Breaking Down Call of Duty: Elite

As expected, Call of Duty: Elite was formally unveiled this morning when the press embargo was lifted. The service will be free to all Call of Duty players but will offer additional content to those members who are paid subscribers. While Activision was mum on a price point for Elite, some details have emerged of what exactly users can expect to see once the service launches on November 8, 2011. If you can’t wait for the big launch, Activision and Beachhead studios will be launching a Beta program this summer that will allow gamers to preview Elite with Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Check out a breakdown of a few of the features that will be available through Call of Duty: Elite after the jump.

Elite will be available through the web and within the game on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. The service will also launch with a mobile app, which will offer all of the features available in the web and console version. Thus far, four sections of the service have been previewed by some select members of the press: Career, Connect, Compete and Improve.

Career

In the Career section of Call of Duty: Elite, players will get to see an overview of game statistics, recent performances, win/loss ratio, experience points, personal bests, weapon performances, and leaderboards. You will be able to easily compare your performances against your friends or other members by simply typing in a username.

Connect

Connect gives users easy access to other players and lets you find specific gametypes that you want to try. You can look for your favorite playlists or gametype, see others who like the specific gametype you’re looking at and then create a match. Connect will also include a theater section where you will be able to create videos of your game performance and share it with others. Think Forge.

Your friends’ list will be integrated into the Connect section to streamline the whole process of creating a match. The section will also feature a Facebook-esque groups option, which will allow members to create and manage their own gaming circles. Group pages will also give players the ability to leave comments on the page, as well as add closed leaderboards just for the members of that specific group.

Compete

This section of Elite is Beachhead’s tournament management service and will offer players the opportunity to compete for actual physical prizes. Details are sparse as of now on how Call of Duty: Elite will support private clans, but this section will surely incorporate support for organizing tournaments between groups, clans, and intra-clan tournaments.

Improve

This portion of the service breaks down gameplay and supposedly helps you become better at Call of Duty online. Players will be able to view detailed images of any map marked up with starting points and objectives, weapons, killstreaks, and provide video guides for those looking to polish their skills.

So What Now?

Activision and Beachhead Studios are certainly taking a risky bet by changing the Call of Duty online mold. The big question that remains unanswered is what the price point will be once Elite launches this fall. However it turns out, it does seem that Activision is confident in its decision to give the go ahead on the online service. In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Activision Chief Executive Bobby Kotick remarked, “Call of Duty” is in a unique position to seek a monthly fee from customers. The game’s previous installment, set during the Cold War and called “Call of Duty: Black Ops,” was the best-selling game last year, with global retail sales of more than $1 billion during its first six weeks on shelves.”