A recent OTX survey has revealed consumer awareness for upcoming shooter Modern Warfare 2 has taken a substantial nosedive following Activision’s decision to drop the Call of Duty brand from the game’s title.
Research has shown that 40 percent of gamers in the U.S. were familiar with Modern Warfare 2 back when it carried the Call of Duty moniker, though this ultimately dropped to 20 percent after the brand was removed.
OTX’s Nick Williams commented: "Up until the beginning of May, OTX had been tracking the title as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. More specifically, we asked a representative group of gamers in the U.S. whether or not they had heard of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. At that time, approximately 40 per cent of all gamers in the U.S. claimed that they had heard of this title.”
"… the consumer survey, and the awareness levels dropped to 20 per cent. In other words, the Call of Duty brand association essentially doubles the awareness for the game. That is quite a remarkable statistic.”
Regardless, Williams noted that the sequel is still poised to sell like hot cakes: "Despite this dramatic drop in awareness, the purchase intent for Modern Warfare 2 remains very strong," he said.
"The intensity of the purchase intent is particularly impressive, as illustrated by the high levels of Pre-Order Intent, which is the highest of any title currently being tracked."
Modern Warfare 2 is due out on November 10.