Sulky fans biggest threat to gaming, says Black Ops developer

Activision has expanded its content for Call of Duty: Black Ops, with a handful of downloadable multiplayer maps, even as an executive from the game's developer, Treyarch, slammed certain fans for stifling industry creativity.

Treyarch's First Strike gives players five fresh maps set around the globe:

• Berlin Wall gives players the option to fight on both sides during Cold War Germany.
• Stadium offers fast paced close-combat set in a sports complex.
• Discovery is set in an abandoned outpost along the coast of Antarctica.
• Kowloon lets soldiers battle along the rooftops of Kowloon City in Hong Kong.
• Ascension pits players against perk-stealing monkeys and flesh-eating Soviets in a trap-filled "Zombie mode" level.

Amid its release yesterday, Josh Olin, Community Manager at Treyarch, voiced his opinion that angry fans are stunting creativity and game innovation.

In an interview with Now Gamer, Olin said: "Too many developers who try new things are getting burned by 'pundits' and angry entitled fans who look to be contrarian, sometimes simply for the sake of being contrarian.

"The only thing this attitude aims to achieve is [to] stunt that creativity and innovation even further, which is something that no rational gamer looking to be entertained would want to do."

Or perhaps their intention is to get developers to make games that actually work? With hordes of CoD fans alleging Black Ops' is unfit for purpose, Olin's claim seems ill-timed.

Microsoft has penned an exclusivity deal for publishing all downloadable content (DLC) first, but complaints say multiplayer doesn't function properly on PS3 anyway, so what's the point?

Call of Duty: Black Ops' - First Strike DLC is available on Xbox Live Marketplace for 1200 points (£10). ®