They might not ping like the old M1 does, but over time and annual sequels, the 'modern' conflicts quickly ran out of history and headlines for developers to pull guns and conflicts from.
But you can only shoot M-16s and AK-47s for so long. The fourth game in the main COD line, MW reset expectations for competitive console shooters while giving players access to, well, modern weaponry. So the developers of Call of Duty took their considerable prowess in creating a cinematic first-person shooter and delivered Modern Warfare.
The same guns, the same historical encounters, the same ping when an M1 Garand runs out of ammunition: After a few years of great first-person shooters, World War II got boring. The exo suit on your back lets you pull off all sorts of nifty tricks.
