Hello! I’m Josh Olin (aka JD_2020), and thank you for the opportunity to highlight some of the features that Call of Duty: Black Ops will deliver to PS3 fans when it launches on November 9th. A number of these features are ones that I think the community has been wanting for a long time, which is why we’ve worked really hard to deliver. So let’s get started!

Multiplayer Online Split-Screen Support

Let’s get started with what I believe is the most unknown, yet confirmed, aspect to Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer – the online split-screen support we’ve re-introduced to the franchise!

The Facts:

You can connect a second controller and bring a guest online (i.e. “JD_2020” & “JD_2020(1)”).

Guests can rank up, earn unlocks, etc – all guest progress goes away once signed out.

Custom Games Editor

Allow me to introduce the Black Ops Custom Games Editor! Private matches have never been this customizable. Players will have the ability to structure their games at all new levels of granularity. From variables as simple as Time Limit and Score Limit, or as deep as which weapons, Perks, and gear are available. You want a Pistols Only match? Make one! No longer do custom game modes rely on the “honor system.”

Furthermore, any Custom Game you create and configure can be placed in your File Share, for friends and the community to browse, download, and enjoy. You just might create the most addictive new game mode of all time from the comfort of your own living room!

In-Game Friends List

We’ve integrated a built-in Friends List into the in game user interface. You’ll be able to browse Recent Players, Friends, navigate their File Shares, Recent Games, Combat Records – all within this in-game menu system designed to streamline the social process within the game. Sending game invites and joining Friends’ games has never been simpler than in Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Regional Matchmaking & Party Privacy

Call of Duty: Black Ops will support regional matchmaking filters on a global scale. So, no matter where you’re at in the world, you will have the ability to specify whether you want to match with players from other geographical regions, or only those local to you. This will make communication and lag a much less intrusive variable on your gameplay experience.

Additionally, given Black Ops will support joining games in progress via an even simpler built-in in-game Friends List interface, we’ll allow a Party leader to lock down his lobby to Invite Only, Friends Only, or even Close it altogether if he wants to be in complete control over who enters and exits the Party Lobby.

Emblems Do NOT Reset with Prestige

This one is pretty cut-and-dried. A frequently asked question is, “Will my kickass emblem I spent hours perfecting be lost when I prestige?” The answer is “NO!” Emblems are one of the only aspects of Black Ops MP that do not get a full reset upon entering Prestige. Things that will reset when you Prestige are: XP, COD Points, Challenge progressions, Loadouts, and so forth.

So that’s just a few of the lesser-known components to Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer, confirmed for the first time here on the official PlayStation.Blog! For more information regarding Black Ops, and all the new features included in multiplayer, head over to our official YouTube channel and watch all the different trailers we have highlighted from the game. Additionally, you can follow me on Twitter (@JD_2020) for more news and updates.