For 
the past several years, Activision’s Call of Duty franchise has been the videogame industry powerhouse — dominating the sales charts not only during the critical holiday sales period, but also carrying that momentum well into the following year.
In 2012, though, the franchise is showing signs of weakness.
With the upcoming 
Modern Warfare 3 looking to set new industry sales records when it launches later this year, Gamasutra’s Chris Morris questions whether Activision’s behemoth franchise can keep it up.
Even if you slept through your high school physics courses, you’re probably pretty familiar with the concept of what goes up, must come down. And given how high up the Call of Duty franchise has gotten in the past few years, there’s a very vocal segment of the gaming world waiting for it to fall.
Part of that is this industry’s insatiable need to declare the leading publisher evil and wish them harm. Part of it is rooting for an underdog. But whatever the reason, it looks like despite all the bellyaching by Activision opponents, gravity’s not going to be pulling the franchise from orbit this year either.
The war of words between Activision-Blizzard 
and Electronic Arts has moved to a new plateau. Activision has added the rival publisher to its $400 countersuit against the creators of the “Call of Duty” franchise.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge approved the amendment to the suit Thursday, acknowledging Activision’s allegations that EA wooed Jason West and Vince Zampella, the heads of the wholly-owned Infinity Ward subsidiary, while they were still under contract with Activision.
Chris Morris: Journalist 