MW2 DLC priced at £10

Publisher Activision has one again braved the wrath of gamers by announcing that the upcoming Xbox 360 DLC map-pack for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will cost a considerable 1200 Microsoft Points.

That works out at about 10.20 in real money.

1200 MSP is generally (with one or two notable exceptions) the upper limit of the Xbox Live pricing structure and is normally reserved for fully-fledged games or extensive expansions. Smaller downloads – such as map-packs – typically come in between 400 and 800 MSP.

The MW2 download in question comprises of five multiplayer maps, two of which are re-workings of maps that have previously appeared in Call of Duty titles.

In contrast, Rare’s popular N64 title Perfect Dark – complete with 17 single player levels, 29 multiplayer challenges and eight-player online multiplayer – will arrive on XBLA this week for just 800 MSP.

The negative reaction to the announcement is just the latest in a long line of tough headlines for Activision and Infinity Ward following the high-profile sacking of studio bosses Jason West and Vince Zampella earlier this month.

The price is made all the more sensational thanks to comments from Activision boss Bobby Kotick last year following the announcement that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was going to carry an RRP of 54.99.

The exec said at the time that if it was left to me, I would raise the prices even further”.

Infinity Ward’s latest isn’t the only DLC to reach the headlines for the wrong reasons in recent times. 2K Games is currently managing a consumer backlash that arose when it was discovered that the recently released DLC for BioShock 2 is already sitting on gamer’s discs.