Honor Soldiers Gaming - Fuck the rest...seriously.

You know, you'd think game companies would learn from the mistakes of such games like Operation Flashpoint 2 and Medal Of Honor: Airborne. Matchmaking multiplayer does NOT work for a PC game. It simply does not suffice, especially when the PC is capable of so much more, and the PC community is used to better things.

Today however, I am amazed, shocked, appauled, and I feel like I've been stabbed in the back by the same company I've been supporting, and talking up for the past 6 years. Infinity Ward, creator of some of the best in the Call of Duty series (not to take anything away from World at War, which I thought to be awesome), announced that they have taken away all dedicated server support for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which up until now, was the most anticipated game since GTAIV.

They have apparently scrapped the amazing dedicated server feature with a much less amazing (or, for lack of a better word, retarded) system that is basically a PC version of what we see on consoles. Matchmaking crap.

If you're unfamiliar with the difference between matchmaking and dedicated servers, its relatively simple to explain:
1. A dedicated server is a magical creation that allows anybody willing and able to create their own personal territory (or "room" if you will) within a game universe. It allows for the best in online gaming fellowship, competition, and personality. A vast mapping and modding community that distributes free game enhancing mods, such as the ever popular Zombie mod in my beloved CoD2. Being able to game with up to 64 players at once, and becoming a regular in a server, or running a server yourself, is a one of a kind experience and a privilege.

2. Matchmaking is basically what we see on consoles. Starting a temporary room, inviting your friends, or simply waiting for other players. No control over rules, no way to mod/map. PAYING for downloadable content. The BIGGEST flaw of matchmaking as opposed to dedicated servers is that games are hosted by the person who started the room. This causes temendous lag for all involved, and not lag in the normal dedi-server sense, but literal latency, as in pressing a button and seeing the action happen 3 seconds later.

I never thought Infinity Ward would do this. The horrifying part is, they think this will reduce piracy. It might...or it might skyrocket piracy. We can almost guarantee, that as with all CoD games, the single player itself will be nothing short of epic....but we pay for multiplayer. PC gamers are bound to pirate this game BECAUSE of this, and to spite IW for screwing us over.

To be honest, I had my doubts about this game from day one. I say this because since this game was announced, one of the first things said about the game was "It's being developed first on the PS3, and ported to other platforms". So I had my drawbacks....However, I am STILL going to get this game, and give them the benefit of the doubt, and a chance. IW has proved that they are worthy of it after the amazing games they've produced for us in the past. Besides, on a lighter note, Treyarch has apparently felt that this was the proper forum to capitalize on IW's blunder, and announce that the next installment of CoD for the PC WILL have dedicated servers. So....remind me to buy some stock in Treyarch.

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