"Call of Duty: Black Ops III" is the newest game in the long running series from game companies Activision and Treyarch. Its trailer not only gives fans a first good look at the game's graphics, gameplay, and plot but it also reveals the title's release date, which is currently set for Nov. 3 — a Friday.
The move is quite surprising since game companies, in general, release their titles on a Tuesday. The upcoming release of "Black Ops III" marks the first time that a game in the "Call of Duty" series will be released on a Friday, and Activision has made its official statement why they decided to make the change.
"Traditionally, here in the States, Tuesday has been a date that has worked really well for our retail partners," the company explained in an interview with Forbes. "Tuesday is also the day of the week that CDs and DVDs typically hit retail, a somewhat antiquated brick-and-mortar tradition."
According to the interview, Activision decided to go against this tradition not only because the times have changed, making the Tuesday-release practice rather outdated and irrelevant, but also to focus on giving players something to enjoy during the weekends. With a Friday release, students and employees getting off school and work can play the game on Saturday and Sunday instead of limiting their game time on a Tuesday night.
The game publisher also explained that this move is not a permanent plan for their future titles. How well the upcoming game sells would likely determine if they will adapt this release schedule for all future projects.
"Call of Duty: Black Ops III" is set several years after the events of "Black Ops II," in a dystopian future where technology has advanced to the point where war is waged with robotic soldiers and human supersoldiers. According to the trailer, players will once again control members of a secret black ops unit.
