Hot off the heels of Infinity Ward's controversial decision to scrap dedicated servers in Modern Warfare 2, here's Rebellion with grim hints that Aliens vs. Predator may be following suit. In an interview with CVG, game producer David Brickley was asked three times about dedicated servers, and three times did Brickley avoid the question.
"Well the one thing we can say is obviously running an operation like that is monumentally expensive," says Brickley. "For the period the original was up, people who played that game got an incredible experience.
"You know what the internet's like. We're obviously used to getting things for free over the years. I guess on our side the thing we're focusing on is whatever your set-up at home, you get the best possible experience from it. We're just trying to use our time and resources wisely."
Brickley will neither confirm nor deny the existence of dedicated servers, but his final point seems to give a clear indication as to which way the wind is blowing: "As I said the game is still quite a way from release so I guess there are other things to be determined during that time."
Could this be the shape of things to come for PC users now? Has Infinity Ward ushered in a new era of console-themed multiplayer on home computers? What say you to this new and apparently unwelcome age?
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Contest:
8:20 AM on 10.28.2009
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It's kind of ridiculous because it's so easily done. They are literally penny pinching and it's bullshit.
Are game developers completely oblivious to the fact that their customers also pay server companies to host dedicated servers? What an underwhelming excuse, David Brickley.
In other words, PC Gamers, get ready to get on the "pay for everything" train like console gamers. Chooo! Chooo!
All the lemmings flocking to DLC on XBLA, PSN, WiiWare has doomed PC gaming.
#modern warfare 2
#dedicated servers
ONLINE PETITITIOTITION!!!!!1!111
This is all being done to shorten gaming cycles. Q3 and UT99 are still played today because of dedicated servers. Give the company control of multi-player (to the point where they could shut it down due to low player population) and they force people to upgrade because the old has become "obsolete". Not to mention its giving companies much control over areas they previously never had (person misbehaves on service, gets banned, must purchase new copy).
It's starting to feel more like a "long" rental than a purchase.
Also he oddly mentions the "original" but correct me if I'm wrong but both AvP1 and AvP Gold *lacked* dedicated servers and instead used external 3rd party game browsers like Gamespy. AvP2 on the other hand did have dedicated server support. Alot of what he says seems unclear since the system IW is enforcing on the PC users is actually MORE elaborate and expensive than dedicated server support.
Unless he's of course he's suggesting he's just going throw it at GFW-Live in a "here you deal with it" who will undoubtedly screw it up to the moon and back.
It's not difficult they are just trying to combat piracy, if they'd come out and say that then I'd have more respect for them.
It's not just a stylistic decision. Unless those issues are addressed or worked out, PC gamers lose out from this seemingly inevitable turn of events.
Will I sign a petition? Probably yes, if only to make them aware of those facts. Will it break my decision to buy MW2 or any other multiplayer-heavy game that decides to forgo servers in favor of matchmaking? Probably not. That said, I may well hold off until I see how IWnet works out before spending a cent on a a title that's actively pushing for PC games to cost as much as they do on consoles.
(damn Ganjookie for beating me to it :D)
This could spell the downfall of PC gaming, but will make kudos for the likes of Valve, who are all about giving the customers what they want. More power to those who respect PC gamers, and aren't trying to lock everything down.
Just think of a world with no mods? We wouldn't have Counter Strike, Left 4 Dead, Portal or Halo Wars, and the PC gaming landscape would be corporately dark. Be all means do a boycott if you must, or just don't support those who want to take such parts of gaming away from us.
Im in the UK, our internet-infrastructure is shit, we need dedicated servers just to play with a meaningful ping.
Server browser != server. The original did have dedicated server support but used an external browser to find games, most games now use an in game browser to allow players to find servers.
@The Silent Protagonist
The thinking is that by forcing players to use the company's own system (IWNet in the case of MW2) instead of dedicated servers there won't be free content that will supplant DLC (i.e. new maps have to be bought instead of the community supplying use made maps for free). Since DLC has been very successful on the other platforms pc gamers see this as game companies trying to force DLC onto the pc.
Indeed I'm aware of the differences I simply did not remember it well enough since the Dedicated Server system for the original AvP and GE came 1 year post release, the Static's AvP tracker.
Come on rebellion, don't be stupid, I give it 2 months after release until a dedicated server patch is up on GCW.
obvious lie is obvious