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$15 Modern Warfare 2 map pack detailed

[UPDATE] Newest Call of Duty add-on to command premium price, will feature five maps--three new, two remakes of Call of Duty 4 maps; hits Xbox Live March 31; angry gamers start petition about price.

This month, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been in the news due to the dramatic firings of Infinity Ward cofounders Jason West and Vince Zampella. However, last week saw the game itself make headlines with the announcement that its first map pack would be released at the end of the month. The cheekily titled "Stimulus Package" will first arrive on Xbox Live and will be released on the PlayStation Network and on the PC at an unannounced later date.

"Remind me to get $15 off one of these people we shoot."

Over the weekend, Infinity Ward spokesperson and "creative strategist" Robert Bowling was on the podcast of Xbox Live director of programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb. While on the show, he revealed that the Stimulus Package would command a premium price of 1,200 Microsoft points or $15. That's $5 more than the popular map packs released last year for Call of Duty: World at War.

In addition to the price, a description of the Stimulus Package was posted--and quickly pulled--from Xbox Live Marketplace. Before it was taken down, the summary revealed the maps contained therein, as seen in the summary below:

The Stimulus Package delivers 5 additional action-packed multiplayer maps featuring a variety of locations: "Bailout," a multi-level apartment complex; "Storm," an open industrial park littered with heavy machinery; "Salvage," a snowy junkyard fortified by stacked debris and crushed cars. Two legendary fan favorites from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare return, including "Crash," a war-torn urban environment; and "Overgrown," which features a massive dry creek bed.

[UPDATE] In the wake of Activision's announcement, a group of gamers angered by what they perceive as an overly high price have started a petition asking Activision to lower the Stimulus Pack's cost. It can be found at http://www.petitiononline.com/codmw2mp/.

1407 Comments

  • TheRealUser101

    Posted Aug 8, 2011 9:44 am GMT

    MW3 will be the third installment in the Modern Warfare series, and the eighth Call of Duty installment. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be released on November 8, 2011, while the Modern Warfare 3 pre-production started on April 9, 2010.

  • skywalkerforce

    Posted Apr 12, 2010 1:17 pm GMT

    @ MetalMan300

    Dude Im 20 now. If you had any sense I just said that the price shouldnt matter because if you are old enough to buy this game the price shouldnt matter. And there really wasnt any online gaming for consoles when I was 8 seeing as I was talking about Mortal Kombat and such. Way to be a retard

  • ordubis

    Posted Apr 8, 2010 4:27 pm GMT

    Xbox 360 is, and I quote: "The worst way to play a game!", it is the cheapest gaming community out there..
    and as for the prices? Playstation 3 has it made in heaven..
    Me and my 2 friends are gonna all pay $5, I'll download it, then I can use my account to download it on their systems for free..

  • xGhostofSpartax

    Posted Apr 7, 2010 7:49 am GMT

    yea the PS3 doesn't have the maps yet but it just save us the drama of the lag on the new maps and i'm glad it came on the the xbox 1st so i can see what the bugs look like but the maps look good the 2 old maps look and feel better and 2 johnryandaplin i'm tried of people bragging about xbox got the maps 1st yes they did but WE still gettng the maps what happen to the maps thats only for the xbox you got trick just so people will get it thinking PS3 won't getting maps

  • Doomcat6669

    Posted Apr 5, 2010 3:13 pm GMT

    Your ALL CRAZY!!! If you think having to pay $15 to purchase the add on is too much I'd have to say your right. But why are you complaining about getting ripped off with the expansion pack when the original game it self is a RIP OFF!!! You shouldnt have to pay a penny for the new stuff, Activision ought to be giving it for free and mailing personalized appologies to every game owner. If you pay for the new pack you deserve getting ripped off twice! I no longer buy COD, invest your money in Battle Field Bad Company 2. I'm OUT!

  • johnryandaplin

    Posted Apr 5, 2010 1:45 pm GMT

    @francindon


    poor ps3 fanboys cant even play the map pack yet hahaha

  • francindon

    Posted Apr 5, 2010 11:20 am GMT

    Poor Xbox MW2 fan boys... They can't even choose their favorite game mode ... Microsoft saved a lot of PS3 fan boys from the greatest rip of of all time ... Random game mode is the most stupid thing I ever heard. This idea makes this game even worse than 1999 Delta Force game.

  • Avals

    Posted Apr 5, 2010 8:14 am GMT

    A waste of time and money. No dice.

  • SkinnZero

    Posted Apr 4, 2010 8:46 am GMT

    I think some people is getting a little extremist here. This DLC shouldn't be FREE, but it shouldn't cost 15 bucks! with 15$, you can buy all the new stuff from RE5, for instance. However, IW's work is worth. Even with recycled stages, the new ones and the work to put them together and launch it is worth!

  • DzlOx23

    Posted Apr 3, 2010 2:26 pm GMT

    ok so since everyone else is putting in their 2 cents and complaining etc, i might as well. For the people arguing about modding etc, you have to understand that the basic structure for most games out there right now is built around casual gamers. Personally, I have no idea how to mod anything, and giving me the option could become overwhelming. Rarely do you see games that are primarily for hardcore gamers, most games add a little bit of content for hardcore people, but are mainly geared to grab a casual consumer base. From a business perspective, if they were to give consumers the right to do whatever they wanted with their product, it would lose its longevity as far as them making more money off it. I.E. map packs, DLC. Also, keep in mind that the developers take the time and the effort to create new maps and such, and they should be payed for it. I think they could have added some more stuff given the price they are charging, but i dont think it should be free. That would be like saying everyone here has no problem with working an extra "x" amount of hours a week with no pay. When push comes to shove, they probably wont drop price, as that would open the floodgates for everyone who already payed the $15 on xbox.

  • xGhostofSpartax

    Posted Apr 3, 2010 6:19 am GMT

    people dont lack souls or 1/2 people etc we just love to play games and some times yes its costs but thats we deal with to play those games i like MW2 the price is a little high but come on people might not camp if they pay that much for it but they still do

  • Dynamo11

    Posted Apr 1, 2010 4:44 pm GMT

    $15 for some mediocre maps, 2 of which are old ones! No thank you Mr Kulick

  • Death_Masta187

    Posted Apr 1, 2010 3:38 pm GMT

    @chertoo
    thats the best analogy if seen so far about why I hate DLC so much. I'm going to barrow that.

  • TheTrueMagusX1

    Posted Apr 1, 2010 10:05 am GMT

    @MrCoolGuy420 People are also complaining because the maps were released with bugs. This is annoying, remember Fallout 3 the pitts launch one year ago? And yes I think its high considering that I have seen better and fuller expansions for the same price. Ever played Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter? Back in 2006 they released Chapter 2, a DLC for that game, same price...but the difference was that Chapter 2 was completely worth the price of admission. It had tons of new weapons, many many new maps, Four New Co-Op missions and new skins and such. Now that was fully a fledge MP expansion totally worth the price of admission. Thats why some of us do not feel that this map pack is worth it.

    And one last thing, atleast please use some basic Sentence Structure. My writing is surely not the best, I will admit, but atlest its comprehensible. Your post was one big jumble of words.

  • TheTrueMagusX1

    Posted Apr 1, 2010 10:00 am GMT

    @TripSe7en Petitions never really get anything done, and its pointless. While I am not fond at all of this map pack myself, a petition is a little ridiculous. Sign it but its really not going to do anything. They rarely ever do. @LpcWarrior Are you kidding me? You are comparing the Civil Rights movement to a Map Pack. Yeah like I said, I donot like it, but comparing a 15 dollar map pack to the Civil Rights movement is just pathetic. The Civil Rights movement was serious buisness, it was about fighting racial injustice. This is just DLC for a videogame, and while Myself included are very dedicated to our hobby, some of us know what is important and what is not. I will say Some DLC is justified and some of it is not, and this Map pack is not. But saying that we must activately fight against DLC is just silly. Its buisness and like in any buisness whether its gaming, clothing, sports, whatever, there are things that are worth it and things that are not. This is gaming, not social rights movement. Actually do some research, and one last thing, I highly doubt anyway that gamers will unite for a cause, because most of the time, alot of gamers are usually fighting over what console is better or stupid stuff.

  • MrCoolGuy420

    Posted Mar 31, 2010 10:38 pm GMT

    i dont know where you're getting your information from chertoo but nothing is ussally free especially call of duty maps.map packs have always been ten dollars even now and thats not going to change.alot of you people complain about the price being too high well then go and get a job or some kind of hustle.It's not infinity wards fault that you're lazy and broke.
    and people are complaining about recycled call of duty 4 maps but you all knew what you were getting yourselves into ever before the maps came out people saw previews and knew about all five maps so I dont know why everyone seems so suprised hating on infinity ward.it takes alot of time and effort and money to make decent maps i've never been disappointed by what infinity ward brings to the table and it does'nt matter how much you complain the bottom line is that if you dont like it then you dont have to buy it.and you can keep all of you hate bottled up inside of yourself but in the end you'll be the one that will suffer the most.

  • chertoo

    Posted Mar 31, 2010 10:08 pm GMT

    now can so many of you people accept something for 15$ when its usually for free? so many people here lack souls.. 1/2 people .. etc.

  • atronpwnz

    Posted Mar 31, 2010 2:10 pm GMT

    The problem isn't the price, which I'm sure most can pay. It's the principal of the thing... Just because you can afford to buy something, it doesn't make it any less criminal to price it so high... (e.g You have the ability to pay for an apple priced at 60 dollars, but you wouldn't)

  • MetalMan300

    Posted Mar 31, 2010 1:38 pm GMT

    @MrCoolGuy420

    That's what I've always said!! Finally someone understands that lol.

    @skywalkerforce

    Since you were 8?? That's just a tad wrong lol, it's why people like me cry whenever I encounter a 5 year old in Halo 3 online

  • skywalkerforce

    Posted Mar 31, 2010 1:25 pm GMT

    I can deal with 15 bucks. If you are 18 or older as the games age is intended for then the price they are asking for shouldn't be an issue lol On the flipside Ive been playing rated M games since I was 8

  • lightning093

    Posted Mar 31, 2010 1:17 pm GMT

    Ha its like democrat vs republican in these comments, its never going to settle out. Always arguing just like in congress which we all know it takes forever to get something done in congress. But that's besides the point I'm buying this map pack no matter what people say.

  • MrCoolGuy420 posted Mar 31, 2010 12:26 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    MrCoolGuy420

    Posted Mar 31, 2010 12:26 pm GMT (hide)

    I just got finished reading alot of people comments,and all you people do is complain.If you dont like the price of this new map pack then dont buy it.
    15 dollars is'nt alot of money at all unless you're lazy,broke and dont have a job.stop complaining it's really pathetic,me i no problem paying 5 extra dollars for a few more maps even old maps from cod4 are still awesome.
    The bottom line is that noone will put a gun to your head and make you purchase this new stimulus pack and if you cant afford paying 15 bucks then you just wont be able to play the new maps period so shut up and stop complaining

  • Gsai64

    Posted Mar 31, 2010 11:56 am GMT

    even though it crashed the morning they released it, they still are are trying to kill my piggy bank.

  • kkrakhed

    Posted Mar 30, 2010 2:04 pm GMT

    Screw the $15. What about the $60 we pay for the live service, only to have it lag so bad you can't even play the new maps....

  • Jynxy425

    Posted Mar 30, 2010 1:06 pm GMT

    Don't like the price, then don't buy the product !!! Consumer purchases will dictate future downloadable prices. However there's enough impatient "gotta have it now" consumers that won't wait, that Activision won't feel it as they run laughing all the way to the bank.

  • blackwing55

    Posted Mar 30, 2010 12:52 pm GMT

    Wow i checked today and over 10000 people bought it thats 150 000 dollars they made a killing i say wait tell they lower the prices but some people are to inpatient and they will think selling it for 15 is fine

  • dink470

    Posted Mar 30, 2010 12:34 pm GMT

    Its $15! I guess this economy really is hurting for this many people to cry about it

  • luixkorrea

    Posted Mar 30, 2010 10:10 am GMT

    15$ it's to much! lower the price, there are just 3 new maps!

  • jocool1

    Posted Mar 30, 2010 7:59 am GMT

    Yeah I'd say just wait until 50% of Summer Specials on Xbox Live, because you know its going down from all the bad press.

  • jennylance

    Posted Mar 30, 2010 4:32 am GMT

    plz lower the price make it.. 800 ms points...

  • chertoo

    Posted Mar 30, 2010 2:05 am GMT

    btw, mw2 is basically just a prettied up mw1 so its only natural for them to have maps from mw1, also they assume all gamers are such idiots they dont even bother to make original maps for the game they just use old mw1 stock maps and throw a 15$ price tag on, can everyone boycott everyone responsible for this finally.. minus those who dont care and would allow america to become like mexico with their mentality

  • chertoo

    Posted Mar 30, 2010 1:58 am GMT

    @mustang3889 well then go buy it if its just 15$, and we will keep boycotting to maintain the fact all other games allow fan made maps and that mw2 would have 1000 free maps by now if this game company wasnt trying to squeeze every last dollar out of the gamer

  • recon50

    Posted Mar 29, 2010 11:58 pm GMT

    anyone who buys these DLC is a traitor to there country ,there self and to the gaming cummunity, they enjoy playing with. I will never ever buy any cod game again. no matter how good it is. banning greed has to start somewhere.

  • LpcWarrior

    Posted Mar 29, 2010 5:25 pm GMT

    @pixelsguy

    and don't condescend to people on a message board, speak your mind but don't hate...chief

  • LpcWarrior

    Posted Mar 29, 2010 5:19 pm GMT

    @pixelsguy

    its called an "analogy", I tried to use a widely know event to draw comparison. Everything you wrote has been said, and said again. Way to try and call me out and then have nothing to say about what i wrote *sarcasm*. I never said anything about the DLC being free or wanting it to be free. 800 has been the norm for map packs and i fear charging 1500 ms for map packs to be a coming trend that I don't agree with.

  • pixelsguy

    Posted Mar 29, 2010 3:10 pm GMT

    @rchase320 exactly.
    @LpcWarrior get some perspective, chief- this is game DLC, not social equality legislation. In regards to the petition: its $15 today. $5/map with 2 ports, or $3/map, depending on how you're counting it. Give it a few months, and when everyone who is willing to pay $15 has ponied up, they'll drop it to half of that in a sale price. When nobody will pony up that price, maybe it'll be free, like the Halo MP's. The bottom line is, DLC is a great way for developers to milk their A-list titles for revenue. That's right. It's a way to make money (and extend the life of a title). Get over it. It's an industry. The more money they can make on this title, the more money they can put into another title.

  • Flint247

    Posted Mar 29, 2010 2:46 pm GMT

    Anyone remember the article saying that they announced this map pack BEFORE the game release? XD

    Definitely not buying this now.

  • rchase320

    Posted Mar 29, 2010 2:12 pm GMT

    I don't see how people can expect this to be free. . . I wouldn't go to work if I wasn't getting paid for it, and I don't expect the developers to do the same.

  • rchase320

    Posted Mar 29, 2010 2:06 pm GMT

    Personally, I don't have a problem paying $3 for one map. . . Consequently, I don't mind paying $15 for five, even if two are re-dos.

  • LpcWarrior

    Posted Mar 29, 2010 11:54 am GMT

    @MattyWoah and I'm sure those crazy folks in the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT should have just stopped complaining and dealed with it? Whats great about we as a people, we can have an opinion about things, and if we don't like what someone is pushing on us, we can band together and fight against it. Futile? maybe, but if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.

  • skateboard1587

    Posted Mar 29, 2010 10:10 am GMT

    My main problem with this is that I'll have to buy $20 worth of Microsoft points, and after the map pack I'll have wasted $5. What am I supposed to get with 400 microsoft points? Avatar clothes? That's not happening.

  • chilly-chill

    Posted Mar 29, 2010 6:14 am GMT

    When It's all said and done, it won't really matter because by tomorrow activision is still going to make a killing.

  • VIRGIN_ISLANDER

    Posted Mar 28, 2010 9:34 pm GMT

    well these guys did say they wanted to increase the price of games to about $80...come to think of it with all the dlc they shove down ur throats you end up spending close to $100 anyway. so if that the case might as well they just charge more for the game and just put everything in it, cause lets face it we all know that the dlc is not an after thought of the finished product. no, its content purposely left out of the final product. i mean come on. 3 new maps and 2 remakes. ok fine, i'm lookin forward to replayin cod 4 maps with mw2s already kinda jacked up multiplayer...these maps could have damn well have been shipped with the game in the first place. i mean, why couldnt they have just given them to us free. as a way of sayin thanks for makin them even more money than cod 4 made them.

  • MattyWoah

    Posted Mar 28, 2010 8:21 pm GMT

    Petition? Grow up. I'm sick of people who want things like this, but don't want to pay for them. If you don't want to pay for it, then don't buy it and send them a message that way. You know, like THE EFFECTIVE AND REALISTIC WAY to go about your dissent in a free market? Stop whining with the intention of them bringing down the price. Either its worth it or not, and if its not, wait until it goes on sale. I couldn't afford Dragon Ages Expansion, so thats what I'm doing.

  • PseudoElite

    Posted Mar 28, 2010 7:36 pm GMT

    @lightning093
    And did I say anything against you being a fan of the game or the map pack? No, I said the price is ridiculous and an obvious market ploy. Sorry I hurt your feelings fanboy, but yes you are a sheep for buying overpriced DLC. You can waste your allowance on sub par DLC which they keep forcing down your throat and you comply without question. I'll spend my money on something actually useful or another game, heck I'm only about $15 from a complete brand new game.

    What your tiny biased brain fails to comprehend is that I'm not opposed only to the $15 price tag. Yes in the big picture $15 is not much and I could easily afford it if I wanted to. But I don't want to support a company who purposely take away modding powers, dedicated servers, local searches, and a plethora of other customization features. Yeah there is a lot of greed out there and guess what? I am doing something about it: I'm not supporting it. I also recommend you actually pay attention at school instead of rotting your brain by playing so much Modern warfare, you might actually develop some real argument skills.

  • PseudoElite

    Posted Mar 28, 2010 7:36 pm GMT

    @CrimsonSnake

    http://www.modernwarfail2.com/2010/01/21/402-bans-xbox-live-account-of-modder-who-leaked-early-mw2-map-packdlc/

    @lightning093

    Wait, you make an assumption that I'm a person who whines about everything in the world because I have an opinion that doesn't agree with yours? Excellent skills of deduction, on par with that of a five year old. Then you accuse me of being a chronic complainer when you come here flaming everyone who doesn't want to pay for the map pack. So we aren't allowed to voice our disapproval about something but you are? That basically means you're complaining about us complaining, which makes you the biggest hypocrite. There is something called freedom of speech, something people with brains like to use occasionally.

    Guessing from your demeanor you are a teenager still living with your parents and you have a part time job at a local fast food restaurant, bravo, you're really experiencing financial freedom and responsibility *sarcasm*. What you think you're the first person to ever have a job? I have two part time jobs and I'm a full time College student.I have a million bills to worry about not counting school fees, so yes sorry $15 is a lot for a marketing gimmick. IW/Activision could have easily given power to modders to make their own maps, but instead they ban anyone who even tries.

  • LordRickIV

    Posted Mar 28, 2010 3:55 pm GMT

    Does IW have the right to charge $15 bucks for 5 maps? Yes, it's their product they can if they want. I think the issue here is that IW isn't giving us an option about it. My point being is that there aren't any mods for MW2 right now because IW has been so tight about players having any control. If we had an option to do a bit of modding, no one would complain about the $15 map-pack. But since we have to eat whatever dish IW decides to serve us, we can either pay or go hungry. And that is what sucks about this whole situation.

  • CrimsonSnake posted Mar 28, 2010 3:11 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    CrimsonSnake

    Posted Mar 28, 2010 3:11 pm GMT (hide)

    "The maps are already included in the game they just aren't unlocked."
    I find your claim ridiculous without evidence indicating that they're already included with the game somewhere.

    And $15 goes towards compensating Infinity Ward for the work they've done and supporting them for continuing to deliver more of that same quality of projects.

    I know I'll get far more than $15 worth of playtime out of the new maps.

  • lightning093

    Posted Mar 28, 2010 10:07 am GMT

    @PseudoElite not all things in this world can be free. It's people like you out there in the world that complain and complain and never ever stop complaining. Yeah sure i guess you could call me one of the sheep that give money to IW and Activision, but i'm a fan of the game and i like the game. I'll gladly pay $15 for this. I got a job i can afford it and its no big deal to me. Oh and by the way is being fan of something a bad thing? everyone in this world is a fan of something and companies make money off of it anyway in this world. The world is based on greed we are just gonna have to deal with it. Plus you can't change IW's decision. Guess we are gonna have to deal with what we got.

  • FFJunkies

    Posted Mar 28, 2010 4:14 am GMT

    To be honest, the company can easily get away with this. Since this game is hyped up to no end and got a pretty good darn score from alot of magazines/websites etc. They could even charge twice as much and you will still see fans buying it, best thing to do is if you dont like it, dont play it. They obviously are thinking "since we're number one, we can do whatever we want and they will shovel it down".

    Not played Battlefield Bad Company, but i heard they got free DLC.... Plus you can blow building up HAHA!

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