Whether you think Call of Duty: Ghosts is sliced bread #2 (the greatest thing since sliced bread – look it up) or not, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg believes that the series’ main critics – the fans – are perfectly happy with the game.

Speaking to Game Informer, Hirshberg answered “No,” as to whether the brand was at risk of disappearing due to gamers’ fatigue. “We’ve been pretty transparent all year that we think, because of the challenges of the console transition year, that that was likely in the short-term. I think it would be a mistake to conflate the challenges of the console transition year with any indications about the health of the franchise.”

Has the decision to bring about yearly sequels resulted in diminishing returns as the series rolls on? “Well no, obviously not – and obviously I don’t agree with the critics there. I know that Call of Duty’s a polarising franchise with some of the critics, and it’s clear to me that not all the critics like our strategy of making a game every year, but thankfully our fans do.

“It’s also clear to me that the critical response doesn’t always mirror the fans’ appreciation of a game. We actually do read the critics’ comments and take them into consideration during our creative process, but we just can’t measure ourselves by that yardstick alone.

“Our most important audience is our fans, so we try to stay laser-focused on making games that they love. If you look at the fact that [Ghosts is] the most pre-ordered game of the year, it’s the most pre-ordered next-gen game of the year, it’s already the number one most played on Xbox Live, and that we’re seeing longer average playtimes than ever before, we’re confident that we’re doing well by the criteria that matter most.”

So like it or not, even if you’re sick of the lack of changes or innovations in the franchise, as long as fans of the series love it, we’re going to get our usual dose of Call of Duty for the foreseeable future.

Speaking to EDGE, Hirshberg stated, “However, I think there’s something to do with allowing different media to do what each media does well. When I think of games as an art form, they start with being transportive. Because they’re interactive, because you are more involved in the experience than in any other form of entertainment, it all starts with being transported.

“And obviously a natural place to want to transport people is into an experience they can’t have in their everyday lives. Sometimes that’s driving a fast car, sometimes that’s being a professional athlete, sometimes that’s being a rock star, sometimes that’s being a hero or going into a fantastical future

“I think this is inherently what games do best and so I’d expect that to be the basis of games for a long time to come. I don’t know if romantic comedy fits that model. I think that’s something that movies and TV do well. There’s this strange desire to morph games into movies or have them behave more like movies; I don’t share that desire. Games are wonderful as they are and do different things better than other forms of media.”

Ironically enough, the Call of Duty series has been under criticism for some time for its emphasis on being more like a blockbuster movie than an actual game. Look no further than the inclusion of numerous set-pieces and homages to action movies within the series for the same. Is it the same as being a movie? Not quite, but is interesting to hear Hirshberg talk about games being “transportive”.

Speaking to IGN, he stated, “As much as I’m sure the first parties would love to have some of our games exclusively, we want to be wherever gamers are.”

Such measures like timed exclusive DLC access is important though. “It helps us launch the games. It helps us amplify our marketing messages and get the word out to a larger audience.

“Getting the first parties to participate in that process is very helpful. Us giving them some meaningful exclusive content or time advantages for their platform helps them have something to market to their community as well. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship in both of the cases that you mentioned. But it’s important to note that they’re not exclusive relationships. Activision has historically been a platform agnostic company.”