Call of Duty Elite available on Xbox Live, PC version not ready for MW3 launch

Call of Duty Elite is now available for download on the Xbox Live Marketplace. So if you're big on all things Call of Duty, especially tomorrow's Modern Warfare 3, you'll want to get to downloading this pronto.

Activision's digital platform for its Call of Duty franchise, Call of Duty Elite, is now available for download on the Xbox Live Marketplace. So if you're big on all things Call of Duty, especially tomorrow's Modern Warfare 3, you'll want to get to downloading this pronto, and then registering for the service here.

Elite will serve as the digital community hub for all things Call of Duty. It'll track thousands of your stats in games like Black Ops, MW2 and MW3, as well as future titles in the series. It's also a gateway for players to find groups and clans to play with and tournaments and contests to enter. There's even a section of Elite geared toward helping new, lesser skilled players improve their skills with tutorials on weapons and maps.

Of course, not all components of the service are free. For $49.99 a year, premium users gain access to the aforementioned tournaments and contests, as well as monthly downloadable content and access to "pro analysis and strategy." But if you're only interested in stat tracking, a free account should serve you well.

Finally, a bit of bad news for those playing on PC: It looks like the PC version of Elite won't be ready for MW3's launch, thanks to the PC being an "insecure platform," according to Chacko Sonny, Beachhead Studios' head. He did mention the team is "working their butts off" to bring Elite to PC users as soon as possible.

Staff article by Jonathan Davila (November 07, 2011) A bio for this contributor is currently unavailable, but check back soon to see if that changes. If you are the author of this news article, you can update your bio from the Settings page.