Interview with the developer of “CoD: MW3” zombie mode! We asked about future developments and 'response' after launch | Game*Spark

Published by Activision Publishing on November 10『Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (CoD:MW3)』.Season 2 began on February 8, and various updates have been distributed.

Among these is “CoD: MW3”, which received high praiseZombie modeHe is. It uses an open world instead of a carousel system, but offers a new experience and familiar elements that long-time fans will love, making it a favorite among many players.

Activision Blizzard recently conducted a joint interview with Japanese media. The assistant director responsible for the design of Zombie ModeKevin DrewI had the opportunity to ask different questions.

◆ A deep dive into the developers' vision for the future of Zombie Mode!

–Thank you for your time today. The zombie mode in this game has undergone major changes, including the adoption of an open world. Many people enjoy the change, but on the other hand, there are voices calling for a “round system” similar to previous Zombies modes. What are your thoughts on this point?

Kevin Drew (hereinafter referred to as Kevin):We believe round-based gameplay is the core of the Zombies mode experience. We still have a passion for the circular system, which is not going away.

However, I thought the Zombies mode in CoD MW3 was a good opportunity to try out a new system. I like that in the open world, each player can choose their play style and the difficulty of the missions they take on, so each player has a different experience.

However, there is definitely some fun to be had in the circular system as well. In future development, I would like to incorporate elements and strengths of each.

–What kind of Gameplay Enhancements have you received from Zombie Mode players?

Kevin:We received a variety of opinions. The biggest voice among them is that they want to improve the user experience. In this game there are many scenes where players help each other and exchange items. For this reason, we often see requests to improve social aspects such as interaction between players, inventory exchange and team formation.

–Although there were major system changes in CoD: MW3's Zombies mode, systems such as “Wall Buy” and “Pack-a-Punch” were carried over. It's something that fans of the series are familiar with, but have you thought about introducing a different system?

Kevin:Regarding Wall Buy and Pack-A-Punch, I think they are the core of Zombie mode. When we canceled it in the previous series, there were a lot of negative reviews, so we decided to continue it properly this time. Naturally, we will continue to work on areas that need improvement.

However, it's easy for long-time fans to understand, and most of all, it's a system they'll be familiar with. I would like to continue to touch on them as much as possible.

– Zombies mode this time uses pure PvE. Was there a plan to incorporate PvP elements during development? Or was it PvE only from the beginning?

Kevin:We kept thinking whether to use PvP or PvE during development. However, in the end, we decided that co-op would be a better option for a large map and zombie theme.

In this game, the zombie mode itself has a story, and we try to tell that story through events and missions. However, if you are killed by another player when you move to a specific location for a story mission, you will not be able to progress through the story and will feel frustrated. So, we focused on PvE first.

Although we're not trying to eliminate PvP completely, the development team is happy to see users willingly helping each other by making it PvE.

–Will zombies appear in multiplayer in the future?

Kevin:I hope we can continue cooperation in the future, but we are not thinking about a permanent multiplayer PvPvE mode. Zombie mode, on the other hand, started out as a small item, so I'm very excited about how it's received in the other modes.

–I introduced a new approach called open world, which I feel has received great praise from users. As a development team, how do you feel about “responsiveness”?

Kevin:First, I feel comfortable at the reception this time in Zombie Mode. As a development team, we were excited to create an open-world zombie mode, and playtesting was fun, so we were confident. But that doesn't mean there weren't concerns.

It was a great experience to see the reactions of everyone who enjoyed playing the game. It was especially interesting to see how the players played in ways we never imagined, and we were really grateful to see the 24 people who took part in the match playing together as a team.

–Specifically, what aspects of user gameplay left an impression on you?

Kevin:I had the impression that players of the CoD series were very passionate about personal battles and preferred a competitive gaming experience.

However, in this game's Zombies mode, it is common to play things like “Go straight to help other players in order to revive them” or “Fully equipped players hand over their weapons and surplus items to other players”. 'You can see it. I was very happy to see the sympathy between the players.

–Please tell us about the mechanisms you use to retain fans and the actions you take to attract new users.

Kevin:I think we should delve more into how to let people experience zombie mode in an open world system. For example, things like hiding secret items within the map or combining puzzle elements. In future DLC, I would like to use secret items and puzzles to solve puzzles.

We're also thinking about items that will give players a head start so players who primarily play in multiplayer or Warzone will be interested.

–Please send a message to fans who are looking forward to the future of Zombie mode and the development of “CoD: MW3”.

Kevin:The zombie mode in this game includes a variety of challenges and trials, and we are confident that this is the perfect time to get into the game. During development, I'm excited to move the story through the quest.

We also plan to add more items that fans of the past can enjoy. Please keep looking forward to it.

Zombie mode offers a new challenge. However, during the development process, it was clear that they were very conscious of integrating and delivering existing systems. It's been three months since its release, but it looks like CoD: MW3 will still offer a variety of gameplay.