120,000 petition signatures, but Infinity Ward isn't backing down
Wednesday, 21 Oct 2009 09:43
Modern Warfare 2
A petition against Infinity Ward's decision to scrap dedicated servers for the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 has reached 120,000 signatures.
Following the revelation that the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 would still
release alongside the console games on November 10th, Infinity Ward's community manager Robert Bowling explained that the PC game would support an online matchmaking system similar to the consoles.
Dedicated servers, which were much loved in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, would not make an appearance in the sequel. Petitions from angry PC gamers followed, turning Infinity Ward's forums into a veritable mess.
One such petition has now almost reached 120,000 signatures.
Though it at first looked like the developer would be ignoring this, Robert Bowling wrote in a private message on Twitter about the complaints:
"Definitely made a big wave, and the response will not be ignored. I'll ensure everyone at IW sees the petitions and responds to it."
Infinity Ward head Jason West issued the
following response:
"We're just prioritising the player experience above the modders and the tuners. We thought maybe it would be cool if the fans could play the game."
Robert Bowling then goes onto explain that hardcore gamers aren't going to miss out with the new system (IWNet) on his blog. By default, IWNet means no more browsing through server lists (something PC gamers seem to want in order to avoid all chances of lag).
Bowling argues that the new system ensures the best performance with players at the same skill level every time you search for a game. Moreover, you'll now be able to ensure you avoid cheaters and hackers.
"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is actually the biggest investment Infinity Ward has ever made into the PC version of our games. It's also the most feature-rich PC version we've ever made," Bowing writes.
"IWNET takes the benefits of dedicated servers and allows them to be utilized and accessed by every player, out of the box, while removing the barrier to entry for players unaware of how to maintain a server on their own.
"All in all, IWNET adds a load of new features that the PC version of our games have never had before and allows us an infrastructure to continue to update and improve on the game post-launch," Bowling adds.
Modern Warfare 2 will release for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on November 10th.
Read more about Modern Warfare 2 here.