Call of Duty: Elite

The Project:

Call of Duty has become the highest-grossing entertainment franchise of all time. Toppling other games like Halo and feature films like Avatar and The Dark Knight, Call of Duty’s annual release cycle and user base of nearly 30 million have allowed it to amass an unparalleled following in the game industry.

I worked with Call of Duty’s publisher Activision to design the Call of Duty: Elite project for mobile and tablet, with the goal of allowing users to engage with the game’s vast arrays of data, participate in competitions and ultimately foster an online community for their mega-series.

The Process:

• Management of a Multidisciplinary Team: To tackle the complex task of creating the mobile version of “Call of Duty: Elite,” I managed a team consisting of 12 designers and developers. The project involved two separate design and development streams due to uncertainty regarding the choice of technology. The client was undecided between Scaleform and HTML5, which was still in early beta at the time. This necessitated parallel efforts to explore both options.

• Divergent Design Approaches: The use of two different technologies—Scaleform and HTML5—led to the development of two distinct design approaches. Each technology had its own nuances in handling UI elements, text, and animations. This required careful consideration and adaptation of the design to accommodate the differences between the two platforms.

• Live Presentation at Call of Duty XP Event: As part of the project, I had to hand-build a version of the app that was showcased live at the Call of Duty XP event. This was a challenging endeavor, but it ultimately proved to be successful.

Final Thoughts:

• Prestigious Achievement in Gaming: Contributing to the design of the companion app for such a prestigious and beloved game franchise as “Call of Duty” was a significant milestone in my career. The app was an integral part of the “Call of Duty” universe, and being involved in its development was a source of pride.
• Challenges and Rewards: The project presented its fair share of challenges, particularly in terms of managing a diverse team and navigating the complexities of working with different technologies. Additionally, coordinating with Activision across time zones before remote work became commonplace added to the project’s complexity. However, the experience was rewarding, and collaborating with a highly talented team made it all the more fulfilling.

In conclusion, “Call of Duty: Elite” was a ground breaking companion app that enriched the “Call of Duty” gaming experience for millions of players. My role in designing the mobile version of this app was both professionally rewarding and a testament to the potential for innovation within the gaming industry.