UK Sales Charts: Call of Duty Clings on to Christmas Crown

In Jan 2015, Advanced Warfare had sold 17.5m copies, I can't find the total sales for the year but that, which is regarded by many CoD players as the worst MP in the franchise, sold more than probably every other game (apart from maybe GTAv). Its hardly a franchise in difficulty.
Treyarch have consistently delivered and are seen now as the best developers in the franchise. Infinity Ward have struggled to deliver since MW2 (although I think Ghosts was better than MW3 which was so obviously affected by the problems of West/Zampela 'leaving' and requiring a lot of help frm multiple studios to get a game out in time) and Sledgehammer didn't exactly hit it off with their first solo effort.
BO3 is in my opinion, the best CoD available this generation. I also think its the best FPS MP experience available this year. I know Battlefield 4 offers a great MP too although a very different style. CoD offers a fast paced and more arcade style. Its campaign and Zombies also have a lot of replayability and co-op (couch or online) fun too. I know many people hat buy CoD for these more than the MP. The main difference is that BO3's movement actually enhances the overall game-play but doesn't impact significantly on the flow and 'CoD' MP experience - it still feels like a traditional CoD game but allows more mobility, flanking/strategical movement (not just wall running but under water routes too) etc all whilst ensuring that the 'gun play' is still the most important factor.
In terms of content, it really does put a lot of other games to shame. Its MP alone is bigger, more extensive and varied, than other AAA online MP games. It has more maps, modes, weapons, unlockables etc! Zombies is a bit limited compared to some co-op experiences as there isn't that many options at the moment. Shadows of Evil is the only map so far (unless you bought the Hardened+ edition or Season Pass and have the Giant - remake of Der Reise) but you can unlock Dead Ops Arcade 2 as well. It has a lot of replayability with its unlimited number of waves and Easter Eggs too. Battlefronts 'survival mode' may have a few more maps but they are limited to 15 rounds - I doubt I would want to keep playing once I have all 3 gold stars on all of these but I will want to keep playing the same Zombie maps to better my highest wave, unlock various camo's, player cards etc.
CoD:BO3 also has a 4-player campaign with its own XP progression system meaning that you have reasons to replay. Unlocking different abilities mean that your playthrough can be different as some may favour a more stealthy approach and others more guns blazing - some may suit ranged combat, others more CQC. Not only that, you also have the 'Nightmare' variation (replaces soldiers with Zombies) that adds a different spin on the campaign. All the camo's, player cards etc from this are usable across all modes too.
The gunsmith isn't particularly that great and the Paint-shop just adds a new level of customisation, its still an extra feature. There is also a 'time trial' free running mode as well with Leaderboards so you have some incentive to replay to beat your mates times.
I can easily see this remaining popular for the season and beyond. It may not be the best looking game ever, although I would argue its one of the best looking 60fps games - the better looking ones often sacrifice frame rate - 30fps for visuals). Having seen the first DLC contents too, I am definitely buying the Season Pass. I don't see it as being a 'risky' purchase having not felt let down by Treyarchs DLC or the game and I am certain that the user base will remain quite consistent throughout meaning I shouldn't struggle to get into games. I doubt I will manage to unlock every camo, player card etc either so I know this will certainly last me a long time.

Black Ops III: The @BAMozzy review.

Though seriously, I think you have me almost sold in getting it after being disappointed with Ghosts. Well played sir!

@BAMozzy
Sometimes it feels like there's only a handful of us that think Black Ops 3 is a good game, people just hate on Call of Duty because it's Call of Duty though, that will never stop. However, they'll try to convince you that Knack is somehow the greatest game of all-time and it just needs to be played to be understood.

Who's still buying GTA V?

@Sir_JBizzle If you liked the Black Ops games, this plays very similar in a lot of ways. The maps aren't excessively large (like Ghosts on disc maps) and all have that traditional 3 lane system. This means that the way the game plays and flows hasn't really changed from BO2. The movement helps get into the action and try a few different flanking moves but these are often high risk. Wall running often leaves you very open but if unseen can get you to good positions. All the movement mechanics don't take away from your ability to shoot either - you can shoot whilst wall running/swimming etc. Zombies is typical Treyarch too and the campaign is 'fun' but I must admit I do think the 'story' isn't as cohesive or strong as others in the franchise - a small sacrifice for the 4 player co-op and XP progression system. The missions are playable in any order so that means you don't have to find someone at the same point as you and the fact their is an XP progression with a variety of unlockable abilities mean that you can mix up your play style and/or co-op team dynamics for a different experience - Zombie enemy types also change it too. If you do get it, I am sure that you would get a lot of value from it too - certainly a lot to keep you returning.

@Gamer83 I know its 'fashionable' to hate on CoD - just because its popular but its popular for a reason. I know that recently the CoD games haven't been as good as some of the earlier ones. I do think that Ghosts though was a lot better than people gave it credit for (it was developed on both gen consoles simultaneously in 2 years and the Map Packs addressed the issue of the Maps on disc). Black Ops 3 though is definitely the best Next Gen CoD. Treyarch have remained a consistent team - unlike IW who have had major changes and Sledgehammer that are relatively new to the franchise. It does annoy me that people bunch all the 'CoD' games together. The 3 studios may have certain things that we expect in a CoD game but they also have a lot of differences too and I am not just referring to the MP. Each studio's games have a different feel about them and I can understand why people may be apprehensive about Ghosts 2 or Advanced Warfare 2 after the last 2 years. I don't understand though why people who enjoyed Treyarchs previous games are using Ghosts or Advanced Warfare to make their decision.

@themcnoisy Maybe all those 'last gen' fans of GTAv who got a Gen 8 console for Christmas???

@BAMozzy I think casual CoD players lump all the games together because overall, it's one franchise and they don't make the discernment between the three iterations, thus making decisions based on the previous installment. As a casual CoDer myself, I'm guilty of that sometimes, even though as someone who follows the industry closely, I know it's multiple studios handling the franchise. That said, I've always enjoyed the Black Ops series the most and I know I shouldn't use Ghosts as metric.

To be fair, the bulk of my decision was time vs money. With all the games I've bought this season and the little time I have to play as it is, I had to decide how much enjoyment I wound get out of it, so I decided to put it on my "buy eventually" list.

@themcnoisy Well I haven't bought it yet, for example. Most of my friends don't have a current gen console, so when they get one (and it'll definitely be a PS4) they'd almost certainly get it too. I suppose it's just one of those games that's so popular that it's transcended the "all its sales are to hardcore fans in the first couple of months" thing that many games such as JRPGs have.

In other words, most games are split between a small number of "Will buy straight away" and a lot of "will never buy". GTA is one of the lucky games that has absolutely millions of "won't buy straight away but I'm sure to get it sooner or later" people.