It might be difficult for the younger, no scoping-whippersnappers on the internet to believe, but there was a time when “Call of Duty” wasn’t synonymous with first-person shooters. The series’ 2003 debut was a relative success for then-freshman developer Infinity Ward, offering a quality alternative to the waning popularity of EA’s Medal of Honor series and the glut of other middling WWII shooters, but it didn’t rewire the entire industry.
The first game spawned a handful of decent PC expansions and console spin-offs, but without the hardware to replicate the PC experience, those playing with controllers wouldn’t understand what made this new brand of gritty, historical shooter so gripping. That changed in Fall 2005, when Call of Duty 2 hit PCs and consoles. It was the success story people expected it to be on PC, but its place among the Xbox 360’s launch titles catapulted the franchise to new heights.
