It isn’t going to be easy. To have a decent chance, a game needs at least the following.
RPG elements: CoD multiplayer is one big RPG. People love being rewarded and having options. The genius behind CoD is that you’re rewarded regardless of your play style or skill. Granted, the worse you are the slower you advance. Grind through a few games and unlock new items. The trick is gifting at the right time, and not too often. You don’t want it to be easy, but players should feel like they’ve earned their keep.
A little help from Ivan Pavlov: If you’ve ever leveled up in CoD you’ve heard the little ditty that plays while your progress is displayed on screen, usually in the form of a pretty service medal. Whether you’ve put much thought into it or not, you really like that bit of noise. You may have taken it for granted, but you’ve associated that brief few seconds of music with success. You really like it. If you’re going to take on CoD you need something similar to this.
Addicting gameplay: It needs to be simple, but rewarding. I prescribe to the K-I-S-S methodology. There needs to be enough variety to keep players interested, but never feeling over or underwhelmed. I think all too often games put way more on our plate than they should. Doing so leaves a player feeling helpless and discouraged.
Individuality: This may be the most important element. All of the top multiplayer titles have this in common. Halo allows you to customize armor permutations, colors, and decals. Call of Duty allows you to have clan tags, a multitude of weapon load outs specific to your liking, and the ability to put custom writing on your weapons. Allowing players to customize their experience gives them a sense of control. They wear what they want, and they use the tools they deem necessary for the job with little pushback from the game.
A sense of community: Make it easy to pair up with friends, and to make new friends. I play much better when I’m with a group of my closest buds. I can’t explain it, but it happens. The better someone plays, the more likely they are to enjoy the game. This also includes interacting with the community. Ask players what they want, and implement changes accordingly. Bungie has/is taking multiplayer map submissions from the community to include in their matchmaking playlists. DICE allowed fans of their Battlefield series to vote on their favorite maps from past titles and included them in Bad Company 2. Listen to the fans, and interact.
I think the more a game says “No, you can’t do that,” the less a player will enjoy the experience. Give people options, and make them numerous. Nobody is going to dethrone Call of Duty with a single title. It’s going to take a few releases to gain the love and trust of gamers.
