[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuYFYnO5tHA[/youtube]

Found this disturbing news earlier. Although it’s too late to do anything about it, you can sign this online Modern Warfare 2 petition to show how you (along with ~4600+ others) are disappointed by the news. Here’s some great insight from one of my Canadian friends:

Patching out of the box…true. I think that switching from a ‘steam cloud’ approach (which I am guessing they will copy) to the old school server would be a pretty huge patch…I mean rewrite….I mean DVD.

Next they will be starting micro-transactions, allowing you to purchase guns in the game, new hats etc.

I think, like movies, mainstream gaming has reached its pinnacle. Meaning that innovation and hardwork get swapped for money making and more money making for the least possible investment.

‘Freeware’ developers have either been bought out, sued, or told that they cant release their software on the platform of choice (read:iPhone) due to ‘conflicts’.

Here’s the announcement from bashandslash.com’s jockyitch:

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.

via BASHandSlash.com – MW2: Our game has changed forever.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9Gt6o-95yg[/youtube]