Modern Warfare 2 Renamed Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

One of the most anticipated games of 2009 is getting a minor name change. Modern Warfare 2 is now known as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. When the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 game was first revealed, many thought that it would be name Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. However, Activision decided top drop the brand name for their upcoming game.

It was a curios decision at that time for the third-party publisher. Activision recently became the biggest third-party publisher in the gaming industry. This is due mostly to the tremendous success of the Call of Duty franchise.

The first game in the popular series was released in 2003 on the PC. However, it wasn't until the second title that mainline Call of Duty games appeared on the home console market.

The naming confusion came with the release of Call of Duty 3. Like previous titles, the third main game in the series was set in the World War 2 era. However, it was developed by a different team. While Infinity Ward was responsible for the first two games of the series, Activision handed Call of Duty to another developer, Treyarch.

Infinity Ward went on to developed Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. That particular title went on to become one of the best-selling games in recent years. As popular as the Call of Duty series was before, the fourth main title elevated the series into another realm of popularity. This is mostly due to the game's more modernized setting in addition to an addicting online multiplayer.

The next main Call of Duty title would once again be developed by Treyarch. However, Activision chose not to give Call of Duty: World at War a number. This confused many who wondered if World at War was the next main game in the popular series or just a spin-off title. It was also a disservice to Treyarch, who felt like second fiddle to Infinity Ward.

The confusion only worsened with the next game, which is being developed by Infinity Ward. Instead of naming it Call of Duty 5 or Call of Duty 6, Activision decided to simply go with Modern Warfare 2. Dropping "Call of Duty" from the title proved to be an error for Activision as many mainstream fans couldn't recognize the new title.

Because of the complaints, Activision decided to add Call of Duty back into the title. Thus, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is now the official title. You can find the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 game this fall.