To celebrate Black Friday we’re giving several hot Black Friday items. One of the hottest games of the holiday season is Call of Duty: Black Ops and we’re giving away a copy for you to play on your XBOX 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii or PC. A free copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops sure beats any other Black Friday price on this first person shooter.

Call of Duty: Black Ops has an MSRP of $59.99.

If you’re not familiar with the Call of Duty: Black Ops, please take a look at this trailer before buying it for your younger loved ones. It’s rated M for mature for a reason. The game is extremely violent, foul language is scattered in just about every scene and your character’s tasked to kill people in just about every corner of the world. While you might want young kids playing Call of Duty: Black Ops because of this kind of content, this is exactly what draws teens and adults to this game.

Call of Duty: Black Ops follows the story of a special forces fighter as he conducts covert missons during the Vietnam War era. The campaign mode is a bit more strategic than previous installations of the Call of Duty franchise. Rather than simply blasting everything that moves, Call of Duty: Black Ops requires you to sneak around and get crafty.

Many gamers couldn’t care less about Call of Duty: Black Op’s campaign mode. Instead, they simply want to jump online and play in multi-player mode. The game has multi-player maps of all sizes and something for everyone. Gamers can customize their characters like never before. You can spend a good amount of time changing out uniforms and customizing your weapons.

How to Win Call of Duty Black Ops

If you’ve read this far that probably means you’d like to win a copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops for yourself or a loved one. Entering to win is easy, just answer the below questions in the comments section below. You must answer all three questions in the comments if you want to be entered to win a copy Call of Duty: Black Ops.

1. Which gaming system would you play Call of Duty: Black Ops on if you won this giveaway?

(we need to know so we can send you the right version)

2. Why do you prefer gaming on the PS3/XBOX 360/Wii/PC?

3.  Besides Call of Duty: Black Ops, which game  is the BEST game out there that’s on your Christmas wish list? What makes it so great?

Only one entry per person is allowed. This giveaway is only open to U.S. residents aged 18 and over, where allowed by local regulations. Multiple entries will be disqualified. We’ll pick a random winner via Random.org next Friday, December 3, 2010.

Visit Notebooks.com’s Black Friday page to learn more about shopping for gadgets on Black Friday and throughout the holiday season.

Good luck!

Giveaway: Call of Duty Black Ops is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

Call of Duty: Black Ops releases today to the delight of many gamers who have been eagerly awaiting the latest version in the Call of Duty Series. This version is made by Treyarch, often known as the “Other” company or “B-Team” that makes Call of Duty games, but according to the early reviews the Bravo company may have pulled off a win with Call of Duty Black Ops.

In Call of Duty: Black Ops you take command of Black Ops soldiers in a cold war setting that will jump between snow covered mountains in the controlled by Soviet forces to Vietnam and SouthEast Asia where jungles are the death de jour.

Players can tackle a single player campaign, or come online for Co-Op play (including Zombie mode) as well as an online multiplayer component that should deliver weeks of gameplay.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Wii and Nintendo DS. In addition to the standard version which is $59.99 on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 there are also two special editions — Hardened and Prestige which come with a collection of extras.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Hardened edition is $79.99 and comes with the following extras:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops full game
• Premium, special-edition SteelBook™ case
• Limited edition Black Ops collector’s medal w/display case
• 4 additional co-op maps not included in the standard edition of the game
• Special Black Ops Xbox Live or PlayStation Home avatar outfit

Call of Duty: Black Ops Prestige edition is $149.99 and comes with everything in the Hardened edition and the following extras:

• Video & audio sent wirelessly to remote transmitter (200 ft. range)
• 2″ backlit TFT 220 x176 color screen built into RC controller
• Digital proportional steering and throttle
• Independent suspension
• High and low speed settings

If you plan to play Call of Duty Black Ops on the PC you’ll need a powerful system to get the best experience. You’ll find the minimum system requirements for Call of Duty Black Ops listed below, if you’re system doesn’t meet or exceed these you should stick with a console version of the game. PC Gamers can purchase the disk from Amazon or as a download through Steam and other outlets.

• OS: Windows® Vista / XP / 7
• Processor: Intel® Core™2 Duo E6600 or AMD Phenom™ X3 8750 or better
• Memory: 2GB
• Graphics: Shader 3.0 or better 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600GT / ATI Radeon® X1950Pro or better
• DirectX®: DirectX® 9.0c
• Hard Drive: 12GB*
• Sound: DirectX® 9.0c-compatible

Call of Duty: Black Ops Review Roundup (Reviews):

According to many reviews. Call of Duty Black Ops has lived up to the hype, earning a 90 on Metacritic. We’ve rounded up a collection of Call of Duty Black Ops reviews and videos below to help you decide if the game should be on your holiday wish list.

Call of Duty Black Ops Review – Official Xbox Magazine – UK: “It’s also a good excuse for the art team to really show off what it can do. Black Ops is visually dense with detail, as you’d expect from a Call of Duty game, but it has an unpredictable variety that shows Treyarch has really kicked on since the days of its grey-Russia-brown-Japan World at War outing.

Whether it’s a gorgeous orange sky in Khe Sanh that’s stuffed with helicopters while Vietcong swarm towards you or a cracked, frozen ship that towers above you in icy Russia, you end up almost as eager to see what’s next as you are to unravel the mystery.” – Ryan King

Call of Duty: Black Ops Multiplayer Footage

Call of Duty Black Ops Review – The Broadest Call So Far – GameInformer: “For my money, Treyarch has crafted the finest Call of Duty multiplayer game to date. The maps are fantastic and offer great variety in size, aesthetics, verticality, and paths. The core design is largely unchanged; it features the same modes, perks, and a similar arsenal to Modern Warfare. The action is as responsive, technically impressive, and engrossing as it has been since Infinity Ward pioneered it three years ago. However, Treyarch has made a ton of improvements in the margins. Unlocking new perks in the order you want rather than a pre-set sequence is just the start.” – Adam Biessener

Call of Duty Black Ops: GameSpot Multiplayer footage

Call of Duty Black Ops review: The Great Battle - Joystiq: “The campaign’s pacing is as uneven as it is thuggish — gameplay segments sometimes end before it seems they’re meant to, and there’s one particular segment that will make you wonder if the developers ever playtested it themselves (made even worse by your fellow soldiers’ overtuned propensity to call out enemy placement — yes guys, I know they’re “in the trenchline”). Regardless, by the end of the game,Black Ops has built up a solid narrative head of steam, perhaps thanks to the aid of David S. Goyer.” – Mike Schramm

Call of Duty Black Ops Review – IGN: “Black Ops is not just a linear game, but sometimes feels like it’s on autopilot. Just one example is when you “guide” the takeoff of an SR-71 Blackbird. I tried to not pull back on the flight stick when the game told me to, just to see if there was any other alternative to taking off, but the Blackbird lifted off on its own.

The artificial intelligence of both your friendly soldiers and the enemies you face is pretty poor. Both friendly and enemy soldiers behave like fools for most of the campaign. I once watched a friendly shoot the back of an armored car that he was using for cover for a solid 20 seconds.” – Nate Ahearn

Call of Duty Black Ops Review - GamePro: “As a reviewer, I try hard to avoid hyperbole, but it’s difficult not to call Black Ops the ‘best Call of Duty ever’ simply because it’s the ultimate refinement of the franchise formula. With an interesting single-player narrative and a multiplayer component brimming over with content, it’s an easy recommendation for a fanbase looking for the next big thing.” – Tae K. Kim

Call of Duty Black Ops Review – 1up.com: “It’s admirable to see just how much stuff there is in Call of Duty: Black Ops. Despite the removal of campaign co-op or a mode comparable to MW2′s Spec Ops mode, the sheer amount of content is almost staggering. In addition to the campaign, all the regular multiplayer modes, the Wager Match mode, the Theater, character and weapon customization, splitscreen multiplayer options, and Zombies, Treyarch even threw in a full working version of the original Zork. And if you have the hardware, you can play the whole game in 3D (not for me, as my glasses-wearing eyes end up producing a nasty headache after prolonged 3D).” – Thierry Ngyuyen

Call of Duty Black Ops Review Roundup and Videos is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

On November 10th one of the most anticipated games of 2009 will be released; Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. This latest installment of the popular Call of Duty series picks up where Call of Duty: Modern Warfare left off pitting players against an ultranationalist Russian organization that has returned to power after players finished the first Modern Warfare game.

It is expected that the sales of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will equal or surpass the record set by Grand Theft Auto IV name last year. In fact, the game is so popular that it shattered the existing pre-order record at Gamestop. To celebrate the launch many game stores will be doing midnight launches for individuals who pre-ordered the game and plan to stay up all night playing with friends in the multiplayer part of the game. One of my local stores has even invited the National Guard to come in and host laser tag for players who are waiting to pick up their copy of Modern Warfare 2!

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is available on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, through Steam and on Windows PCs with a high end graphics card.

Campaign Mode:

The campaign mode of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will have players traveling all across the globe to fight the revived terrorist organization and may even bring the fight to Washington DC. One of the new additions to the Modern Warfare 2, which made it in at the bequest of fans, is a snow level which includes walking on the edge of a cliff and even some snowmobile fun. The campaign will be of similar length to the original Modern Warfare game, clocking in at 6-10 hours; but the real longevity of the game will be playing through the campaign with your friends online and enjoying the lauded online multiplayer mode with up to 18 other players.

Online Multiplayer:

The console versions of Modern Warfare will come with leader boards and the ability for players to download new content in the future to keep the game fresh. Gamers can play with up to four gamers locally in the multiplayer portion of the game or take on the enemy together in a 2-player co-op version of the game locally or online.

The online multiplayer element of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 lets up to 18 players battle it out in scenes from the game in the included maps, as well as on maps that come in the 2 already promised downloadable map packs. The map packs will come first to the Xbox 360 and then to the other versions of the game sometime after launch. New to Modern Warfare 2 are customizable kill streak rewards which let players take command of a C130 gunship and other special weapons for achieving kill streaks.

Ratings:

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is rated Mature for players 17 and up so if you plan to get this game as a gift for someone under the age of 17 I highly recommend that you do your research to learn what the player will experience in the game and talk to their parents to make sure they find it appropriate. If you want to know more about the game or what you can expect you should read the What They Play page for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. After the game  is released this page will contain information about what parents can expect in the game and allow you to ask about in game content so that you can form your own opinion about whether or not it is a good fit for your game room.

Special Edition Versions and Accessories:

In addition to the standard version of the game which retails for $59.99 there are several special bundles and controllers being released in conjunction with the game.

• Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 Limited Edition Console: Comes with 2 controllers and a copy of Modern Warfare 2. – $399.99
• Xbox 360 and PlayStation Modern Warfare 2 Veteran Statue Bundles: A 1/6-scale statue of Soap” a Call of Duty veteran who returns to action in Modern Warfare 2. – $139.98 with game, $79.99 statue only
• PS3 Bluetooth Modern Warfare Headset: Modern Warfare skinned bluetooth headset - $39.99
• Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 Throat Communicator: Lets you communicate just like the soldiers in Modern Warfare 2. – $29.99
• Modern Warfare 2 special skinned controllers: Available both for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. – $49.99

If you have a gamer, especially one who enjoys first person shooters, on your shopping list this year Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 should be at the top of your list. Even if they’ve already purchased the game they may like one of the themed accessories mentioned above to enhance their gaming experience.

Once the game comes out be sure to look for myself and the rest of the notebooks.com staff playing online. You can catch me on Xbox Live under the Gamertag Ca1vin.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Gift Guide is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Infinity Ward released a new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 trailer today. The game is launching on November 10 and will be available in PC, XBOX 360 and Playstation 3 formats. A short version of the game trailer is being broadcast nationwide during tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. A 2:09 version of the trailer has been uploaded to ModernWarfare2.com and YouTube. The new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 trailer shows several scenes, including one that depicts a devastated Washington DC. The PC version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is available for pre-order at Amazon for $59.99.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Trailer is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

The HP Mini 311 is the bigger brother of the Mini 110, but it’s what inside that really counts. The Mini 311 features NVIDIA ION graphics, making it a lot more capable in the video performance department.

The Mini 311 has an Intel Atom processor, earning it a ‘netbook’ moniker. This product is one example of how the line between netbooks and notebooks are continuing to blur. You can use the Mini 311 for a lot more than just web browsing, but it still isn’t speedy enough to keep up with systems equipped with more robust processors.

I don’t spend a whole lot of time playing games, but I do enjoy playing them. You can’t even get graphics-intensive games to load on most netbooks, but they’re playable on the Mini 311. In this video you can see that Call of Duty 4 plays smoothly on low settings.

NVIDIA ION graphics also speeds up video transcoding. In this demo we moved a video file from each of the netbooks onto a Sony Walkman device. The NVIDIA ION equipped netbook performed the task over five times faster than the netbook with integrated graphics.

The Mini 311 comes with a video player from Arcsoft that upscales standard-def content. In this demo you can see more detail in the actor’s face and color is improved.

As you can see in the above video, HP Mini 311 excels compared to netbooks without dedicated graphics. However, if you push around a lot of video clips or are a gaming enthusiast this won’t suffice as your primary notebook. The Intel Atom processor is fine for basic tasks, but it’s not speedy enough to play Flash videos from Hulu full screen.

The Mini 311 does address a lot of the common complaints about smaller netbooks and is definitely worth a look.

HP Mini 311: NVIDIA ION Makes Gaming Possible on a Netbook is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

Infinity Ward has released a demo of multiplayer action froom Modern Warfare 2. In the new video, several multiplayer levels are shown, along with new weapons.

According to the video, Modern Warfare 2 players will be able to unlock customized killstreak bonuses, such as being able to shoot targets from the AC130 gunship.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is due out in November and is sure to be one of the hottest selling video games for the holidays.

Modern Warfare 2 will be available for Windows PCs, XBOX 360 and PS3 at launch. A high-end notebook with dedicated graphics is recommended for those who purchase the PC version.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2: Multiplayer Demo Video is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

I’m a big fan of the Call of Duty franchise and am looking forward to the game’s next installment which is due out this fall. Infinity Ward posted a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 trailer and I’m sold.

I’ll probably end up buying a copy of this game for each gaming platform I own.

If you plan on playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on a notebook computer you’ll need a beefy graphics card, fast processor and plenty of RAM if you want to play with high settings. The game will still run on more affordable notebooks, but don’t expect to get the full 3D experience and high frame rates.

Check out the trailer below.

As you can see, the trailer gives us a lot more insight into Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 compared to this teaser of the game that was released at Game Developers Conference earlier this year.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Trailer is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.