In an interview with Infinity Ward leads Jason West and Vince Zampella, the issue was laughed at and West stated categorically that “We’re just prioritizing the player experience above the modders and the tuners”. You can read the full summary of the interview here.

So does anyone have any figures on the PC / Console split? It would be interesting to see what sort of loss they are making with this decision but I am of no doubt whatsoever that it will be at least in the region of £1 million+. There have now been 117309 signatures on the dedicated server petition and at £30 a copy you only need 33333 people to cancel their pre-orders to lose a million.

Now look at the effort to code a dedicated server, you need a team to create the server side code, to create client searching code, you need to re-evaluate and possibly re-implement VAC, you need to consider the future costs of supporting this platform at a loss, that generally means releasing patches. So how far down the road have they gone with IWNET? Do the losses justify the means to go back and assist the PC community to regain their sales? I would say yes. A million pounds is not nearly enough to create a triple A PC game but it should be enough to modify your code and create a bit of dedicated server support as well as support it for a short period of time.

So then it comes down to policy, do they intend to look after their PC community, do they see the PC being part of their future? We don’t know the answer to these questions but we all suspect the worst, because to remove dedicated server support has blatantly obvious consequences, you would need a brain the size of a walnut and the foresight of a lemming not to realise the backlash from the PC community.

Still, we can live in hope that continuing the campaign might just change their minds…

1) Cancel your pre-order, not later but now. The sooner they see the dropping projection figures the better.

2) Make your voice heard in this live up and coming interview with West and Bowling.

3) Clan representatives should speak up on this IW thread. Do not use inflammatory language. Keep it simple, state what community you represent and if you cancelled your pre-order(s).

4) Spread the signatures, wear one of these. One, Two, Three, Four.

5) Sign the petition.

On another note, think how this affects GSPs (game server providers), who have invested money into buying hardware to host MW2 servers from MW2 server pre-orders. We paid £80+ for our pre-ordered server and I have now had to ask for a refund. Nice of IW to let them know early on isn’t it, such a considerate company.

Shock Horror

The lack of understanding shown by IW and especially Robert Bowling (aka FourZeroTwo) is amazing, what are they paying this guy to do? Creative Strategist at IW? Vocal puppet more like. This guy is a typical XBOX player with no experience of PC gaming, you could literally feel the restrained wrath in the discussion between BASH123 guests and Rob Bowling as certain members struggled with their anger and confusion at the announcement.

Thanks to Rob, PST*Joker from mycallofduty.com, Rudedog from fpsadmin.com, Garetjax from codtv.tv, Josh from Planetmedalofhonor.com, MatTks from @weplaycod (Twitter) and weplaycod.com, iBleedv20 at omnilinkit.com and the hordes in our chatroom and ventrilo.

Expensive mistake Rob, wonder if he’ll keep his job after this.