While we’re currently being told that Call of Duty: World at War will release sometime between about September and December of this year, I will be pleasantly surprised if we see it before next February. The guys at Activision and Treyarch aren’t stupid and they know how much is riding on this for both of them.

What I’m getting at is that while lots of newer titles ARE being pushed out the door with gaping holes in them (see Alone in the Dark, Frontlines: Fuel of War) these guys can’t afford to have that happen here. If the game isn’t perfect on release day, people are going to have cardio infarctions about how its the worst thing to ever happen in the history of video games.

I’m calling it, and want desperately to be wrong, but I think this game will be pushed back if anything goes wrong between now and go time.

It would be better to have Santa’s sleigh a little lighter than crash the franchise and a developer’s reputation into the ground at full speed.

Thanks to what Infinity Ward’s incredible Call of Duty 4, and what many people feel was a pretty shitty effort by Treyarch on Call of Duty 3, World at War is going to be held to a higher standard than anything else in it’s class.  It’s under the microscope, whether that’s fair or not…

You can beat up on Treyarch all you want, but the more I read, and the more I see of what they are working on over there, the more excited I get about the latest installment of the Call of Duty franchise. With drivable vehicles and 4 player co-op play, this could be Treyarch’s redeeming moment in the eyes of the most plugged-in of gamers.

I saw an interview on Inside Xbox over the weekend, where a developer was talking about the new features of Call of Duty: World at War… whatever they end up calling it. Once I got over the disappointment of going BACK to World War 2 AGAIN, I saw some things in the tidbits of video that really had me excited.

First off, the opportunity to play with up to 4 other players in Co-op mode is VERY enticing. It would be like playing the single player game, but replacing most of your AI buddies with a pretty hefty roster of actual people. If that’s how it turns out, I’m pysched about it.

The other thing that got my juices flowing was the addition of vehicles to the COD universe, an aspect that I’ve thought was lacking since the early days of the franchise. I’m ready for Call of Duty gameplay with Battlefield action.

Frankly if they deliver that in a solid multiplayer package, I could give a ball of lint what era it’s set in.

Trailer, and final thoughts, just ahead on page 2.

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