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Online retailers boycotting Modern Warfare 2 photo

The bad press for the biggest game of the year just keeps stacking up. The latest development in the bitter Modern Warfare 2 PC debacle has seen a number of online retailers stand up in opposition of Infinity Ward's game, refusing to sell the much-hyped FPS. It's not because of dedicated servers, though. It's because Steam is a Trojan horse!

"We don't believe games should force the user to install a Trojan Horse," says online retailer Direct2Drive, criticizing the mandatory installation of Valve's Steamworks that will be a part of MW2's PC version. Two other stores, Impulse and Gamersgate, have decided to join D2D in its boycott.

Direct2Drive isn't just singling Modern Warfare 2 out, however. After revealing the boycott, it confirmed that it had evaluated some other games on its books, including Empire: Total War and Dawn of War II, and has refused to sell those as well. This is to continue until Valve has "decoupled its retail marketplace" from its other services.

Good on these outlets for taking a stand on something they believe in, but will it stop the juggernaut that is Modern Warfare 2? I'm curious as to how much bad press that game can withstand before a dent in its guaranteed sales will actually be seen. Probably ten billion.


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59 comments | showing # 1 to 50

PhazonYoshi's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 09:24
PhazonYoshi
If steam is a trojan horse it's full of cookies and love, not greeks.
DUFFMcWALIN's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 09:26
DUFFMcWALIN
the pc version is going to tank anyways, but i love steam i don't see why anyone would have a personal grudge against now that it works great and offers great deals on games, and updates your games for you and has a friend list and so on. Steam is awesome
Strandli's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 09:26
Strandli
Well, although it sucks for them, I think they have a point.
Steam is not a trojan horse, but I can see not everyone wanting to install Steam.
But those who want to buy MW2 will just get it elsewhere, steam or not, so D2D lose anyway.
Phantom Spaceman's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 09:27
Phantom Spaceman
Meanwhile, retailers who like to make money have more for themselves, gamers who prefer to play awesome games over starting petitions get to play the GOTY, and IW becomes richer than God.
Oncomouse's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 09:36
Oncomouse
It's all spin, but I can see where D2D is coming from. If I ran a business selling games online, I wouldn't want to sell a game that would require users install and use a direct competitor's digital distribution platform. That being said, who the hell doesn't use steam already?
CaptainApocalypse's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 09:38
CaptainApocalypse
What PhazonYoshi said.
Unit 076's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 09:46
Unit 076
No, Steam would be a Trojan Horse full of boiling water.
Shadowboi's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 09:46
Shadowboi
it's not as if this boycott will matter to anyone...PC gamers are smart enough to buy somewhere else, they don't even have to get up to do it!

and it's not as if it'll affect the majority of sales: the Gamestop-going 360 crowd
sir monster210's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 09:47
sir monster210
if you would normally buy from D2D but cant now, i suggest steam. its a great service, not a trojan in any way and valve does a lot of great deals.
Gat0rvean's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 09:51
Gat0rvean
I would rather buy from Steam than D2D any day.
DeusPayne's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 09:52
DeusPayne
Sooo... to punish Valve for coupling their store with their game service, they're removing themselves from the market, giving Valve a monopoly on those products online. Does this seem like a horrible business plan to anyone else?
Oncomouse's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 09:54
Oncomouse
I bought the PC version of KoTOR from D2D when Bioware put out a promo code for 25% off. As soon as it was downloaded, I put it into Steam.
Shellsh0cker's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 09:54
Shellsh0cker
I've got a great idea for those buying the game on PC. It runs through Steamworks anyway, so why not just buy it through Steam?
Br0th3rGr1mm's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 09:54
Br0th3rGr1mm
While Steam CAN provide a valuable service, the fact is that if you analyze how the program works and hooks itself into your system, it DOES fall within the PC security definition of Mal-Ware.

If control of the steam servers ever fell into malicious hands, there would be some extremely FUBARED PC gamers out there. If you think it couldn't happen, you are quite naive about PC security...ANY system can be hacked.
BrainLazy's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 09:57
BrainLazy
Forcing Steam to be a monopoly...Smart Business moves 101
Avidgam3r's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 09:57
Avidgam3r
regardless of whether these people boycott and protest and whine, I'm still buying it and a crap-ton of others still will and when these naysayers finally catch on they will pay too. I'll just be a higher prestige when this happens
Br0th3rGr1mm's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 09:57
Br0th3rGr1mm
On the other hand, this is obviously a veiled attempt to discredit a rival on-line software provider under the guise of "quality control" and "concern for our customers".
molath's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 10:01
molath
Well, technically they're right, Steamworks can be considered a Trojan. But then, I'm pretty sure that GFWL can be considered one too (anyone know if it auto updates your gamer profile with stuff you did while not signed in?).
Also, it's a Trojan that provides some pretty nice features.
Also also, Valve seems like the type of company that's introducing Steamworks as a bunch of cool features they thought you'd find neat, rather then as a way to thighten their grip on digital distribution.
xenoaroe's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 10:02
xenoaroe
The actual act of not selling MW2 is ironically going to turn people to steam anyways.
MkShiranui's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 10:08
MkShiranui
Steam's a Trojan horse? Funny, it must be a very good one. Symantec Endpoint isn't detecting anything.
Happy Chainsaw Man's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 10:09
Happy Chainsaw Man
Luckily I was able to just activate the copy of Dawn of War 2 I bought through D2D in Steam anyway, so I don't have to bother with them again. Hell, the only reason I bought it from them to begin with is because it was half off (a deal Steam matched like a week later).
pascuz46's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 10:14
pascuz46
This reminds me! I was looking thought the Best Buy Canada ad, and they have Modern Warfare 2 for PC for 49.99 CND. Just a message for those who live in Canada and want to get it on PC.
TheJesusNinja26's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 10:14
TheJesusNinja26
Is it just me or is VALVE becoming a lot like MS? Maybe Gabe is just Bill's long lost brother.

Xzyliac's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 10:17
Xzyliac
Xenoaroe wins.
Shirley Temple's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 10:21
Shirley Temple
lol, I like how they say it was their idea. It REQUIRES A STEAM DOWNLOAD. Obviously it's impossible for them to sell it unless they sold serial numbers. So in a hissy fit they claim they're the ones that called the breakup, right after crying in their cars for an hour straight.
Insanity-Oo's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 10:23
Insanity-Oo
I actually agree with D2D on this. I use and like steam for games I bought off of steam, but why should I have to use it for game I didn't buy off steam? Those losing money isn't good either. It's really a lose-lose situation for them.
The-Excel's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 10:31
The-Excel
Did they happen to sell Spore or any of those other games with infamous copy protection schemes? Those could be considered trojan horses as well.
Misanthrope's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 10:38
Misanthrope
This is as stupid as the Mac vs PC commercials: D2D can cry me a river, they are just jealous they are not the ones cornering the market and would only replace Valve's monopolistic practices with their own monopolistic practices.

To me nothing is more disgusting than a business claiming unfairness when you know they are just bitter they didn't come up with it first.
RenagadePanda's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 10:39
RenagadePanda
Steam is actually made out of people.
gore on the floor's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 10:39
gore on the floor
lol @ everyone who thinks "Trojan horse" means "trojan".
msuvivi's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 10:40
msuvivi
Hey we dont like you steam so here take these sales from us. well played d2d....
Kyousuke Nanbu's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 10:56
Kyousuke Nanbu
Steam sucks.
ChronosWing's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 10:57
ChronosWing
What Br0th3rGr1mm said.

Nothing more than D2D trying to undermine the competition.
Generic Purple Turtle's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 11:09
Generic Purple Turtle
I love the fact that their doing this, I think steam is great but why should I have to install it on steam if it's not a valve game?
kariomart's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 11:10
kariomart
Way to choose one of the biggest moneymakers of the year to make your point. Might as well be boycotting profits.
Shirley Temple's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 11:20
Shirley Temple
I bought UT3 from D2D. I fucking hated myself for it. Fortunately they made it so that you could activate it on Steam. So I'm happy :)
StickFlick's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 11:20
StickFlick
lol @ gore on the floor for not knowing that "trojan" was named specifically after the "Trojan Horse" story in the way it behaves: ie/ how it unloads its payload after pc users let it into its system.
Carl Sagan's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 11:23
Carl Sagan
Yeah, Gore. Whoops.
GohanGVO's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 11:25
GohanGVO
They are damned if they do, and they are damned if they don't.

If D2D and Impulse sells digital copies of MW2 that is coupled with Steamworks (and thus Steam) then they are indirectly promotion a competitive service.

On the other hand, failing to selling the game will result in a loss of potential revenue as well as STILL leading folks over to Steam.

Blargh.
Wedge's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 11:32
Wedge
Yeah I don't really like how Steamworks seems to be something that is coupled to Steam itself. When Valve first promoted that, they made it sound like a set of matchmaking and browser multiplayer tools and such PC developers could use for free, but if using those locks your game into needing Steam itself, that's a much more shady proposition. Not that any good games have made use of that, but still.
Dao2-SKP's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 11:32
Dao2-SKP
oh god, i think we might have a shortage of digital copies.
gore on the floor's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 11:39
gore on the floor
Really? No shit guys. But I was referring to the people who think they're talking about an actual trojan virus, which they're not.
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 11:41
Necros
I'm no PC gamer, but as far as I can tell, doesn't everyone already buy stuff on Steam? All this is doing is telling people who want digital copies to go use Steam, something I haven't heard legitimate complaints about since the Half-Life 2 launch. This is a non-issue, really.
daewootech's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 12:16
daewootech
i really agree with some of the MW2 guys on the whole media blackout deal, im not even going to bother reading any game sites until next week, its just constant bashing as much as possible from pc guys and other kids who cry because its not as good as "halo" or whatever bs they excuse they want to make up. stop your bitching because come monday night/tuesday well all be playing mw2 and im sure most of you who are bitching will also be playing it, the hypocrits you are. stop crying and enjoy the quiet before next tuesdays storm.
Jon B's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 12:22
Jon B
Soooo... more sales for Valve then? Strange.
Woverine's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 12:28
Woverine
@daewootech

I really hope that your not getting it on the PC.. because if you really have been trying to ignore all these stories.. your gonna be in for a big surprise when you try to play online!
neveranything's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 12:29
neveranything
So, what they're saying is, "Steam, since we don't like the way you bundle your software with our downloads, we're just going to give all of our profits on MW2 to you, that'll teach you a lesson!"
kidko's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 12:46
kidko
Fine with me. Steam is greatness and D2D is pointless
smoger's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 13:11
smoger
D2D is clearly bitter that Steam represents a better purchasing option, but to start this boycott with one of the guaranteed biggest games is silly - it only guarantees users will flock to Steam anyway. If they want to make a point, they should do it with a game that people won't practically cut off their own feet for.

Either way,.. I'm all for the PC version being as hard to find as possible. I really hope it tanks because of how douchy they're being over all this nonsense. The omissions from the pc version, the FAGS video, the attitude... f them.
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/06/2009 13:19
Holyetheline
Nothing will stop MW2. These retailers are the fail.
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