Think about any successful marketing campaign or product. Perhaps it’s your favourite advert. Perhaps it’s a band, a brand of coffee or computer. Whatever it might be, you weren’t blown away by chance – the memory is buried deep within your mind for a reason.

And that reason is they were mapped out. In doing so, the creators behind them targeted your inner desires, then airdropped a care package to trigger an emotional response. It’s why you stay loyal to the brand.

This is marketing 101. It’s about thinking before you do. Strategise then design. Craft your campaign around the goals of your business and those of your buyers. Only then will you truly be ready to go to market.

Just ask any avid Call of Duty multiplayer fan.

Multiplayer map design and marketing

The first instalment of the first-person shooter video game, developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision, came way back in 2003. Since then, it’s become the go-to multiplayer game. Cut to 2007 and the invasion of Modern Warfare 2 would change the online gaming landscape forever more. Beautifully designed maps put the user experience to the forefront. From Strike, Crash to Backlot, these online maps became the favoured hangouts of millions of people around the world.

Like a Marvel movie, each subsequent installment attempted to up the ante. Each game louder, each more brash. Elaborate maps, weaponry and character options marched onto the horizon. Sure, there have been successes. But then there were the jetpacks and wall running – a futurist approach to technology excusing the infusion of characters with special abilities akin to their ever-growing populist superheroes across on the big screen.

As with any digital marketing campaign though, the metrics don’t lie. And the franchise has – relatively speaking – been in decline. Just take a snapshot of online sentiment, wavering sales, the threat from Fortnite and data generated through in gameplay.

The buying public have spoken and the latest installment is Modern Warfare 4 has delivered what many are hailing as a return to form. Touted as a spiritual predecessor to Modern Warfare 2, let’s take a look at what makes a solid map and what designers, marketers and business owners can learn from them.

Game on…

User research and map design

Understand your user. This is key to building a great product. Where are they hanging out? What keeps them awake at night? What problem do they have and how can you solve them? Getting into the mind of your user means you can tailor a product just for them. Call of Duty has been around for years. Some gamers have roamed around every single map hundreds, if not thousands of hours. So it’s fair to say they know a few things about what makes for a great user experience.

So listen to your target market. That’s the beautiful thing about the internet. People are out there talking right now. Be all ears and engage them back. Get intimate insights then tweak your campaigns to fit them more snug than Ciderella’s glass slipper.

It would be remiss to suggest there’s a one-size-fits-all magic formula when it comes to conjuring up the perfect map. What works for one person, doesn’t for the next. Whilst user feedback varies on this topic though, there are some common views. These include:

• A back to basics Modern Warfare 2 approach
• Eliminating in-game glitches
• Encouraging fair play when it comes to enemy spawn points

(Re)boots on the ground

The game makers have, it would seem, listened. Indeed, with Modern Warfare harkening back to the franchise’s most popular outing, the DLCs are giving the CoD developers a chance to play the hits – with fan-favourite maps being retooled and released  for the new game. It also features more three lane map designs. Put simply, this relates to number of routes (three lanes) from one team’s spawn point to that of the opposing team. Think Crossfire from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Cutting through the middle of map was an open street. This provides a good mix of long and short-range engagement opportunities. As such, three lane map design makes suits nearly every playstyle and most gamemodes.

With so many iconic multiplayer maps from the Call of Duty franchise, there are as many bangers as there are clangers. So let’s go to battle and present the 10 best maps of all time…

#10: Crash

Trigger first pulled: November 9, 2007 – Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Developed by Infinity Ward

#9: Crossfire

Trigger first pulled: November 9, 2007 – Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Developed by Infinity Ward

#8: Overgrown

Trigger first pulled: November 9, 2007 – Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Developed by Infinity Ward

#7: Bog

Trigger first pulled: November 9, 2007 – Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Developed by Infinity Ward

#6: Favela

Trigger first pulled: November 10, 2009 – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Developed by Infinity Ward

#5: Backlot

Trigger first pulled: November 9, 2007 – Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Developed by Infinity Ward

#4: Rust

Trigger first pulled: November 10, 2009 – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Developed by Infinity Ward

#3: Nuke Town

Trigger first pulled: November 9, 2010 – Call of Duty: Black Ops

Developed by Treyarch

#2: Shipment

Trigger first pulled: November 9, 2007 – Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Developed by Infinity Ward

#1: TERMINAL

Trigger first pulled: November 10, 2009 – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Developed by Infinity Ward

Roll call

So, have we missed your favourite map or got these in the wrong order? Come and find us on our social media feeds and tell us why your favourite map is better than that other guy’s. Camp down and pick off the opposition!