That is a direct quote from the FAQ Activision just released [.doc] for Call of Duty Elite, a final plea for you to not hate the shooter's paid subscription service, and an argument that needs, oh, just six pages to summarize.
That's not to say they beat around the bush. The first set of bullet points concerns all the free stuff you can do. Though many have said this is no different from what Bungie.net offers to the Halo community, the meat of it is this: Stat-tracking and online multiplayer are free, and you don't need to pay for the Elite subscription if all you want to buy are map packs.
The rest of the document is still coy about what exactly the paid features are, explaining that they're staying mum because so much of it is tied into Modern Warfare 3 features Activision isn't ready to announce. That said, the FAQ confirms that if you pony up for the Elite membership, "means you get all of the playable game DLC for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 ." Whatever DLC that isn't "playable game," who knows, but they probably have something in mind.
Here's all the free stuff if you don't want to drag the Word doc. We know and Activision knows you're still going to rage against this, but face it: Come December, they're gonna make logs of cash big enough to roast the Christmas turkey.
• Access Elite through the web as well as Elite's free custom iOS and Android applications for smartphones and tablets
• Communicate any way you want across mobile, console and the web with your friends
• Track and share thousands of stats with friends – k/d ratios, score-per-minute, win % and loads more, all represented in easy to understand charts and infographics
• Create your own custom leaderboards to track friendly rivalries – who is moving up and down in your group of friends?
• Analyze advanced heat maps detailing your match-by-match performance – where you killed or got killed, when it happened, and more
• Analyze your weapons performance – which weapons you are best with in which situations
• Upload and share videos of your greatest moments through our exclusive theater mode with the touch of a button
• After you analyze your performance to your heart's content - Customize your loadout – search through all the weapons, attachments and perks, and push them directly into the game menu from the web or your mobile device with the touch of a button
• Join dozens of groups and find other players with common interests to play with and compete against – find people who make the game the most fun for you – TDM, Lakers' fans, Weekend Warriors?
• Create a private Clan with players who share your interests and skill level
• Bring your Facebook friends right into the game, easily taking your existing network into the Call of Duty experience.
• Seamlessly be placed into matches into Groups who share your affinities and interests based on your Facebook profile to elevate your in-game experience.
• Career? Start tracking your Call of Duty career – everything you wanted to know about your performance across the franchise starting with Black Ops.