Activision president Mike Griffith claims removing support for dedicated servers in Modern Warfare 2 PC will lead to an improved "consumer experience".
Responding to a question during a company earnings call on the impact of PC gamers' reaction, he said that Activision has been watching the situation very carefully, "But we're not overly concerned about it", reports Kotaku.
Modern Warfare 2
Official trailer
2:12Infamy trailer
Modern Warfare 2
Official trailer
2:12Infamy trailer
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"One of the problems with our PC SKUs in the past is that it has not been as friendly a consumer experience in terms of matchmaking and online play as the consoles have allowed it to be. Our solution here improves that consumer experience overall by a significant margin. And so we we think that the benefits we will see are going to far outweigh any negatives that seem to be surfacing."
"Match making"? What a laugh. Anyway, play it cool Activision/IW; as it happens I'm "not overly concerned" about not spending money on your products anymore either. What goes around, comes around.
I almost clawed back some respect for them with that game ratings thing, but now Activision have gone and shown once more that they are a bunch of t**ts. The PC gaming community seems to disagree with Activision on this, and it's the PC gaming community that Activision should listen to.
The matchmaking thing doesn't annoy me too much, it's the limit to 9v9 multiplayer that p**ses me off far more, when the PC can handle 32 or 64 player games. I'd just like the choice, without being held back to console standards.
That said, I'm still massively hyped for this game and can't wait.
does the pc version have a one time use code to register for this ward net thing or whatever they're calling it? because it would not surprise me in the least if the no dedicated servers thing is just to combat preowned sales. and of course activision aren't concerned. simply put because they really don't care about their customers beyond how much they can make off them.
I think this whole thing is just PC gamer elitism rearing it's ugly head again. This is not directed at anyone on this site, just a general observation. The Modern Warfare 2 that the PC is getting is absolutely identical to the Modern Warfare 2 that the other platforms are getting, so what's the problem?
To me it basically reads like "I play games on a PC, so I deserve a superior product."
Its not being elitist to state that dedicated servers are better than player hosting. Its a fact. Dedicated servers can hold more players per match without lag, and they don't have 1 player with an unfair zero-ping advantage.
PC gamers have been used to this for years (My first experience of online gaming was with Unreal Tournament back in the year 2000 on dedicated servers, and I'm sure they weren't exactly new then).
I agree the versions should be identical. But why should PC gamers have to take a HUGE step backwards? Developers like Activision should be trying to improve the standard of console gaming. And console gamers should be demanding this kind of improvement instead of sitting back and accepting what little they're given.
Its like if everyone was suddenly told they had to go back to using 56k dialup after years of broadband. I'm sure the broadband customers would be slightly annoyed.
And by the way, I speak as a PC AND console gamer. I have no fanboy loyalty to either platform. Both have things they do better than the other. Online gaming is superior on PC and dedicated servers is one big reason for that.
Activision don't have to host the dedicated servers themselves, just allow for 3rd party servers.
It isn't about PC elitism, though, it's the fact that the game will be a step back rather than forwards. MW1 supported all of the features that they are removing. I am not sure about the multiplayer size of the PC version, but it was most likely larger than the console versions at the time. Even if it was the same, and extra player per side is hardly improving the game is it? I'm not getting MW2 at all, but even I can see how PC owners are p**sed at this.
I think this whole thing is just PC gamer elitism rearing it's ugly head again. This is not directed at anyone on this site, just a general observation. The Modern Warfare 2 that the PC is getting is absolutely identical to the Modern Warfare 2 that the other platforms are getting, so what's the problem?
To me it basically reads like "I play games on a PC, so I deserve a superior product."
You don't.
sorry man but the identical version is so dated that it makes hugh hefner seem like a teen. + it just doesnt suit the platform as well. I'm guessing you wouldnt be so stoked if for the next xbox or playstation they scraped the current online model and went back 10 years or so but that's how its like, its a big backwards step.
It shocks me how little they care about the PC owners. I thought console owners get the short end of the stick all the time, and that hasn't really changed, with exorbitant DLC pricing, but this is a joke for PC owners. It's only 1 game sure, but what a game to miss out on.
If they don't back down over this, it's going to get even more farcical.
I'm 'not overly concerned' about buying MW2 after all the bs from Activision. The multiplayer is an evolutionary step backwards, not to mention a slap in the face, so ill be sticking with cod4 for mp. Single player will probably be a fun if short blast...so i might be hoisting the jolly roger for that. Hey, they deserve it.
To me it basically reads like "I play games on a PC, so I deserve a superior product."
You don't.
Actually, yes I do. I paid about five times as much as you for my hardware, precisely because I wanted the freedom and flexibility that PC gaming offers over the locked-down consoles.
Besides, you are looking at this the wrong way - the future of consoles should be aiming to improve their multiplayer experience to be closer to enjoying the versatility of multiplayer gaming that PCs offer, but instead, the future that IW and Activision are offering is one where all platforms are limited to the lowest common demoninator, thus stifling any impetus to bring up the standard for console games.
If Activision/IW get away with this it will only lead down one patch........no dedicated servers for other games.
This will also have a knock-on effect for console gamers just as people realise how important a good multiplayer mode is...it's taken 10 years for console gamers to get this far, yet these very people are claiming this is down to PC Elitism!!
The funny thing is that it is only when dedicated servers aren't available that people will miss it and actually realise just how important it is. I don't think many console gamers realise what the repurcussions are otherwise they would have been onside as soon as this is mentioned.
Regardless of system or brand names, this is going to affect everyone. If you think peer to peer gaming is great then you don't know your arse from your elbow and the constraints that are associated with it.
Well to be quite frank we shall see how this measures in the reflected sales figures. I dont think it will affect them much but I can guarantee people will get more and more p**sed off eventually.
IW/Activision need to take a leaf out of EA's book and listen to the community. What they dont realise is that even though they think they are right about it being an easier system they have no idea! We are the consumers and we should be listened to, if we wanted matchmaking and p2p servers we would bloody well ask!
If Activision/IW get away with this it will only lead down one patch........no dedicated servers for other games.
This will also have a knock-on effect for console gamers just as people realise how important a good multiplayer mode is...it's taken 10 years for console gamers to get this far, yet these very people are claiming this is down to PC Elitism!!
The funny thing is that it is only when dedicated servers aren't available that people will miss it and actually realise just how important it is. I don't think many console gamers realise what the repurcussions are otherwise they would have been onside as soon as this is mentioned.
Regardless of system or brand names, this is going to affect everyone. If you think peer to peer gaming is great then you don't know your arse from your elbow and the constraints that are associated with it.
Well, if you can come up with a way of using dedicated servers that is both user friendly(for new/casual gamers) and prevents piracy(which face it, is the main reason for this), then go ahead and suggest it to Activision, I'm sure if you can think of something that they've missed you'll get a job offer with a five figure salary for your efforts.
What they ideally should do/have done is have both systms on the PC. Matchmaking for people that just want to jump straight in and the dedicated server/find a match system for those that wanted that, surely it wouldn't of been that hard to implement.
I dont really see how dedicated servers can increase the risk of piracy much anyway. We have already seen the consoles have a wave of pirated versions of MW2 before it is out.
The thing they really want to do is just control the market which is something we dont particularly like!
Well, if you can come up with a way of using dedicated servers that is both user friendly(for new/casual gamers) and prevents piracy(which face it, is the main reason for this), then go ahead and suggest it to Activision
Unfortunately, you are falling fowl of the smokescreen IW and Activision are using. This is nothing to do with casual gamers. As has been pointed out by games journalists, who are these mythical PC gamers who can install a game on a PC yet can't navigate around a server browser? Rather than come up with an entirely new system (IW.net) they could have spent a fraction of that money to make a better browser interface, so that isn't the real issue.
Piracy? "Cracked" servers on the PC for CoD4 number around 141 out of over 13,200 servers. That is around 1.03%. The maximum number of players who can use those servers is about 3,600, out of 266,000 on legitimate servers. So around 1.3% of the players. Another smokescreen.
Again, IW/Activision could easily have used a master server in the same way most other companies do and have all servers (dedicated or not) go through that, allowing them to check servers and players for hacked versions of the game.
What they ideally should do/have done is have both systms on the PC. Matchmaking for people that just want to jump straight in and the dedicated server/find a match system for those that wanted that, surely it wouldn't of been that hard to implement.
Good point. That way, people would be much happier and have a choice. I guess they are taking that choice away from us for their own monetary gains
Well, if you can come up with a way of using dedicated servers that is both user friendly(for new/casual gamers) and prevents piracy(which face it, is the main reason for this), then go ahead and suggest it to Activision
Unfortunately, you are falling fowl of the smokescreen IW and Activision are using. This is nothing to do with casual gamers. As has been pointed out by games journalists, who are these mythical PC gamers who can install a game on a PC yet can't navigate around a server browser? Rather than come up with an entirely new system (IW.net) they could have spent a fraction of that money to make a better browser interface, so that isn't the real issue.
Piracy? "Cracked" servers on the PC for CoD4 number around 141 out of over 13,200 servers. That is around 1.03%. The maximum number of players who can use those servers is about 3,600, out of 266,000 on legitimate servers. So around 1.3% of the players. Another smokescreen.
Again, IW/Activision could easily have used a master server in the same way most other companies do and have all servers (dedicated or not) go through that, allowing them to check servers and players for hacked versions of the game.
I would shake your hand right about now if you were standing in front of me. QFT!
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