Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Map Pack paid release date March 30, 2010

12 March 2010

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Posted by:Josh

The first downloadable Modern Warfare 2 Map Pack has been announced as the “Stimulus Map Package”, it will be released on March 30th for Xbox Live, then later on PS3 and PC (date not announced, but expected about a month later). The date above is for a simultaneous release in North America and Europe

The Stimulus Package (clever name, eh?) will reportedly include three all new maps (“Complex”, “Compact” and “Storm”) as well as two remakes from Call of Duty 4, of the maps “Crash” and “Overgrown”. The video below is rumored to show the maps (but it hasn’t been confirmed as official).

But before the release on the 30th, Xbox Silver members will be thrown a bone. Between March 12-15, Silver Xbox Live members (who don’t pay a monthly fee and thus can’t play online) WILL be able to play Modern Warfare 2 online over Xbox 360 with their buddies for free! So if you’ve yet to check out the online mode and you own the game and are a Silver member, be sure to take advantage of this deal.

Here is a look at what could be the new Modern Warfare 2 maps included in the Stimulus Package (note: The original video was taken off youtube by Activision, which only substantiates that the maps in the video below are the real maps).

Activision also revealed that, across all versions, there are 25 million unique users playing Modern Warfare 2.

“Most on Xbox 360, then a close second goes to PS3, with millions more on PC,” tweeted Robert Bowling. Released in 2009 to critical acclaim, the game brought in $550 million for Activision within its first week of availability and $1 billion within two months.

The deal for Silver members has been reported as a kind of ploy to take the spotlight off of several inner company issues going on, as GameSpot reports:

“While normally the map pack announcement would be universally celebrated by Call of Duty fans, it comes one week after the franchise was plunged into controversy. Last Monday, Activision fired Infinity Ward president Jason West and CEO Vince Zampella on charges of “insubordination” and “breach of contract.” Within 24 hours, the publisher announced plans to expand the first-person shooter brand into other genres, including action adventure games and Asian-produced massively multiplayer titles.

With at least three more Call of Duty titles in the works, West and Zampella are now suing Activision for $36 million and control of the Modern Warfare brand. The pair accused the company of trumping up the charges and conducting an “Orwellian” HR investigation so it could fire the two developers rather than pay them royalties. According to Zampella and West’s suit, the Call of Duty franchise has brought in $3 billion since 2003–the same year Activision acquired Infinity Ward.”