump through a few logic hoops and that Special-Ops addition is looking increasingly likely. It's also worth noting that odd-number sequel house Treyarch's last offering, Call of Duty: World at War, enjoyed several substantial downloadable additions. As well as maps, the post-script Nazi Zombies mode was elevated from a poor taste distraction to a full campaign, stuffed with bizarro super-states and sci-fi weaponry. Can IW resist the urge to top that? Here's hoping they can't.