Stats matter?

If there is one feature in CoD games that is the source of all the rage, it is the Stats. I remember playing countless hours of various shooter's (Tribes, CounterStrike, Quake II, TF2 ...) several years ago and none of them has ever evoked such emotion from me as CoD does today.


If I remember correctly, I was decent in all of those games. Regardless, even if I wasn't, I still remember having an absolute blast playing them.

At the end of each match, your handle was ranked from highest to lowest according to the score earned. Yes, the kills and deaths were displayed, but it wasn't logged anywhere so there was no career statistic to check on how you performed as a whole. Had a absolutely pathetic game? No problem, suck it up and do better in the next round. You'll soon forget that horrid match.

Today, in CoD, if you have a a terrible game, it's logged. That awful score is merged into your career statistic to be forever remembered. Ultimately, it means you failed at that particular time in your career. The career KD will continue to reflect that failure for as long as you continue to play the game.

To make matters worse, KD (or SPM) is the unit of measure for a player's skill level. Some clans use those as a requirement for admission. It's silly that CoD gamers place so much emphasis on those stats, but it's human nature. It is the report card for CoD and nobody wants to be a failure.