[COD MW2] No dedicated servers or PB

[xX_Renegade_Xx]

http://rr.pc.ign.com/rrview/pc/call_of_duty_modern_warfare_2/14280895/113007/

 

I like this review :)

 

That's a good review!

 

Hope came with a petition that crossed 200,000 signatures to restore dedicated servers in a patch, but IW not only refused to consider, but outright mocked PC gamers for their outrage.

 

Yet some people that signed the petition still went out and bought the game.

[Duality]

Yet some people that signed the petition still went out and bought the game.

 

The petition wasn't a boycott.

[MaydaX]

EA Chief Talks War: Battlefield, Medal Of Honor And Getting Ahead Of Activision

Just hours before EA officially announced the long-rumored return of its Medal of Honor franchise, the company's chief executive told Kotaku his battle plan for EA's war-game competition against Call of Duty. He wants Modern Warfare's spot.

 

"I'm not saying it's going to happen tomorrow, but in the way that Activision sort of alternates sequels of Modern Warfare and Call of Duty and owns the leadership position in FPS [first-person-shooter], between Medal of Honor and Battlefield, I want it back," EA boss John Riccitiello said in a morning interview in New York. "And we're going to get there with innovation and quality."

 

......

 

 

John Riccitiello continued: "I think the Infinity Ward guys are great. It's not about them being bad for us having to be great too. I'm a fan of a lot of our competitors' products. But if you've played Modern Warfare, and you've played the first one — and you've played the last Call of Duty — it's sort of starting to feel like they're making the same game again. And I personally think being able to control your vehicle as opposed to being able to ride on one [is good]. And I think there's something a little bit cool about taking a building out and getting the six guys in it. Personally, I get sort of a silly amount of pleasure out of it."

 

http://kotaku.com/5417372/ea-chief-talks-war-battlefield-medal-of-honor-and-getting-ahead-of-activision

[CosmicBlue]

GET YOUR MONEY BACK FOR MW2, AND SEND A MESSAGE TO IW/ACTIVISION?

 

I found this on another forum - Interesting idea.

I haven't bought the game, so I can't try it, but it sounds like it would work for those that did.....

 

This is going to be long, thorough, and 100% effective, so take your time, grab a drink and read through this carefully. I can tell you this has worked on both sides of the Atlantic and will provide a couple of links for you as well, along with valid, winnable reasons to get your money back from the purchase of Call of Duty:Modern Warfare2. I took a lot of time researching this, consulting a couple lawyer friends of mine, and even spoke with Dan Parsons, head of the BBB in Houston, Texas. If the post gets deleted or my account gets suspended, just chalk it up to the social communism the lurking mods are trying to maintain here. This is for people *who went out and bought a copy from a retailer*, I can not in good conscience say this will work for people who purchased through steam (as someone on another forum brought up, Steam can possibly cancel any other game attached to the same account).

 

I originally posted this elsewhere since IW's forum system apparently can't remember my original account even though I had it send my username/password to me via e-mail. Some of this may be obvious now, but keep in mind, some people still don't know what they've bought because they haven't given it to their kids yet.

 

I've been reading the IW forums for weeks now and just wanted to point out a few things :

 

* No parent, who pre-ordered this game back in August, had or has any clue what happened to this game. For all they know, their kids have been asking for it since the sequel announcement and were given the impression that MW2 was supposed to be a simple sequel to MW. - Now think about this; Some of these parents gave the game to their kids, some are waiting till Christmas. Some of the kids may still be ignorantly anticipating this game, still not knowing what they're about to find (rare, but it could happen). Long story short, a lot of kids and gamers in general are pissed off. A lot of kids who had their parents preorder this game are being yelled at to get their money back because in essence, they didn't get what they wanted. A lot of parents are probably pretty upset.

 

The boycott isn't working. The dev's are twittering because it's the only thing they can do from their new Droid phones on the beaches of Barbados sipping on Mai-Tai's and laughing it all the way to the bank. The petition signers, myself included went this route in good faith to get the attention of the developers. Clearly that isn't working, as we're being mocked by them, rather than addressed by them.

 

You wanted to hit IW in their pocketbooks by boycotting the game but it was only a small percentile of the total sales figures due to the console sales.

 

I run an internet retail company for computer parts and the like so what I'm about to tell you is probably the only feasible solution. I have done this and got my money back, EVEN though the store I purchased it from said "no returns on opened software" so take notice.

 

This method will not only hit IW's pocketbooks, but will ALSO get your point across to the developers. The developers do not care about the individual, so what you need to do is have the RETAILER do the complaining for you. How do you do this? Simple.

 

---Do a chargeback on your credit or debit card---

 

Let me elaborate.

 

If you file a chargeback, make the reason you're filing it "Defective - product does not work as described."

(i.e. bad lag, hackers, no dedi's, constant d/c's ... finding out IWNet was swapped in without your knowing)

 

What does this mean? It means you're stuck with a product you can't return because the store won't take it back, however it doesn't WORK the way it was intended to. Your credit card company will return the charge back to you and the place you bought it from will have to EAT the charge. So... now IW doesn't lose their money because the RETAILER bought it from them. YOU bought it from the retailer. If you do a chargeback on your credit or debit card, YOU get your money back; IW got paid by the RETAILER, and the RETAILER gets screwed. Now... how long do you think a place like Game Stop will absorb chargebacks before they SUE Infinity Ward for selling them a defective product?

 

Exactly. IW won't listen to you, but they WILL listen to their avenues of income; meaning their vendors. If enough retailers jump on and complain and start sueing IW for their losses on chargebacks, IW will HAVE to address THEM, ultimately addressing US.

 

I handle chargebacks at my store ALL the time for the past 8 years, and let me tell you. EVEN if the retailer wins the first chargeback and they recharge your card, they NEVER win the second one. I can't tell you how many times my shop has been double-chargebacked for the same scam. (When I say scam, people would buy things on my online store, then chargeback immediately, and keep the product. When I explain to the credit card company, the customer never tried a return or has never contacted me, I win the first chargeback, but the dishonest customer does a second chargeback, and no matter what I tell the credit card company, the customer gets their money back and I eat the charge. Great system huh?)

 

Parent's are going to do this just because their kids will complain that they don't want the game anymore; The game they preordered months before they were 'baited and switched'

 

That leads me to my other point. Parent's will most likely do chargebacks under the pretense of "Bait and Switch" because they changed it at the last second without notifying ANYONE. How many people do you think Game Stop called after this announcement to warn consumers who preordered and thought they had everything taken care of and only had to worry about picking up their game on delivery day? Exactly... zero. And they have grounds to win their claims. IF they lose that first claim, they can file a second one, and 99.9999999% of the time they win it, so the retailer still loses the money.

 

Initially it will hurt the retailers, but the retailers will eventually not stand for it and sue IW for compensation if they get enough chargeback losses. My company once sued a company called Inno3d for making really shoddy Nvidia chipset video cards. 99 out of 100 were defective and the chargebacks were endless. We ended up settling out of court with the company for a little over 3 million dollars (we're not a massive company but this was a sizable lawsuit).

 

If a large retailer or two ends up sueing for compensation, think of the press it would get? Since we, the people can't make a large enough noise, let's let a little negative publicity on the news mediums do it for us. Let's make the retailers use their corporate lawyers to deal with IW's corporate lawyers. Turn them against each other, not user against user; Not gamer against gamer, or platform against platform. This goes beyond this... this is simply bad business and we have the power to put an end to it, or put the world on notice with the proper means.

 

 

I'm going to wrap this up since it's getting a bit long in the tooth and I'm certain there's going to be some tl;dr's but for those who held on, I've got one more bomb to drop on IW.

 

So we've determined two viable reasons for successful chargebacks ( and you got to keep the discs! ) and now, the best one.

 

FILE a complaint to the Better Business Bureau.

http://www.bbb.org

 

People, you've been lied to, baited, switched and now ignored. All HUGE no-no's in the business world. Again, this is the kind of thing I have to deal with at my company on a daily basis. Remember, keep your complaints respectful when dealing with the BBB.

 

 

Oh... and one last thing about the IW forums... all the consolers jumping on the PC forums bashing us for protesting.... remind them to LEARN SOME GAME GENEOLGY. If it weren't for the PC, consoles would have never gotten Call of Duty in the first place. Never settle for less.

 

Now for you guys in the UK ...

 

The OFT is where your formal complaints will go after you make your chargeback.

 

A Link for the OFT : http://www.oft.gov.uk/

 

Please remember the OFT is not a forum, and is not a group to go into guns blazing. Be an adult about it. Keep your complaint formal, and extremely detailed to better educate them on the situation. These people aren't gamers, so help them help you by better arming them with the facts. The same goes with the BBB.

Edited December 3, 2009 by CosmicBlue

[Kolor]

In the short term (assuming this actually takes off and also assuming the retailers make a successful claim against IW) this shits all over the little guy.

I now due to injury work in a small computer shop. We sell games, gaming rigs etc ... we sold MW2. Now every sale we do on credit card takes 45 days to reach our trading account, were as card refunds/chargebacks are ripped directly back. If we now had 100's of customers each claiming back £30 we'd be up shit creek. If we had 1000's we'd close.

Edited December 3, 2009 by Kolor

[Duality]

The problem with that method is that doing a chargeback means that Valve disable your steam account - if you bought it on steam.

[MaydaX]

The problem with that method is that doing a chargeback means that Valve disable your steam account - if you bought it on steam.

 

They can't disable all your games if they are paid for. They can just remove MW2, they already proved that by disabling a few thousand gray market MW2 keys.

 

Ofc I would submit numerous support tickets trying to resolve a problem (Not hard to find one in MW2 :) ) and even say it's a faulty product and inform them you will ask for a charge back if steam doesn't issue a refund.

[MaydaX]

MW2 source code

 

#include "quake_3_engine.h"
#include "cod_4.h"
// #include "dedicated_server.h"
#include "infinite_greed.h"
#include "DLC.h" // NOTE: Requires infinite_greed.h

const char *error_msg_402 = "This game is not balanced for %s.";

int main()
{ 
LoadCOD4();
ShowKillCam(ALWAYS);
Disable(lean);
Disable(modding);
Disable(console);
Disable(screenshots);
...

if(XBOX)
{
	RunFineGame();
	return 0;
}
else
{
	Sleep(10);
	Enable(lags);
	Enable(even_more_lags);
	Enable(random_freezes);
	Enable(random_crashes);
	Sleep(10);
	Load(steam);
	Sleep(10);

	// ShowCOD4Intro();
	// ShowCOD4Menu();
	ShowCOD6Intro();
	Sleep(10);
	ShowCOD6Menu();
	RandomFreeze();
	Sleep(10);
	...

	if(gameType == "Multiplayer")
	{
	Load_IW_NET();

	Open_UDP_Ports(LOTS);
	Spread(worms);
	Spread(trojans);

	SeekHost(bad_one);
	Sleep(100);
	if(not_found)
	{
	/* Fire up our error handling routine. */
	printf(error_msg_402, "good hosts");
	if(!Freeze())
	Crash();
	}

	UnbalanceLobby();
	Sleep(10);
	SelectSomeRandomMap(always_the_same);

	int success_rate = 10%;
	StartGame(success_rate);

	while(!crashed)
	{
	Lag(always);
	if(fast_internet)
	{
	LagEvenMore();
	}

	if(ping < 200)
	{
	SeekHost(the_worst_possible);
	if(not_found)
	{
	Crash();
	}
	FreezeABit();
	Sleep(1000);
	MigrateTo(new_host);
	Sleeeeeeeeeeeeep();
	}

	ProduceLotsOfTraffic();

	if(cheater_detected)
	{
	DoSomething(nothing); 
	}
	}

	if(still_running)
	{
	printf("THANK YOU FOR PLAYING THE GAME OF THE YEAR!");
	Generate(some_weird_dx_error);
	Hang_System();
	}
	}
}

return -1;
}

 

http://pastebin.com/m47928e8

[xX_Renegade_Xx]

MW2 source code

 

if(gameType == "Multiplayer")

{

Load_IW_NET();

 

Open_UDP_Ports(LOTS);

Spread(worms);

Spread(trojans);

 

SeekHost(bad_one);

Sleep(100);

if(not_found)

{

/* Fire up our error handling routine. */

printf(error_msg_402, "good hosts");

if(!Freeze())

Crash();

}

 

UnbalanceLobby();

Sleep(10);

SelectSomeRandomMap(always_the_same);

 

int success_rate = 10%;

StartGame(success_rate);

 

while(!crashed)

{

Lag(always);

if(fast_internet)

{

LagEvenMore();

}

 

if(ping < 200)

{

SeekHost(the_worst_possible);

if(not_found)

{

Crash();

}

FreezeABit();

Sleep(1000);

MigrateTo(new_host);

Sleeeeeeeeeeeeep()

 

:lol: :lol:

[Duality]

They can't disable all your games if they are paid for. They can just remove MW2, they already proved that by disabling a few thousand gray market MW2 keys.

 

Ofc I would submit numerous support tickets trying to resolve a problem (Not hard to find one in MW2 :) ) and even say it's a faulty product and inform them you will ask for a charge back if steam doesn't issue a refund.

 

Thats the problem though, they do. There are a few posts from Steam forum mods stating that chargebacks to valve result in a disabled account. It is a sad state of affairs :(

[CosmicBlue]

MaydaX - LMAO @ the "MW2 Source Code"! :biglol:

 

#include "infinite_greed.h"

#include "DLC.h" // NOTE: Requires infinite_greed.h

:money_mouth:

[MaydaX]

New PC hacks are constantly being added to the VAC list for banning / fixes. Still haven't heard plans to add dedicated servers

 

http://twitter.com/fourzerotwo/status/6359075445

 

[SuperTaz]

MW2 source code

 

 

#include "quake_3_engine.h"

#include "cod_4.h"

// #include "dedicated_server.h"

#include "infinite_greed.h"

#include "DLC.h" // NOTE: Requires infinite_greed.h

 

http://pastebin.com/m47928e8

 

LOLOL

[CosmicBlue]

MW2 source code

 

// #include "dedicated_server.h" <--------- Well, well, well...Look here. It is there, so they may add it.

 

lol

[Sixshot]

Here's a more robust form for that #include line

 

#IF (revenue > productionCost)

#include "iwnet.h"

#DEFINE GREED TRUE

#UNDEF REPUTABLE

#ELSE

#include "dedicated_servers.h"

#ENDIF

Edited December 6, 2009 by Sixshot

[AKA BANDIT]

Banned from your X-box for IW programmer mistake.

[Rotten]

Banned from your X-box for IW programmer mistake.

 

 

 

I thought we were supposed to ""play the game as we designed and balanced it". :P

[Kolor]

We all know Modern Warfare is written in Visual Basic ... so why the C? ;)

 

And while I'm all for kicking glitchers off our servers in MW to ban them from playing the game entirely for exploiting a glitch is unfair. Fix the glitch and you don't have the problem.

Edited December 6, 2009 by Kolor

[AKA BANDIT]

And while I'm all for kicking glitchers off our servers in MW to ban them from playing the game entirely for exploiting a glitch is unfair. Fix the glitch and you don't have the problem.

 

It's not just that game you get banned from. It's you whole account, so you also can't play other games while you're banned.

[Duality]

It's in the X-box live Terms of service.

 

5. How You May Not Use the Service.

...

-exploit a bug, or make an unauthorized modification, to any software or data to gain unfair advantage in a game , contest, or promotion.

 

I mean really, you agree to a contract, then proceed to not actually read it, and then you breach it....you're lucky it's only 24 hours. Sheesh.

 

I agree with this sentiment. Yep it is unfair - but if it is in the EULA then banned people really don't have a leg to stand on.

[=GoMg=THE__DRIFTER]

I agree with this sentiment. Yep it is unfair - but if it is in the EULA then banned people really don't have a leg to stand on.

 

I take that with a grain of salt... People may not have a "leg to stand on" but this is a bit extreme. Honestly; what criteria are they using? I buy a game go to hit a standard key combination say forward left. I hit some other key accidentally and fit whatever criteria they use to ban people out of existence? Wham; Gone. This is one reason I have no interest in this or any "online" console network. I have never glitched in any game that I am aware of, will not, and call out people that do. This is some heavy handed BS and it is entirely uncalled for unless they create the code solid and someone actually creates a hack, work around, etc. If the code fails then this should not be happening. More inept issues involving this series. At least I kept my money this time. Sad but true that every single person, for whatever reason that purchased this game, has added fuel to the fire. Imagine; Me, a PC player, coming to the defense of consoles. Now thats funny....

Its only going to get worse and granted this is only X-Box so far but this is the future.

[MaydaX]

Man they really cut corners on the pc port. Didn't even leave the pure server functions in.

 

Red Player Models - all player models are colored red.

Reduced Foliage - many of the bushes that obstruct viewing are now invisible.

No Hud Blood - the blood splatter that appears in the hud after taking damange is now invisible.

 

Server purity and game file integrity are currently disregarded in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 with the exception of VAC scanning memory whilst playing. This is what allows custom textures to be used unlike previous Call of Duty games. According to the Steam Support website, "using custom skins, sounds or maps" will not trigger a VAC ban.

 

So now they have model cheats :P

 

http://i46.tinypic.com/2m44p69.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/2mguj9d.jpg

[pup9et1AC]

I recently traded in cod 4 and cod waw for the 360, for mw2 on PC, i can tell you personally that the game is horrible in multi-player, I haven't gotten a game in the last 3 days that hasn't had a cheat 67-0, 53-1, not to mention that matchmaking is a nightmare. frequent host leaving cause game freezes. party friends being left out when joining games. unable to migrate host, the list goes on. Steam Vac is doing Nothing to stop the cheats, and by no means am i being harsh. Everyone says, oh they will get dedicated servers etc etc... but truth is they have already invested money into this crappy iwnet. I miss you Punkbuster and i thought id never say that. I will warn anyone thinking of investing there hard earned Money Not to buy this game for the multi-player. If you get a chance check out this months issue of PC gamer magazine, Page 16 there's a nice article Titled [Why i won't be playing MW2]. It amazes me how they seem to go with fans when they hate something. a few months back they were doing nothing but talking this game up. It has come to my attention not to listen to these review people. They get games for free to review, they aren't the ones spending there 60.00. Ok I feel better now lol ...pup9et

[FireStorm]

The Saga continues, 1st p2p file sharing now p2p gaming = same result from isps. They don't like it :P

 

Full Story -- > http://www.gossipgamers.com/another-mw2-iw-net-fail-isp-banning/

 

It just seems more and more problems have been deriving out of Infinity Ward

[CosmicBlue]

The Saga continues, 1st p2p file sharing now p2p gaming = same result from isps. They don't like it :P

 

Full Story -- > http://www.gossipgamers.com/another-mw2-iw-net-fail-isp-banning/

 

This is very interesting. It would be funny, if it wasn't so sad! :scratchchin:

I'm really interested in IW's response to this. Then again, they prolly won't respond, or will say something stupid like "IW.net is great - it's the way of the future".

Because they obviously DON'T CARE about the consumer's issues!