Black Saturday?
A day of infamy?
It's hard, very hard, for me to write objectively right now, but here is a summary of what we heard on BASH 123. If you missed it...we will have it on demand in a few minutes.
The raw version of BASH 123 can be found here temporarily.
Fourzerotwo was on our BASH webcast this morning and he had a few surprises for the PC community.
Here are the snippets:
*
We're doing a lot on the backend to make the game accessible for everyone.
*
There is no delay for the PC version of MW2
*
There's prestige mode
*
Jason West at the MP event, said that he was dead on, on the matchmaking servers. We've been building a system on the backend called IW.NET.
*
You are completely reliant on IW.NET. There are no server lists. There are no dedicated servers.
*
You have private matches where you can customize the game
*
You cannot put MW2 on a dedicated server.
*
This is the first time we've ever done something like this and the team has huge plans for what IW.NET develops into.
*
Customizing your game...you have quite a few options in a private match
*
You're getting same game (as in Console), plus matchmaking and private match.
*
Server admin point-of view, NO DEDICATED SERVERS
I've summarized some of my own thoughts from the cast here:
General
* IW partnering through Steam is what you will see in the future. Matchmaking is not through Steam, but IW.NET is run in conjunction with Steam.
* GSP's will no longer be renting out servers.
* No PunkBuster. VAC will be used as an anti cheat.
* Retail distribution: Pre-orders will get a disk. Or you could order from Steam.
* DLC may now need to be paid for - not confirmed.
* Piracy was only a small reason for going to IW.NET - not the whole reason.
Clans:
* No more clan servers. Private matches, replace clan servers.
* Listen servers will connect to each other.
* IW.NET/Steam will replace the community server admin
Competitive Gaming
* Competitive gaming has changed forever.
* It might be possible in the future for IW engineers to load a "competitive" setting on IW.NET, but it is far from a guarantee. It might also never happen.
Modding
* Modding the game is now very much in question. Fourzerotwo had no info on modding. However, it appears that there will be no mods or maps for MW2.
* Modding in SpecOps? Unknown.
Today our game has changed for ever.
I'll leave this post with Josh Peckler's comments from planetmedalofhonor.com:
The server community is what's made us. It's what defined us.
IW.NET is getting the PC community to turn into consoles. You're trying to re-write our history.
MW2: Not officially delayed - yet?
Written by jockyitch
Thursday, 15 October 2009
vg247 has just asked Rob Bowling the magic questions regarding delays to the PC version of MW2, thanks to my ol'CuF League comrade CrazyCanuck for the headsup:
We asked you for questions about Modern Warfare 2. You told us. We asked Infinity Ward’s Rob Bowling at a London hotel about an hour ago. We managed to get in 14 questions for you, and Rob answered everything. He’s a very good sport.
So. Here you go. Hit the link.
Dralen: Has the PC version been delayed?
Rob Bowling: Officially, no.
SlayerNL – Will there be a Steam version?
Rob Bowling: Yes.
SlayerNL – Will there be Prestige in the PC version?
Rob Bowling: Yes. These are easy.
Though technically, he is saying nothing, I wonder if Bowling has become a bit more talkative about PC matters after all the "I Support PC Gamer" tags he was seeing on Twitter.
Thanks again Console guys! <3
By the way, I just visited my local game outlet to preorder MW2 and they confirmed that I will be getting it on November 10th.
MW2: IW personnel playing thru Steam?
Written by jockyitch
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
We have been talking about MW2's multiplayer quite a bit recently, so this should lead to interesting speculation...
steaminf.jpg
What we are seeing is a Steam Group of IW (and possible QA) MW2 players. Clearly the group has played both MW2 SP and MP on PC.
What does all this mean?
This could be all innocuous. Perhaps they're just making MW2 available for digital download...or IW might be using making Steam mandatory for MP.
If so, will Steam be our new in-game browser? Steam can provide a really great matchmaking interface - though I personally am not a fan of the service.
Note that even if we will be using Steam, it does not rule out the use of dedicated servers. Or does it?
Nothing is clear or obvious at the moment. What is obvious is that as Jason West has said in the past, IW is looking at a Steam matchmaking service...is this the first evidence of that?
A day of infamy?
It's hard, very hard, for me to write objectively right now, but here is a summary of what we heard on BASH 123. If you missed it...we will have it on demand in a few minutes.
The raw version of BASH 123 can be found here temporarily.
Fourzerotwo was on our BASH webcast this morning and he had a few surprises for the PC community.
Here are the snippets:
*
We're doing a lot on the backend to make the game accessible for everyone.
*
There is no delay for the PC version of MW2
*
There's prestige mode
*
Jason West at the MP event, said that he was dead on, on the matchmaking servers. We've been building a system on the backend called IW.NET.
*
You are completely reliant on IW.NET. There are no server lists. There are no dedicated servers.
*
You have private matches where you can customize the game
*
You cannot put MW2 on a dedicated server.
*
This is the first time we've ever done something like this and the team has huge plans for what IW.NET develops into.
*
Customizing your game...you have quite a few options in a private match
*
You're getting same game (as in Console), plus matchmaking and private match.
*
Server admin point-of view, NO DEDICATED SERVERS
I've summarized some of my own thoughts from the cast here:
General
* IW partnering through Steam is what you will see in the future. Matchmaking is not through Steam, but IW.NET is run in conjunction with Steam.
* GSP's will no longer be renting out servers.
* No PunkBuster. VAC will be used as an anti cheat.
* Retail distribution: Pre-orders will get a disk. Or you could order from Steam.
* DLC may now need to be paid for - not confirmed.
* Piracy was only a small reason for going to IW.NET - not the whole reason.
Clans:
* No more clan servers. Private matches, replace clan servers.
* Listen servers will connect to each other.
* IW.NET/Steam will replace the community server admin
Competitive Gaming
* Competitive gaming has changed forever.
* It might be possible in the future for IW engineers to load a "competitive" setting on IW.NET, but it is far from a guarantee. It might also never happen.
Modding
* Modding the game is now very much in question. Fourzerotwo had no info on modding. However, it appears that there will be no mods or maps for MW2.
* Modding in SpecOps? Unknown.
Today our game has changed for ever.
I'll leave this post with Josh Peckler's comments from planetmedalofhonor.com:
The server community is what's made us. It's what defined us.
IW.NET is getting the PC community to turn into consoles. You're trying to re-write our history.
MW2: Not officially delayed - yet?
Written by jockyitch
Thursday, 15 October 2009
vg247 has just asked Rob Bowling the magic questions regarding delays to the PC version of MW2, thanks to my ol'CuF League comrade CrazyCanuck for the headsup:
We asked you for questions about Modern Warfare 2. You told us. We asked Infinity Ward’s Rob Bowling at a London hotel about an hour ago. We managed to get in 14 questions for you, and Rob answered everything. He’s a very good sport.
So. Here you go. Hit the link.
Dralen: Has the PC version been delayed?
Rob Bowling: Officially, no.
SlayerNL – Will there be a Steam version?
Rob Bowling: Yes.
SlayerNL – Will there be Prestige in the PC version?
Rob Bowling: Yes. These are easy.
Though technically, he is saying nothing, I wonder if Bowling has become a bit more talkative about PC matters after all the "I Support PC Gamer" tags he was seeing on Twitter.
Thanks again Console guys! <3
By the way, I just visited my local game outlet to preorder MW2 and they confirmed that I will be getting it on November 10th.
MW2: IW personnel playing thru Steam?
Written by jockyitch
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
We have been talking about MW2's multiplayer quite a bit recently, so this should lead to interesting speculation...
steaminf.jpg
What we are seeing is a Steam Group of IW (and possible QA) MW2 players. Clearly the group has played both MW2 SP and MP on PC.
What does all this mean?
This could be all innocuous. Perhaps they're just making MW2 available for digital download...or IW might be using making Steam mandatory for MP.
If so, will Steam be our new in-game browser? Steam can provide a really great matchmaking interface - though I personally am not a fan of the service.
Note that even if we will be using Steam, it does not rule out the use of dedicated servers. Or does it?
Nothing is clear or obvious at the moment. What is obvious is that as Jason West has said in the past, IW is looking at a Steam matchmaking service...is this the first evidence of that?