Those inquisitive enough to scour the retail box for the Wii edition of upcoming release Call of Duty: Black Ops will have noticed a slightly distressing text in which a guideline reads “Online gaming is subject to an additional fee,” spotted by NeoGAF member Jethro.

In quick comparison, the box art of similar online multiplayer titles such as Mario Kart Wii, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, or even the recently released Goldeneye 007, contains no such statement. So, what precisely does it mean? Whilst is has often been rumoured that Activision would introduce subscription fees for the ever popular multiplayer aspect of their Call of Duty series (something that has been denied outright at every turn), we can expect such a statement here to be more directed towards the release of future downloadable content. Especially considering that Wii owners are finally being treated to the sleeper hit Zombie survival mode this time around.

Whilst less popular than its Xbox Live and PlayStation Network counterparts, Nintendo have never charged Wii users to play online and presumably would rather deny Activision the rights to release such a title on the console than resort to offering subscription services.