Shipment (Call of Duty)

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Shipment
Call of Duty location
Shipment (Call of Duty).png
"Shipment" as it appears in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
First appearance Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)
Last appearance Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023)
Created byGeoffrey Smith
Genre First-person shooter
In-universe information
Location Chernobyl, Ukraine (Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare)
London (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare)

"Shipment" is a multiplayer map in the Call of Duty series of first-person shooter video games published by Activision. Originally set in a shipping yard outside of Chernobyl, the maps design is a small, compact square with numerous shipping containers inside, some of which the player can traverse through. This creates a design consisting of an intersection, and no other elements are present beyond this basic layout. As a result of its small design, the map is notorious for fast paced combat, as well as being a popular place for players to have duels.

Contents

The map was first introduced in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007), where it was designed by that game's multiplayer design director as a developer test map. During development, the map was accidentally placed into the game's main multiplayer map selection, with its creator since referring to the map as an accident. "Shipment" has subsequently appeared in numerous other games in the Call of Duty series, with some versions making minor layout differences or changing the setting. "Shipment" has been met with a mostly positive response from critics, with praise towards its fast-paced action and simple layout, though others have criticized it for the same reasons. It has been considered one of the most iconic maps in the Call of Duty series, as well as one of its best.

Design

A simplified version of the layout of "Shipment" CoDShipmentLayout.png
A simplified version of the layout of "Shipment"

"Shipment" is a multiplayer map originating from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007), a first-person shooter game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. The map takes place in a shipping yard near Chernobyl, Ukraine. The map's design is extremely small and simple, with the layout being a basic square with four smaller squares made of shipping containers inside it, creating an intersection. Extra angled shipping containers that the player can traverse through and take cover in are leaned up against each wall. No other elements are featured in the map, though later versions of the map do allow for some vertical movement. [1] Players can typically get from one side of the map to the other in a mere ten seconds. [2] Due to its small size and simplicity, fighting on the map is often extremely frantic. With no cover provided to the player beyond the containers, players could be killed immediately upon spawning, an act known as "spawn-killing". [3] [2] The map's frantic pace has made it an ideal location for players to have duels, or "1v1s". [4]

The map was created by Geoffrey Smith, the multiplayer design director of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Prior to becoming the game's multiplayer designer, Smith created custom maps for Counter Strike 1.6 under the username "compoSITe". "Shipment" has been noted to share numerous similarities with "fy_iceworld", a famous map in the game's community. Due to Smith repurposing his own Counter-Strike maps for Call of Duty titles, it's possible that "Shipment" was directly based on "fy_iceworld". [1] The map was originally designed to be played exclusively in a split-screen setting. [5]

History

"Shipment" first appeared in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare as one of sixteen different multiplayer maps included at the game's launch. [2] According to Smith, the map was never intended to be included in the game's official release, and was instead meant to serve as an internal testing map. During development, the map was somehow added to the main multiplayer map selection, a mistake that wasn't noticed until the game had already shipped. Smith has since referred to the map as an accident, as well as the "bane of [his] existence." [5] The map appeared in the game's 2016 remaster, and was intended to be a part of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009), though was scrapped before release. [6]

"Shipment" reappears in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019), the reboot of the original game from 2007. The map was added after the games' launch, with this version taking place in London instead of Chernobyl. [1] [6] This version of the map also made minor design adjustments to prevent "spawn-killing", as well as introducing more verticality. [3] The map has since appeared in the other games in the rebooted Modern Warfare sub-series, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023). The iteration featured in Modern Warfare II moved settings again, this time taking place on a container ship. [7] [4] The map has also been used in April Fools jokes by Infinity Ward, mainly with "Shipment 10v10" in 2020, which later got re-added to the game as a non-April Fools mode. [8]

Other Call of Duty games have included maps based on "Shipment", though have given it different names, changed the setting, or changed the layout. These versions are "Container" in Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified (2012), "Showtime" in Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013), "Shipment 1944" in Call of Duty: WWII (2017), as well as a version in Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021). [6]

Reception

"Shipment" has been frequently referred to as one of the most popular maps in the Call of Duty series, as well as one of its most iconic. [3] [7] [9] Kotaku {{}}s Alyssa Mercante wrote that "Shipment" was one of the two most iconic maps in the series, with the other one being "Nuketown" from the Black Ops sub-series. [3] Several outlets have considered "Shipment" to be one of the best maps in the Call of Duty series due to its fast-paced nature. [3] [10] [11]

Writing on the original version of "Shipment", Mercante wrote that the map could "push you over the edge" due to its frantic nature of combat, which was further described as "chaotic." [3] Toby Saunders and Cian Maher of GameRevolution said that "Shipment" was "an experience that is unparalleled in first-person shooters to this day", and one where players typically relied on "luck of the draw" for survival due to spawn-killing; [10] GameRant 's Emma Majoros and Jake Fillery echoed similar thoughts. [11] PC World 's Brad Chacos praised the map's inclusion in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, describing the map as making up for the issues present within the game. Similarly to other writers, he highlighted the maps fast paced combat, which he viewed as allowing him to work around the games weapon upgrade system, which he saw as being flawed. [12]

PC Gamer 's Morgan Park referred to the map as the worst map in video game history, commenting that the reasons people loved it were simultaneously its biggest flaws. He wrote that the map "makes zero sense on paper" based on its layout and lack of cover provided to players, describing the map as more of a meme or a tool to level up than a respected map amongst the community. Park also viewed the map as summarizing the points people critical of the Call of Duty series espouse against it, describing it as a "brainless, low-effort meat grinder" when compared to other maps in the series that were also small, such as "Shoothouse" and "Nuketown." Unlike those two, Park viewed "Shipment" as being "mind-numbing." [13]

Related Research Articles

Call of Duty is a military first-person shooter video game series and media franchise published by Activision, starting in 2003. The games were first developed by Infinity Ward, then by Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games. Several spin-off and handheld games were made by other developers. The most recent, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, was released on October 25, 2024.

<i>Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare</i> 2007 video game

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a 2007 first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is the fourth main installment in the Call of Duty series. The game breaks away from the World War II setting of previous entries and is instead set in modern times. Developed over two years, Modern Warfare was released in November 2007 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows and was ported to the Wii as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – Reflex Edition in 2009.

<i>Call of Duty: World at War</i> 2008 video game

Call of Duty: World at War is a 2008 first-person shooter game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. It is the fifth main installment of the Call of Duty series and is the fourth entry in the series to be set during World War II. The game was announced by Activision in June 2008 and was released in November 2008, for PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360, and Wii. Other games under the World at War title were published for the Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2, featuring different storylines and missions.

<i>Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2</i> 2009 video game

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a 2009 first-person shooter game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is the sixth installment in the Call of Duty series and the direct sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. It was released worldwide on November 10, 2009, for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. A separate version for the Nintendo DS, titled Modern Warfare: Mobilized, was also released on the same day. A version for OS X was developed by Aspyr and released in May 2014, and the Xbox 360 version was made backward compatible for the Xbox One in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IW (game engine)</span> Game engine developed by Infinity Ward

The IW engine is a game engine created and developed by Infinity Ward for the Call of Duty series. The engine was originally based on id Tech 3. Aside from Infinity Ward, the engine is also used by other Activision studios working on the series, including primary lead developers Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games, and support studios like Beenox, High Moon Studios, and Raven Software.

<i>Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3</i> 2011 video game

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is a 2011 first-person shooter video game, jointly developed by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision. The game was released worldwide in November 8 2011 for Microsoft Windows, the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and OS X. It is the sequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009), serving as the third and final installment in the original Modern Warfare trilogy and the eighth Call of Duty installment overall. A separate version for the Nintendo DS was developed by n-Space, while Treyarch developed the game's Wii port. In Japan, Square Enix published the game with a separate subtitled and dubbed version.

<i>Call of Duty: Ghosts</i> 2013 first-person shooter video game

Call of Duty: Ghosts is a 2013 first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is the tenth major installment in the Call of Duty series and the sixth developed by Infinity Ward. It was released for PlayStation 3, Wii U, Windows, and Xbox 360, on November 5, 2013. The game was released with the launch of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

<i>Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified</i> 2012 video game

Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified is a 2012 first-person shooter video game, developed by nStigate Games and published by Activision for the PlayStation Vita. The game was announced at Sony's Electronic Entertainment Expo conference.

<i>Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare</i> 2014 First-person shooter video game

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is a 2014 first-person shooter video game published by Activision. The eleventh major installment in the Call of Duty series, the game was developed by Sledgehammer Games for PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One, while High Moon Studios developed the versions released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and Raven Software developed the game's multiplayer and the Exo-Zombies mode.

<i>Call of Duty: Black Ops III</i> 2015 first-person shooter video game

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<i>Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare</i> 2016 video game

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is a 2016 first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is the thirteenth installment in the Call of Duty series and was released worldwide for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on November 4, 2016.

<i>Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered</i> 2016 first-person shooter video game

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered is a 2016 first-person shooter game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. It is a remastered version of the 2007 game Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and was initially released as part of the special edition bundles of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare in November 2016 for the PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. A standalone version was released for these platforms in mid-2017. The game's story follows the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and the Special Air Service (SAS), who take on missions to fight against a separatist group in the Middle East and an ultranationalist group in Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Ghillied Up</span> Level from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2Fort</span> Video game map in the Team Fortress series

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<i>Call of Duty: Modern Warfare</i> (2019 video game) 2019 video game reboot

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<i>Call of Duty: Warzone</i> 2020 video game

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<i>Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War</i> 2020 video game

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<i>Call of Duty: Vanguard</i> 2021 video game

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<i>Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II</i> (2022 video game) 2022 video game

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuketown</span> Call of Duty multiplayer map

"Nuketown" is a multiplayer map in the Call of Duty series of first-person shooter video games published by Activision. Set in a nuclear test town in the deserts of Nevada, the map features two symmetrical sides that are split down the middle by a road. Each side has a two-story house with a backyard, and the road has vehicles that provide additional cover. The map is very small, and combat is often frantic due to its small size. At the end of each multiplayer game played on the map, a nuclear bomb is dropped on the site, obliterating it.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Yang, Robert (April 22, 2020). "The legacy of fy_iceworld, Counter-Strike's divisive and hugely popular custom map". Rock, Paper, Shotgun . Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Ash, James (March 2013). "Technologies of Captivation: Videogames and the Attunement of Affect". Body & Society . 19 (1): 27–51. doi:10.1177/1357034X11411737. ISSN   1357-034X.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mercante, Alyssa (August 30, 2023). "The 10 Best Call Of Duty Maps Of All Time". Kotaku . Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Doster, S.E. (February 28, 2024). "1v1 Me On Shipment, Coward". GameSpot . Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Zwiezen, Zack (May 15, 2023). "One Of Call Of Duty 4's Most Beloved Maps Was Only Left In By Accident". Kotaku . Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Mudd, John (September 23, 2021). "Call of Duty: Every Version of Shipment So Far". Game Rant . Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Kennedy, Victoria (May 16, 2023). "Call of Duty 4's iconic Shipment map included by accident, developer 'forgot' to remove it". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  8. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (May 9, 2020). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare brings back its April Fool's 10v10 Shipment 24/7 playlist - and it is glorious chaos". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on May 13, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  9. ↑ Ivan, Tom (May 15, 2023). "One of Call of Duty's most iconic maps was originally released by accident". Video Games Chronicle . Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  10. 1 2 Saunder, Toby; Maher, Cian (October 18, 2018). "Best Call of Duty Maps - From Shipment and Rust, to Castle and Raid". GameRevolution . Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  11. 1 2 Majoros, Emma; Fillery, Jake (March 30, 2021). "The Best Call Of Duty Maps In The Franchise". Game Rant . Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  12. ↑ Chacos, Brad (December 19, 2022). "Shipment makes Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's worst parts fun". PCWorld . Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  13. ↑ Park, Morgan (November 11, 2022). "The worst map in all of videogames is coming back". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
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