Call of Duty News
[MW2] 25 Million People Signed Up With Modern Warfare 2
From Kotaku.com:
Robert Bowling, community manager for Modern Warfare developers Infinity Ward, has returned to his Tweeting ways after a week's well-deserved silence.
And it's straight back to Call of Duty PR work, too, with the revelation that since its release late last year over 25 million people have played Modern Warfare 2 across the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
Those numbers are of course tracking only those who have played the game in some way online. Which would be the vast majority of gamers, but still, it means the actual number of people who have spent time with Modern Warfare 2 would be a little higher.
Xbox 360 is in first place followed by the PS3 and the PC bringing up the rear. No exact numbers on each platform or by how much percentage wise.
Source
Robert Bowling, community manager for Modern Warfare developers Infinity Ward, has returned to his Tweeting ways after a week's well-deserved silence.
And it's straight back to Call of Duty PR work, too, with the revelation that since its release late last year over 25 million people have played Modern Warfare 2 across the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
Those numbers are of course tracking only those who have played the game in some way online. Which would be the vast majority of gamers, but still, it means the actual number of people who have spent time with Modern Warfare 2 would be a little higher.
Xbox 360 is in first place followed by the PS3 and the PC bringing up the rear. No exact numbers on each platform or by how much percentage wise.
Source
Categories: Call of Duty News
[Other] Bash: 141 Axed
With all the CoD community news being about the goings on at Infinity Ward with Activision, Jockyitch had discussion on Bash: 141:
In this BASH, we are devoting the cast to talk about this week’s decapitation of Infinity Ward’s leadership by their owners, Activision.
Monday evening, we all sat stunned in front of our computer screens as G4TV’s Patrick Klepek broke the story of the firing of IW’s President/Game Director Jason West and the CEO Vince Zampella. Shocking news made even more surreal given that IW’s game sales of MW2 have nearly approached one billion dollars.
What gives? Why were these two men fired? What does it mean for gamers and is this good news or bad news for PC gamers?
My special guest on the program, providing his deep insight into this event, is Game Editor for ArsTechnica.com, Ben Kuchera.
Here's a sampling of some of Ben's articles on ArsTechnica's Opposable Thumbs blog:
[*]Activision announces new Call of Duty titles, lawsuit filed
[*]Insubordination? Infinity Ward cofounder gone from Activision
[*]Snowmobiles are for sissies: a review of Bad Company 2
We explore some of the plausible reasons for Zampella and West's dismissal and discuss the probablity of success of their recently filed lawsuit against Activision.
Should PC gamers celebrate the firing or does Activision have even worse in store for us (you can guess the news won't be good on that score).
Does the appointment of a CoD czar to oversee all Call of Duty business units mean more higher quality and more consistent products for the end user or does spell the end of the franchise?
It's a lively discussion and you are free to comment on it, through the BASH forums, click here.
Are you glad to see them go? Vote here.
Update:
Read the court documents filed by West and Zampella against IW here.
We know probably no love has been lost as far as the PC community is concerned. What are your thoughts on all this? How will this affect this line of the Call of Duty series? Did Activision do everyone a favor or is this the final blow to what we know as CoD? Are there any winners in this situation? Some blame Activision for what has happened to Infinity Ward and CoD and some blame Infinity Ward; is that how it should be looked at or is it a lot of finger pointing and no looking in the mirrors?
You can listen to the webcast from the link below.
Source
In this BASH, we are devoting the cast to talk about this week’s decapitation of Infinity Ward’s leadership by their owners, Activision.
Monday evening, we all sat stunned in front of our computer screens as G4TV’s Patrick Klepek broke the story of the firing of IW’s President/Game Director Jason West and the CEO Vince Zampella. Shocking news made even more surreal given that IW’s game sales of MW2 have nearly approached one billion dollars.
What gives? Why were these two men fired? What does it mean for gamers and is this good news or bad news for PC gamers?
My special guest on the program, providing his deep insight into this event, is Game Editor for ArsTechnica.com, Ben Kuchera.
Here's a sampling of some of Ben's articles on ArsTechnica's Opposable Thumbs blog:
[*]Activision announces new Call of Duty titles, lawsuit filed
[*]Insubordination? Infinity Ward cofounder gone from Activision
[*]Snowmobiles are for sissies: a review of Bad Company 2
We explore some of the plausible reasons for Zampella and West's dismissal and discuss the probablity of success of their recently filed lawsuit against Activision.
Should PC gamers celebrate the firing or does Activision have even worse in store for us (you can guess the news won't be good on that score).
Does the appointment of a CoD czar to oversee all Call of Duty business units mean more higher quality and more consistent products for the end user or does spell the end of the franchise?
It's a lively discussion and you are free to comment on it, through the BASH forums, click here.
Are you glad to see them go? Vote here.
Update:
Read the court documents filed by West and Zampella against IW here.
We know probably no love has been lost as far as the PC community is concerned. What are your thoughts on all this? How will this affect this line of the Call of Duty series? Did Activision do everyone a favor or is this the final blow to what we know as CoD? Are there any winners in this situation? Some blame Activision for what has happened to Infinity Ward and CoD and some blame Infinity Ward; is that how it should be looked at or is it a lot of finger pointing and no looking in the mirrors?
You can listen to the webcast from the link below.
Source
Categories: Call of Duty News
Call of Duty 4 Frontlines Mod Update
Hajas notified me of some updates they are working on. Check it out:
The new Fronltines is comming! With 40 gametypes, 12 weapons modes, paratroopers support, with the War Server with Random battlefields up to 3999 battles in the SAME war and LOTS more.
You all already know that I'm working on a new version of Frontlines since the Modern WarFAIL 2 was revealed last year. Was many and many many hours of work specially because things that should be easy to do wasn't at all because the limitation of the engine, which forced me to simply rewrite the main spine not only of my mod, but in a way to change the main spine of the game.
First was the gametypes limit which made me rewrite all the map/gametypes behavior of the game, then was created the Frontlines Commands to overrun all this. Then now is the allocated memory of the game, there's no more memory available for my code! The new version is so huge that seams they never expected a mod of this size ever, but I can't be mad with IW for this because this kind of thing was never made before, and probably will be the last time too.
To who didn't understand what I mean with "out of allocated memory" is not the case to simply put more RAM on your machine. In resume when you are programming you need to reserve memory to later put your code there to run, so the original COD4 have his size already fixed (which is normal) and let some memory free to add the mod code, and that reserve memory is not enough from what I created.
Well, I did what I can and the current version is working really fine and it's VERY stable like never was, the only way to crash the server right now are because very bad coded or incomplete maps but even with all that kind of maps 99% of the crashes will be avoided. First because the Frontlines Spine implementation I can know the errors before reach the main spine, then I can simply change maps/gametypes avoiding the server to crash. Also was created a Bad Maps List to you set all maps which have problems. With that you can teach the Intelligent Server to what he can do, and what he can't with which map/gametype on that list.
Of course you can use the Bad Maps List also to avoid some gametypes to be played on each map, because simply is not fun, or the map don't have heli support, or anything else like your taste. Then the Intelligent Server will think like you when select the maps/gametypes.
Well, until now I was talking about coding which is not that interesting for regular players... so let's talk about gameplay.
First we have now 38 gametypes in Frontlines! Yeah! 10 were already added and working really well. Here the list of the new gametypes with a small resume of each one, the picture is from the AirFight gametype.
. AirFight
TDM with Choppers designed for the small rotation.
. Airborne
Paratroopers falls into enemy territory to retrieve 3 docs.
. Capture The Flag
Famous Quake gametype attending requests.
. Evac
Everything is colapsing, both teams must Evac his men out of that hell.
. Invasion
Carry your flag until the enemy spawn to conquest the territory.
. Mission
Several objectives to complete in a mini-war kind gametype with paratroopers and infantry at the same time.
. Savage
Like Black Hawk Down movie, retreat to call a pickup chopper to get out of angry civilians bare armed.
. Strike
Assault gametype with Paratroopers attacking.
. Support
A ground team have until 3 choppers as support to complete a objective. Few players are selected to be the Heli's Gunners to support the ground team.
. Swarm
Hill gametype but the flag can be carried. The carrier must be in constant movement which force the team scout him accross the map.
All are there working at War Server and with all addons as possible... and talking about War Server we have now a new feature called Battles Mode, different from the original War Server this time you didn't set the battlefield, all is completely random, then you just set the number of battles needed to win the War, then who wins that number first wins the War. Now it's possible to play Wars with battlefields up to 3999 battles (maps/territories).
All the options of the War Server still available of course, setting number of soldiers, reinforcements, realistic level or even normal matches behavior.
Aside that we have the instagib like Zillion Mode as one of the Weapons Modes, all weapons were balanced and fit to more realism aside give the option to change the rate of fire of the Assault Rifles from Automatic to Single Shot, also you can simply change the ammo of the Sniper's rifles from the default ammo for a long range kind, specially designed for play the Sniper gametype, which is one of the new Virtual Gametypes of the Frontlines.
Also were added several realistic war effects to the battles, which will really make you feel inside a real battlefield. There's 4 kinds of support that you can call when got the Airstrike Support hardpoint. All really random and deadly, here the list:
. Tactical Airstrike
. Heavy Airstrike
. Artillery Strike
. Mortar Strike
There's several new stuff on the new version of Frontlines, which you can have a taste right now on the server below:
Play NOW Frontlines 6 BETA | 200.162.238.228:28960
While you are tasting the new features I'm working on how to add more gametypes to the mod to finally release the Beta server to the public in few weeks. I believe it will be released until the end of march.
Enjoy! :P
Looks like just about everything is being thrown into this massive mod. Be sure to check it out and see what you think.
Source
The new Fronltines is comming! With 40 gametypes, 12 weapons modes, paratroopers support, with the War Server with Random battlefields up to 3999 battles in the SAME war and LOTS more.
You all already know that I'm working on a new version of Frontlines since the Modern WarFAIL 2 was revealed last year. Was many and many many hours of work specially because things that should be easy to do wasn't at all because the limitation of the engine, which forced me to simply rewrite the main spine not only of my mod, but in a way to change the main spine of the game.
First was the gametypes limit which made me rewrite all the map/gametypes behavior of the game, then was created the Frontlines Commands to overrun all this. Then now is the allocated memory of the game, there's no more memory available for my code! The new version is so huge that seams they never expected a mod of this size ever, but I can't be mad with IW for this because this kind of thing was never made before, and probably will be the last time too.
To who didn't understand what I mean with "out of allocated memory" is not the case to simply put more RAM on your machine. In resume when you are programming you need to reserve memory to later put your code there to run, so the original COD4 have his size already fixed (which is normal) and let some memory free to add the mod code, and that reserve memory is not enough from what I created.
Well, I did what I can and the current version is working really fine and it's VERY stable like never was, the only way to crash the server right now are because very bad coded or incomplete maps but even with all that kind of maps 99% of the crashes will be avoided. First because the Frontlines Spine implementation I can know the errors before reach the main spine, then I can simply change maps/gametypes avoiding the server to crash. Also was created a Bad Maps List to you set all maps which have problems. With that you can teach the Intelligent Server to what he can do, and what he can't with which map/gametype on that list.
Of course you can use the Bad Maps List also to avoid some gametypes to be played on each map, because simply is not fun, or the map don't have heli support, or anything else like your taste. Then the Intelligent Server will think like you when select the maps/gametypes.
Well, until now I was talking about coding which is not that interesting for regular players... so let's talk about gameplay.
First we have now 38 gametypes in Frontlines! Yeah! 10 were already added and working really well. Here the list of the new gametypes with a small resume of each one, the picture is from the AirFight gametype.
. AirFight
TDM with Choppers designed for the small rotation.
. Airborne
Paratroopers falls into enemy territory to retrieve 3 docs.
. Capture The Flag
Famous Quake gametype attending requests.
. Evac
Everything is colapsing, both teams must Evac his men out of that hell.
. Invasion
Carry your flag until the enemy spawn to conquest the territory.
. Mission
Several objectives to complete in a mini-war kind gametype with paratroopers and infantry at the same time.
. Savage
Like Black Hawk Down movie, retreat to call a pickup chopper to get out of angry civilians bare armed.
. Strike
Assault gametype with Paratroopers attacking.
. Support
A ground team have until 3 choppers as support to complete a objective. Few players are selected to be the Heli's Gunners to support the ground team.
. Swarm
Hill gametype but the flag can be carried. The carrier must be in constant movement which force the team scout him accross the map.
All are there working at War Server and with all addons as possible... and talking about War Server we have now a new feature called Battles Mode, different from the original War Server this time you didn't set the battlefield, all is completely random, then you just set the number of battles needed to win the War, then who wins that number first wins the War. Now it's possible to play Wars with battlefields up to 3999 battles (maps/territories).
All the options of the War Server still available of course, setting number of soldiers, reinforcements, realistic level or even normal matches behavior.
Aside that we have the instagib like Zillion Mode as one of the Weapons Modes, all weapons were balanced and fit to more realism aside give the option to change the rate of fire of the Assault Rifles from Automatic to Single Shot, also you can simply change the ammo of the Sniper's rifles from the default ammo for a long range kind, specially designed for play the Sniper gametype, which is one of the new Virtual Gametypes of the Frontlines.
Also were added several realistic war effects to the battles, which will really make you feel inside a real battlefield. There's 4 kinds of support that you can call when got the Airstrike Support hardpoint. All really random and deadly, here the list:
. Tactical Airstrike
. Heavy Airstrike
. Artillery Strike
. Mortar Strike
There's several new stuff on the new version of Frontlines, which you can have a taste right now on the server below:
Play NOW Frontlines 6 BETA | 200.162.238.228:28960
While you are tasting the new features I'm working on how to add more gametypes to the mod to finally release the Beta server to the public in few weeks. I believe it will be released until the end of march.
Enjoy! :P
Looks like just about everything is being thrown into this massive mod. Be sure to check it out and see what you think.
Source
Categories: Call of Duty News
[MW2] Possible Sneak Peak of "Stimulus Package" DLC Map Pack
According to The Tech Game, the following video is an apparent leak of the upcoming "Stimulus Package" DLC pack headed to Modern Warfare 2.
Real? Fake? What's your take on the revealed maps, are you happy that there is a possible mix of old and new maps included?
The map pack, be it this one or something else, is slated to arrive at some point this Spring.
Real? Fake? What's your take on the revealed maps, are you happy that there is a possible mix of old and new maps included?
The map pack, be it this one or something else, is slated to arrive at some point this Spring.
Categories: Call of Duty News
West and Zampella Suing Activision Over Unpaid Royalties and.....
For the rights to the Modern Warfare series.
From Kotaku:
Jason West and Vince Zampella, the men at the centre of this week's drama at Call of Duty developers Infinity Ward, have filed suit against Activision over claims they are owed "substantial royalty payments".
"Activision has refused to honor the terms of its agreements and is intentionally flouting the fundamental public policy of this State (California) that employers must pay their employees what they have rightfully earned," said the pair's attorney, Robert Schwartz, of law firm O'Melveny & Myers. "Instead of thanking, lauding, or just plain paying Jason and Vince for giving Activision the most successful entertainment product ever offered to the public, last month Activision hired lawyers to conduct a pretextual 'investigation' into unstated and unsubstantiated charges of 'insubordination' and 'breach of fiduciary duty,' which then became the grounds for their termination on Monday, March 1st."
West and Zampella are coming out swinging. "We were shocked by Activision's decision to terminate our contract," Jason West says. "We poured our heart and soul into that company, building not only a world class development studio, but assembling a team we've been proud to work with for nearly a decade. We think the work we've done speaks for itself."
"After all we have given to Activision, we shouldn't have to sue to get paid", Zampella adds.
Interestingly, in addition to seeking the unpaid royalties, the pair are also after "the contractual rights Activision granted to West and Zampella to control Modern Warfare-branded games". Whether that means they want to make "Modern Warfare" games without Activision, or would seek to have the brand buried if it's without their input, is unclear. We'll update when we hear more.
http://kotaku.com/5485295/infinity-w...paid-royalties
From Kotaku:
Jason West and Vince Zampella, the men at the centre of this week's drama at Call of Duty developers Infinity Ward, have filed suit against Activision over claims they are owed "substantial royalty payments".
"Activision has refused to honor the terms of its agreements and is intentionally flouting the fundamental public policy of this State (California) that employers must pay their employees what they have rightfully earned," said the pair's attorney, Robert Schwartz, of law firm O'Melveny & Myers. "Instead of thanking, lauding, or just plain paying Jason and Vince for giving Activision the most successful entertainment product ever offered to the public, last month Activision hired lawyers to conduct a pretextual 'investigation' into unstated and unsubstantiated charges of 'insubordination' and 'breach of fiduciary duty,' which then became the grounds for their termination on Monday, March 1st."
West and Zampella are coming out swinging. "We were shocked by Activision's decision to terminate our contract," Jason West says. "We poured our heart and soul into that company, building not only a world class development studio, but assembling a team we've been proud to work with for nearly a decade. We think the work we've done speaks for itself."
"After all we have given to Activision, we shouldn't have to sue to get paid", Zampella adds.
Interestingly, in addition to seeking the unpaid royalties, the pair are also after "the contractual rights Activision granted to West and Zampella to control Modern Warfare-branded games". Whether that means they want to make "Modern Warfare" games without Activision, or would seek to have the brand buried if it's without their input, is unclear. We'll update when we hear more.
http://kotaku.com/5485295/infinity-w...paid-royalties
Categories: Call of Duty News
[Other] Next Call of Duty in Development by Sledgehammer Games
Just a day after the "un-pleasantries" at the Infinity Ward offices, Activision has officially announced the development of a new Call of Duty title by Sledgehammer Games.
While it has been confirmed that Treyarch is developing the Call of Duty title for release in 2010, Sledgehammer is set to be hard at work on the 2011 title in the Call of Duty series. Sledgehammer is made up of former Visceral Games (Dead Space, Dante's Inferno) executives, Glen A. Schofield and Michael Condrey.
"2010 will be another important year for the Call of Duty franchise," stated Mike Griffith, President and CEO of Activision Publishing. "In addition to continued catalog sales, new downloadable content from Infinity Ward and a new Call of Duty release, we are excited about the opportunity to bring the franchise to new geographies, genres and players."
Probably the biggest change coming to the series in 2011 is the mention that Sledgehammer's title will "extend the franchise into the action-adventure genre." Make of that what you will.
While it has been confirmed that Treyarch is developing the Call of Duty title for release in 2010, Sledgehammer is set to be hard at work on the 2011 title in the Call of Duty series. Sledgehammer is made up of former Visceral Games (Dead Space, Dante's Inferno) executives, Glen A. Schofield and Michael Condrey.
"2010 will be another important year for the Call of Duty franchise," stated Mike Griffith, President and CEO of Activision Publishing. "In addition to continued catalog sales, new downloadable content from Infinity Ward and a new Call of Duty release, we are excited about the opportunity to bring the franchise to new geographies, genres and players."
Probably the biggest change coming to the series in 2011 is the mention that Sledgehammer's title will "extend the franchise into the action-adventure genre." Make of that what you will.
Categories: Call of Duty News
W@W Vietnam Mod by RGN Version 1.1 Released
Found this update from planetcallofduty.com:
Installation notes: This is a patch so it requires the 1.0 files for both client & server. Client just download and run the executable without removing 1.0 installed files. Server admins get the Zip file and overwrite any existing files (most .cfg have been updated).
You can download the sever files from FilePlanet.
You can also download the client files from FilePlanet.
Changelog from 1.0
[F] : Fixes
[A] : Additions
[F] Fix 128 Bones error (not fully tested)
[F] Fix a bug in S&D when changing Class during First Round
[F] Fix a bug in CTF where icons would follow players
[F] Fix a bug when player bled to death (no more gibbing)
[F] Fix a bug with M79 Thumper Firing mode change (goes in Slot 3 as it should now)
[F] Fix Booby Trap safe for Team mate now with set "2"
[F] Fix a display issue on Control Multiplayer Menu
[F] Fix CFG files for typo / default setup (rotation.cfg, weapon_control.cfg, ambient_control.cfg)
[F] Fix Claymore + Weapons Pool sounds (could be heard all over the map)
[F] Fix a problem with drop grenades where "throw back" was showing
[F] Fix Center Obituaries/Low Ammo/Ammo counter Dvars
[F] Fix Claymore detonating when Axis plants
[F] Increased Recoil on PPSh-41
[F] Ranks are now US Army instead of Marines (Icons + Text)
[F] Fixed non-visible Squad Invite on HUD
[F] Fix lapse in spawn protection
[A] Added 2 dvars to show/hide 2D/3D icons - also hides Flag carrier in CTF (see updated player_control.cfg)
[A] Added Dvar to switch on/off Red Crosshairs on enemies (see updated player_control.cfg)
[A] Added Dvar to Show/Hide Bomb carrier in SAB (see updated player_control.cfg)
[A] Added Weapon Damage Modifier for all weapons/items/hardpoints (see updated weapon_control.cfg)
[A] Added Dvar to show/hide Server Info screen
[A] Added Key bind for Binoculars
[A] Added Dvars for Jump height, Fall damage
[A] Added Dvar for crouch enforce (anti stand/run) (see updated player_control.cfg)
[A] Added M72 & Chicom Type-69 (Rpgs) as items (see updated weapon_control.cfg)
[A] Added Dvar to Show/Hide Talking icon on VOIP (see updated player_control.cfg)
[A] Added Dvar to show/hide compass on HC (see updated vietnam.cfg)
Installation notes
This is a patch so it requires the 1.0 files for both client & server. Client just download and run the executable without removing 1.0 installed files. Server admins get the Zip file and overwrite any existing files (most .cfg have been updated).
Credits
Zeroy (Founder/Mapper/Scripter)
Paulo88 (Level Designer)
Wakka (Level Designer)
Narcozz (Level Designer)
Carcass26 (Level Designer)
Coldair (Level Designer)
Atomicelvis (Level Designer)
|[FR]|FOX (Level Designer)
Veserius (Level Designer)
Maquina (Level Designer)
Buster (Skinner)
Oneshot & BengalSniper (Researchers)
Additional content by:
Xiao (Skinner)
Mapicted (Modelling)
Robbo (scripting help)
Lonewolf - 509th (scripting help)
Number7 (scripting help)
NovemberDobby (scripting help)
xHolyx (scripting help)
CodemanX (scripting help)
Deavius (scripting help)
Marc - AKA Wildcard (scripting help)
{PST} Joker (scripting help)
OMWG (scripting help)
OpenWarfare Team (scripting)
RGN Dev Team (Past and current members)
Bell, Ravir, Worm, Nedgerblansky (legacy scripting)
Michel S. Boonstra (Knokploeg Sound Mod)
Regolith (For his awesome Xmodel Exporter tool!)
Thanks to:
Mike_Nomad, Wizz, Mr.Ray for the support and advice
SevenSniff, Spacepig, Redskull, Busterking (support)
GamingDeluxe.co.uk (Beta testing/Server)
RGN VIP Members (testing, support)
Blackmonkeys (support, testing)
B2Z Goucho + NFO CrazyCro and their Clan members (Beta testing/Server)
509th, Metal and ={dBb}= Clan, themadcappr and his Clan for addtional testing on 1.1 patchLooks like a lot of good fixes and updates.
Source
Installation notes: This is a patch so it requires the 1.0 files for both client & server. Client just download and run the executable without removing 1.0 installed files. Server admins get the Zip file and overwrite any existing files (most .cfg have been updated).
You can download the sever files from FilePlanet.
You can also download the client files from FilePlanet.
Changelog from 1.0
[F] : Fixes
[A] : Additions
[F] Fix 128 Bones error (not fully tested)
[F] Fix a bug in S&D when changing Class during First Round
[F] Fix a bug in CTF where icons would follow players
[F] Fix a bug when player bled to death (no more gibbing)
[F] Fix a bug with M79 Thumper Firing mode change (goes in Slot 3 as it should now)
[F] Fix Booby Trap safe for Team mate now with set "2"
[F] Fix a display issue on Control Multiplayer Menu
[F] Fix CFG files for typo / default setup (rotation.cfg, weapon_control.cfg, ambient_control.cfg)
[F] Fix Claymore + Weapons Pool sounds (could be heard all over the map)
[F] Fix a problem with drop grenades where "throw back" was showing
[F] Fix Center Obituaries/Low Ammo/Ammo counter Dvars
[F] Fix Claymore detonating when Axis plants
[F] Increased Recoil on PPSh-41
[F] Ranks are now US Army instead of Marines (Icons + Text)
[F] Fixed non-visible Squad Invite on HUD
[F] Fix lapse in spawn protection
[A] Added 2 dvars to show/hide 2D/3D icons - also hides Flag carrier in CTF (see updated player_control.cfg)
[A] Added Dvar to switch on/off Red Crosshairs on enemies (see updated player_control.cfg)
[A] Added Dvar to Show/Hide Bomb carrier in SAB (see updated player_control.cfg)
[A] Added Weapon Damage Modifier for all weapons/items/hardpoints (see updated weapon_control.cfg)
[A] Added Dvar to show/hide Server Info screen
[A] Added Key bind for Binoculars
[A] Added Dvars for Jump height, Fall damage
[A] Added Dvar for crouch enforce (anti stand/run) (see updated player_control.cfg)
[A] Added M72 & Chicom Type-69 (Rpgs) as items (see updated weapon_control.cfg)
[A] Added Dvar to Show/Hide Talking icon on VOIP (see updated player_control.cfg)
[A] Added Dvar to show/hide compass on HC (see updated vietnam.cfg)
Installation notes
This is a patch so it requires the 1.0 files for both client & server. Client just download and run the executable without removing 1.0 installed files. Server admins get the Zip file and overwrite any existing files (most .cfg have been updated).
Credits
Zeroy (Founder/Mapper/Scripter)
Paulo88 (Level Designer)
Wakka (Level Designer)
Narcozz (Level Designer)
Carcass26 (Level Designer)
Coldair (Level Designer)
Atomicelvis (Level Designer)
|[FR]|FOX (Level Designer)
Veserius (Level Designer)
Maquina (Level Designer)
Buster (Skinner)
Oneshot & BengalSniper (Researchers)
Additional content by:
Xiao (Skinner)
Mapicted (Modelling)
Robbo (scripting help)
Lonewolf - 509th (scripting help)
Number7 (scripting help)
NovemberDobby (scripting help)
xHolyx (scripting help)
CodemanX (scripting help)
Deavius (scripting help)
Marc - AKA Wildcard (scripting help)
{PST} Joker (scripting help)
OMWG (scripting help)
OpenWarfare Team (scripting)
RGN Dev Team (Past and current members)
Bell, Ravir, Worm, Nedgerblansky (legacy scripting)
Michel S. Boonstra (Knokploeg Sound Mod)
Regolith (For his awesome Xmodel Exporter tool!)
Thanks to:
Mike_Nomad, Wizz, Mr.Ray for the support and advice
SevenSniff, Spacepig, Redskull, Busterking (support)
GamingDeluxe.co.uk (Beta testing/Server)
RGN VIP Members (testing, support)
Blackmonkeys (support, testing)
B2Z Goucho + NFO CrazyCro and their Clan members (Beta testing/Server)
509th, Metal and ={dBb}= Clan, themadcappr and his Clan for addtional testing on 1.1 patchLooks like a lot of good fixes and updates.
Source
Categories: Call of Duty News
[MW2] Modern Warfare 2 Patch Released for PS3 and XBox 360
Found some patch information on the Infinity Ward twitter page:
We've updated the PS3 & Xbox 360 version of Modern Warfare 2, including the following fixes:
- Care Package, Emergency Airdrop, and Sentry Gun marker grenades sprint speed normalized.
- Fix for "infinite care package" exploit.
- Sentry Guns: Improved placement detection, preventing cases of Sentry Guns inside geometry.
- Model 1887: Bling using Akimbo and FMJ combination now has same range and damage as non-Bling Model 1887s.
- Fixes to prevent various XP hacks (including the prevention of negative XP)
Note to PS3 Player: The PS3 still needs to receive one additional fix, regarding the infinite care package exploit - not included in this patch - which will come in the near future.
It seems that the consoles are just about caught up with the PC in fixes.
Source
Twitter Source
We've updated the PS3 & Xbox 360 version of Modern Warfare 2, including the following fixes:
- Care Package, Emergency Airdrop, and Sentry Gun marker grenades sprint speed normalized.
- Fix for "infinite care package" exploit.
- Sentry Guns: Improved placement detection, preventing cases of Sentry Guns inside geometry.
- Model 1887: Bling using Akimbo and FMJ combination now has same range and damage as non-Bling Model 1887s.
- Fixes to prevent various XP hacks (including the prevention of negative XP)
Note to PS3 Player: The PS3 still needs to receive one additional fix, regarding the infinite care package exploit - not included in this patch - which will come in the near future.
It seems that the consoles are just about caught up with the PC in fixes.
Source
Twitter Source
Categories: Call of Duty News
[CoD:WaW] CoD: World at War Map Pack Sale for the PS3
If you're a fan of Call of Duty: World at War and you own it on the PlayStation 3, but have not yet purchased the map packs, you are in luck. From now until February 18, you can pick up all three World at War map packs for the price of two.
Also starting today, the PlayStation 3 is having a worldwide Map Pack Bundle sale through February 18th, you can get 3 Map Packs for the price of 2 by purchasing the discounted Map Pack Bundle from the Playstation Store. Experience all 9 Multiplayer maps and 3 Nazi Zombies levels that make up the Call of Duty: World at War DLC!
Also of note is that a new map, Verruckt (Zombie Asylum), is now available for Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The DLC map can only be downloaded from within the game itself.
Also starting today, the PlayStation 3 is having a worldwide Map Pack Bundle sale through February 18th, you can get 3 Map Packs for the price of 2 by purchasing the discounted Map Pack Bundle from the Playstation Store. Experience all 9 Multiplayer maps and 3 Nazi Zombies levels that make up the Call of Duty: World at War DLC!
Also of note is that a new map, Verruckt (Zombie Asylum), is now available for Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The DLC map can only be downloaded from within the game itself.
Categories: Call of Duty News
[Other] Activision Not Confident in Call of Duty 7's Sales
While today's meeting with investors from Activision confirmed that Call of Duty 7 (working title) would arrive this year, it's sales forecast was met with some reservations. Activision themselves said that they have "not planned on the same level of success as we enjoyed in 2009" with Modern Warfare 2.
Here is what Activision Publishing CEO, Mike Griffith, had to say about the upcoming Treyarch developed Call of Duty title.
"We've consistsently grown the Call Of Duty franchise revenues year-on-year for the past seven years. We expect to continue our stategy of annualising this franchise opportuntiy. At the same time, we recognise that Modern Wardfare 2 was an unprecedented success, driven in part by the game quality, our retail and marketing execution, and by the relatively friendly competitive environment [at Christmas].
"We expect to have a more difficult competitive environment this year, and therefore we've not planned on the same level of success [with 2010's CoD title] as we enjoyed in 2009. That said, we're still bullish on this year's title, and we do see upside potential if we execute well by engaging the much larger set of consumers who were introduced to the Call Of Duty franchise in 2009."
While Activision may not have much faith in their other, non-Infinity Ward Call of Duty developer, the fans can still look for Call of Duty 7 to arrive later this year.
Here is what Activision Publishing CEO, Mike Griffith, had to say about the upcoming Treyarch developed Call of Duty title.
"We've consistsently grown the Call Of Duty franchise revenues year-on-year for the past seven years. We expect to continue our stategy of annualising this franchise opportuntiy. At the same time, we recognise that Modern Wardfare 2 was an unprecedented success, driven in part by the game quality, our retail and marketing execution, and by the relatively friendly competitive environment [at Christmas].
"We expect to have a more difficult competitive environment this year, and therefore we've not planned on the same level of success [with 2010's CoD title] as we enjoyed in 2009. That said, we're still bullish on this year's title, and we do see upside potential if we execute well by engaging the much larger set of consumers who were introduced to the Call Of Duty franchise in 2009."
While Activision may not have much faith in their other, non-Infinity Ward Call of Duty developer, the fans can still look for Call of Duty 7 to arrive later this year.
Categories: Call of Duty News
[MW2] CoD State of the Union
Jockyitch posted up a very good article about the state of CoD and Modern Warfare 2. It's a bit of a long read, but for many, I think you will enjoy it.
"Mr. Speaker, the President of the...uh, sorry he's out of town at the moment, uhhh...in his place, we have Jock Yitch:
::sporadic hand clapping and guffaws::
Madam Speaker, members of the CoD Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow gamers:
Since Rob Bowling told us that there would be no dedicated servers for MW2 I dreaded what might happen to the CoD FPS community. Would it kill it off or rejuvinate it? It was hard to say what exactly would happen.
Now, here we are in February. Most CoD clans are still around, while many server companies are not. Competitive gamers have gone the way of the dodo (or is that Dota?) and community modders are simply happy to work for food.
and a few challengers have emerged that could make MW2 a memory...BFBC2, MoH and even CoD7 (from Treyarch).
Perhaps it is time to take stock?
MW2...the most popular of all hated games?
According to Steam, at its peak, 130,000 players were logged-on playing MW2 a few weeks back. That number has dropped into the low 110K's recently, but on SuperBowl Sunday it was back to to 126,494 to be exact (Superbowl parties perhaps?).
MW2 is the number one played game on Steam, followed closely by CS Source at 102,189 (today's current peak) and another 80K playing CS.
Xfire shows CoD4 at 9M minutes played today, followed by CoD at 6M and MW2 comes in at only 5M. However, given that MW2 gamers are using Steam as their IM software, not XFire (a CoD4 and CoD2 staple), these numbers have to be weighed differently.
However you slice it, MW2 is the most popular CoD game going and arguably the most popular FPS in the PC world.
An MW2-uninstall coming soon?
Though MW2 continues to be trashed by the hardcore PC community (now a daily ritual since it fell with a sickening thud on our hard-drives last November), the numbers show that is has garnered a good sized community of its own.
This is a painful realization for us hardcore gamers. After all, there is a lot to hate in this game. For many old-school guys and gals, MW2 has been a step-backward. Much of the community work done over the years to refine the online (public, dedicated server) experience has been lost due to coming of IW.net.
Contrast that to how new players in MW2 and on IW.net have felt. Their experience is a nearly identical one to that found on consoles, so what's there not to like? Many of these new PC players have graduated from XBox and now own their own PC. Many of these new players have never ever been on dedicated servers, so they know no difference and have no complaint about the service at all.
That has been the real tragedy to IW.net: the new players are trained to like the new way of doing things.
However, by following the money...IW and Activision got this one absolutely right (for their shareholders). By losing the hardcore crowd, they have opened the door for many less intense fans to sample their game. The game may not be respected by the l337-set, but there are many out there who find the game fun to play.
On the positive side, even hardcore guys grudingly admit that:
CoD Clans
A mixed bag.
Some clans have defected away from CoD, some have stuck it out and lost some folks along the way and some have even grown a little.
Growing a clan has always been difficult. In fact, since 2006, there seems to have been a general decline in gaming clans. Even Google Trends seems to reflect this fact ( link ).
Why? Here are some guesses:
1. The latest MP fad: co-op gaming. Whereas, we once needed to band together into large online groups for protection, nowadays, gaming companies are giving us multiplayer experiences that need much fewer players. Total player size needs not be larger than you and a friend. If that's the case...you don't need to depend on the rest of your clan or team to show up to have fun.
2. MW2 has ushered in a new era of Listen-servers connections. Gamers will no longer need to form themselves into groups so as to better share the burden of leasing a dedicated server. After all, there is no server. The loss of dedicated servers unquestionably has been a setback for the CoD community. However, it has not killed interest - it has just changed it. These changes might hold the key on how to grow your clan.
In my opinion the changes can be summarized in anthropologic terms:
Civilized CoD: The Dedicated Server Era 2004 - 2009
In CoD:UO, CoD2 and CoD4, groups of gamers would cluster around their favorite flavor of CoD, dispensed by dedicated public servers and operated by owner/administrators. These administrators typically provided leadership for the group playing on the server. The leader's vision shaped the clan organization. Everyone in the clan had a role and task specializiation was key to the success of the group.
Invariably, the clan would create complex rules to govern its members conduct and behavior.
The rules kept the barbarian hackers, cheats and low-lifes outside of the play area, theoretically giving the group a great gaming experience. The server and the clan was to be respected and defended.
Hunter-Gatherer CoD: IW.net 2010 - ?
With no server ownership per se, the CoD community moved away from the warm hearth that was their server and began to adopt a "foraging" model. The clan as we knew it changed from a defensive, territorial entity into more of a marauding-band.
Rather than just hanging out at a specific server location, clan members now gather into hunting parties, selected by their chieftan through Steam. There, the group chit-chats, sharpening knives and swords and girdling their loins for battle. Then, with a click...they enter the game lobby and await their foes. Various epithets are exchanged and the two groups enter into battle.
There is no chivalry, no etiquette and very little sportsmanship. After all, it's not likely you will ever see the people you played with again. Everything is impersonal and fleeting. Get your sense of pwnage and move on. Given IW.net's relative success with this model, all Activision developers could follow suit and this model will be with us for some time.
Competitive scene
Most serious gamers have left the scene. MW2 has some ladders, but the lack of reg and a robust anti-cheat make it too dodgy to compete in.
Australia
In Oz, they have re-embraced CoD2. Cybergamer CoD2 Invite is up to the finals, with teams heading into the semi finals. In the CoD4 scene, there was a One Day Comp on January 31st that ran all day, shoutcasted by Gamestah.
The Grand Final between Frenetic Array and auRa was a bit of a white wash 13-7 on both mp_backlot and mp_citystreets to Frenetic Array.
To revive the CoD4 scene, Cybergamer has secured some sponsorship by MSI for a Summer Online Tournament (which actually runs summer-autumn). See details . Thanks to Jordan (Sensuki) for the details.
America
The lack of an MW2 scene is re-focusing energy towards CoD4. It will always be dwarfed by CS, but at least the game is playable both online and in LAN.
For example, CoD4 will be played at the NERV3 LAN in Pennsylvania in a few weeks. Who would have thought NERV3 would ever take place after the fiasco last year?
Now we just have to worry about the Punk Buster contract ending.
CoD 7
Vietnam? Korea? For most hardcore guys, we couldn't care where Treyarch takes the next CoD game in November, as long as it has the same features found in previous games. For me, the keys to a successful CoD7 are as follows:
More player control over the game
Chances: slim to none. I would think Treyarch follows IW's lead and removes the console and makes the player config impossible to edit. Yes that is a step backward. No two PC's are identical and modifying the game to suit your rig is essential. Yadayada...it all falls on deaf ears.
PC Support: Dedicated, public servers and Mod Tools
Treyarch has stated publicly they support PC gamers, but Activision may push them to adopt an IW.net style game environment. I'm pinning my hopes on the many PC guys that Trey has hired: JD_2020, Paulo88, PC-Dev, to name a few. Hopefully, these gentlemen can sway this argument in our favor. I'm not holding my breath, but if we do end up with dedicated servers I'm sure the above will have had something to do with it.
CoDTV
Going forward, I can sympathize with Treyarch if they leave out the hook for CoDTV in their new game. They did dedicate time and effort on providing support for it in CoD:WW for example, but sadly the community did not follow through.
Sound
I asked for a "switch" to turn off ambient occlusion in future Treyarch games. I was told this is possible and I expect to find this functionality in CoD7. Competitive gaming depends on sights and sounds. We need to hear the enemy near us.
Focus on gameplay (high FPS)
Treyarch wants to wow its fans and that means graphical eye-candy. They will jam as much gee-wiz stuff into their offerings as possible. CoD:WW stuttered in at 30 fps on a console...I expect their new one to be in that ballpark. All this talk is a moot point. CoD7 is nearly done.
Look at it this way, Thaine Lyman, Vice President of Production at Activision put up this chart recently during a presentation on video game licensing ( source --- thanks England4Eva).
If CoD7 is due in November, CoD's usual release date, then the game will effectively be completed in May, after which time only tweaks will be applied.
Based on the timeline above, you can see why community requests are rarely incorporated. By the time we hear about the game (usually post-Alpha), it's too late to add functionality.
CoD: An FPS Monopoly
Where's the competition?
Last weekend, there were approximately 1400 "MW2"-related tweets on Twitter - it was the fifth most tweeted gaming subject. Ranking behind the Wii, Mass Effect and the XBox360.
BFBC2 merited only 873, a distant sixth. BFBC2 Beta was out on both PC and XBox (source; Aggretweet.com).
The lower rate for BFBC2 is not a shocker, given the much smaller publicity budget it has had. Or, perhaps, as BASHandSlash.com reader Whiskey thinks, "...maybe, Battlefield gamer demographics, just don't use Twitter".
BFBC2 will pick up some of the discarded hardcore community, but more than likely, it will just share them. BFBC2 will not compete with MW2. It's a different game. Some of the social (clan-based) gamers and tactical guys will head over to BFBC2, while the lone-wolfers and andrenaline junkies will stay on MW2. The games are different.
Different enough to realize that there really is no direct competitor to CoD.
Up-market FPS's are very expensive to make and it is that very high barrier to entry that has meant that only two companies are seriously competing for marketshare: EA and Activision.
Lately, only Activision has shown the ability to make visceral, heart-pounding excitement that appeal to a vast army of gamers.
This has made Activision a defacto monopoly in "purist" shooters. EA's Battlefield franchise adds a large mechanized element that carves out its own niche, but I'm talking about foot soldier versus foot soldier combat.
In that vein, everything is now riding on EA's MoH to give CoD a run for its money.
MoH has sputtered the last few years and has lost much of its fanbase. Will a new gaming engine and two developers (EA's LA and Sweden's DICE) working together bring it back to glory? Key to whether MoH will be a good game rides on communication. This is hard to achieve within one studio, but having two, half a world apart, will make things rough indeed.
I will not be betting MoH will succeed in its new incarnation, but I will be rooting for it.
The Activision monopoly has meant that it can force changes down every gamer's throat with few consequences.
For the hardcore gamer's voice to be heard, we need more developers to take CoD head-on to return the balance towards the consumer. Unfortunately, that is unlikely to happen. The average player wants eye candy and cool effects, they are unlikely to be interested in whether there is a record feature, or whether their framerate can't be adjusted higher than 80 fps.
Not unless they are taught the benefits of doing so.
And education here is the key. Unless you want your game to continue to regress, you all need to spread the word to your fellow gamers that there are better ways of doing things out there.
Our CoD Union is...
...different.
The truth is that the CoD community had undergone much change lately and is morphing from an admin and mod-centric group to a player-centric group.
The way we play as a community has also changed drastically and some say, not for the better.
Changes may also be shaking apart the developer world. Rumors that Infinity Ward will not be doing an MW3 are rife. If so, CoD might go into the next decade under Treyarch's custodial care.
Trey have shown some interest in our PC community in the past and recent hirings indicate that this will continue. Perhaps it's time we let them know we are still here, that we support them and would like to keep the gains we have made in this community over the past six years.
There's not a lot of time to let them know before they finish up CoD7...we have only a few months left.
Let's tell them we no longer wish to go backwards.
I'll end with this quote from BASHandSlash.com reader XKaan:
"I'm just holding out hope that SOMEONE gets the FPS thing right sometime soon..." - XKaan
Well, what do you all think? Is CoD simply changing again like the other times in its lifespan? Are there competition coming up? Do you still think MW2 is going downhill? What about Treyarch and how they will make their game? How is Activision going to see the success of Modern Warfare 2 and the future of their games? Is it true that the new PC game players are used to this because they started on console? What is the future of clans, both competitive and for fun?
The biggest question.. How do YOU, honestly, see the state of CoD as of now?
Source
"Mr. Speaker, the President of the...uh, sorry he's out of town at the moment, uhhh...in his place, we have Jock Yitch:
::sporadic hand clapping and guffaws::
Madam Speaker, members of the CoD Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow gamers:
Since Rob Bowling told us that there would be no dedicated servers for MW2 I dreaded what might happen to the CoD FPS community. Would it kill it off or rejuvinate it? It was hard to say what exactly would happen.
Now, here we are in February. Most CoD clans are still around, while many server companies are not. Competitive gamers have gone the way of the dodo (or is that Dota?) and community modders are simply happy to work for food.
and a few challengers have emerged that could make MW2 a memory...BFBC2, MoH and even CoD7 (from Treyarch).
Perhaps it is time to take stock?
MW2...the most popular of all hated games?
According to Steam, at its peak, 130,000 players were logged-on playing MW2 a few weeks back. That number has dropped into the low 110K's recently, but on SuperBowl Sunday it was back to to 126,494 to be exact (Superbowl parties perhaps?).
MW2 is the number one played game on Steam, followed closely by CS Source at 102,189 (today's current peak) and another 80K playing CS.
Xfire shows CoD4 at 9M minutes played today, followed by CoD at 6M and MW2 comes in at only 5M. However, given that MW2 gamers are using Steam as their IM software, not XFire (a CoD4 and CoD2 staple), these numbers have to be weighed differently.
However you slice it, MW2 is the most popular CoD game going and arguably the most popular FPS in the PC world.
An MW2-uninstall coming soon?
Though MW2 continues to be trashed by the hardcore PC community (now a daily ritual since it fell with a sickening thud on our hard-drives last November), the numbers show that is has garnered a good sized community of its own.
This is a painful realization for us hardcore gamers. After all, there is a lot to hate in this game. For many old-school guys and gals, MW2 has been a step-backward. Much of the community work done over the years to refine the online (public, dedicated server) experience has been lost due to coming of IW.net.
- MW2's Listen Server format has created abysmal online gameplay quality, providing poor connectivity, ping and registration. Gone are the days of fat pipes and low pings.
- The adoption of Steam's anti-cheat VAC and loss of community AC services like PBBans, has meant open season for hackers on MW2. Things have gotten so bad that big community names like Matt Pruitt (ex of planetcallofduty.com and now CM at EA's MoH) have risked personal criticism by stating this publicly:
- Noob perks lessen the skill in the game. Players are rewarded for everything and anything. Even continuous failure brings about awards (see Deathstreaks).
- NPC killing machines (AC130's and Cobra gunships) remove the human element, a trend that started in CoD4.
- Douche-classes (like the Tactical Knifer) irritate and infuriate the purists who only want to be killed by gunfire alone.
- With no supervision from server admins, PC gaming has been dehumanized. What was a communal event has been brought down to the XBox-Live experience. Games are routinely punctuated by racist and sexist name-calling. Player bans are a near impossibility, so online behavior has lost all civility.
- A near complete absence of developer feedback or communication has left the PC community groping in the dark and feeling distinctly unwanted and unappreciated.
Contrast that to how new players in MW2 and on IW.net have felt. Their experience is a nearly identical one to that found on consoles, so what's there not to like? Many of these new PC players have graduated from XBox and now own their own PC. Many of these new players have never ever been on dedicated servers, so they know no difference and have no complaint about the service at all.
That has been the real tragedy to IW.net: the new players are trained to like the new way of doing things.
However, by following the money...IW and Activision got this one absolutely right (for their shareholders). By losing the hardcore crowd, they have opened the door for many less intense fans to sample their game. The game may not be respected by the l337-set, but there are many out there who find the game fun to play.
On the positive side, even hardcore guys grudingly admit that:
- IW.net has meant that dictatorial admins are a thing of the past. The game is "gamer focused" not "admin" focused.
- It's easy to find and play with friends using Steam - though the MW2 lobby is another thing (but this is a 'positives' list)
- Taken as it is, the game gets the adrenaline going.
CoD Clans
A mixed bag.
Some clans have defected away from CoD, some have stuck it out and lost some folks along the way and some have even grown a little.
Growing a clan has always been difficult. In fact, since 2006, there seems to have been a general decline in gaming clans. Even Google Trends seems to reflect this fact ( link ).
Why? Here are some guesses:
1. The latest MP fad: co-op gaming. Whereas, we once needed to band together into large online groups for protection, nowadays, gaming companies are giving us multiplayer experiences that need much fewer players. Total player size needs not be larger than you and a friend. If that's the case...you don't need to depend on the rest of your clan or team to show up to have fun.
2. MW2 has ushered in a new era of Listen-servers connections. Gamers will no longer need to form themselves into groups so as to better share the burden of leasing a dedicated server. After all, there is no server. The loss of dedicated servers unquestionably has been a setback for the CoD community. However, it has not killed interest - it has just changed it. These changes might hold the key on how to grow your clan.
In my opinion the changes can be summarized in anthropologic terms:
Civilized CoD: The Dedicated Server Era 2004 - 2009
In CoD:UO, CoD2 and CoD4, groups of gamers would cluster around their favorite flavor of CoD, dispensed by dedicated public servers and operated by owner/administrators. These administrators typically provided leadership for the group playing on the server. The leader's vision shaped the clan organization. Everyone in the clan had a role and task specializiation was key to the success of the group.
Invariably, the clan would create complex rules to govern its members conduct and behavior.
The rules kept the barbarian hackers, cheats and low-lifes outside of the play area, theoretically giving the group a great gaming experience. The server and the clan was to be respected and defended.
Hunter-Gatherer CoD: IW.net 2010 - ?
With no server ownership per se, the CoD community moved away from the warm hearth that was their server and began to adopt a "foraging" model. The clan as we knew it changed from a defensive, territorial entity into more of a marauding-band.
Rather than just hanging out at a specific server location, clan members now gather into hunting parties, selected by their chieftan through Steam. There, the group chit-chats, sharpening knives and swords and girdling their loins for battle. Then, with a click...they enter the game lobby and await their foes. Various epithets are exchanged and the two groups enter into battle.
There is no chivalry, no etiquette and very little sportsmanship. After all, it's not likely you will ever see the people you played with again. Everything is impersonal and fleeting. Get your sense of pwnage and move on. Given IW.net's relative success with this model, all Activision developers could follow suit and this model will be with us for some time.
Competitive scene
Most serious gamers have left the scene. MW2 has some ladders, but the lack of reg and a robust anti-cheat make it too dodgy to compete in.
Australia
In Oz, they have re-embraced CoD2. Cybergamer CoD2 Invite is up to the finals, with teams heading into the semi finals. In the CoD4 scene, there was a One Day Comp on January 31st that ran all day, shoutcasted by Gamestah.
The Grand Final between Frenetic Array and auRa was a bit of a white wash 13-7 on both mp_backlot and mp_citystreets to Frenetic Array.
To revive the CoD4 scene, Cybergamer has secured some sponsorship by MSI for a Summer Online Tournament (which actually runs summer-autumn). See details . Thanks to Jordan (Sensuki) for the details.
America
The lack of an MW2 scene is re-focusing energy towards CoD4. It will always be dwarfed by CS, but at least the game is playable both online and in LAN.
For example, CoD4 will be played at the NERV3 LAN in Pennsylvania in a few weeks. Who would have thought NERV3 would ever take place after the fiasco last year?
Now we just have to worry about the Punk Buster contract ending.
CoD 7
Vietnam? Korea? For most hardcore guys, we couldn't care where Treyarch takes the next CoD game in November, as long as it has the same features found in previous games. For me, the keys to a successful CoD7 are as follows:
More player control over the game
Chances: slim to none. I would think Treyarch follows IW's lead and removes the console and makes the player config impossible to edit. Yes that is a step backward. No two PC's are identical and modifying the game to suit your rig is essential. Yadayada...it all falls on deaf ears.
PC Support: Dedicated, public servers and Mod Tools
Treyarch has stated publicly they support PC gamers, but Activision may push them to adopt an IW.net style game environment. I'm pinning my hopes on the many PC guys that Trey has hired: JD_2020, Paulo88, PC-Dev, to name a few. Hopefully, these gentlemen can sway this argument in our favor. I'm not holding my breath, but if we do end up with dedicated servers I'm sure the above will have had something to do with it.
CoDTV
Going forward, I can sympathize with Treyarch if they leave out the hook for CoDTV in their new game. They did dedicate time and effort on providing support for it in CoD:WW for example, but sadly the community did not follow through.
Sound
I asked for a "switch" to turn off ambient occlusion in future Treyarch games. I was told this is possible and I expect to find this functionality in CoD7. Competitive gaming depends on sights and sounds. We need to hear the enemy near us.
Focus on gameplay (high FPS)
Treyarch wants to wow its fans and that means graphical eye-candy. They will jam as much gee-wiz stuff into their offerings as possible. CoD:WW stuttered in at 30 fps on a console...I expect their new one to be in that ballpark. All this talk is a moot point. CoD7 is nearly done.
Look at it this way, Thaine Lyman, Vice President of Production at Activision put up this chart recently during a presentation on video game licensing ( source --- thanks England4Eva).
If CoD7 is due in November, CoD's usual release date, then the game will effectively be completed in May, after which time only tweaks will be applied.
Based on the timeline above, you can see why community requests are rarely incorporated. By the time we hear about the game (usually post-Alpha), it's too late to add functionality.
CoD: An FPS Monopoly
Where's the competition?
Last weekend, there were approximately 1400 "MW2"-related tweets on Twitter - it was the fifth most tweeted gaming subject. Ranking behind the Wii, Mass Effect and the XBox360.
BFBC2 merited only 873, a distant sixth. BFBC2 Beta was out on both PC and XBox (source; Aggretweet.com).
The lower rate for BFBC2 is not a shocker, given the much smaller publicity budget it has had. Or, perhaps, as BASHandSlash.com reader Whiskey thinks, "...maybe, Battlefield gamer demographics, just don't use Twitter".
BFBC2 will pick up some of the discarded hardcore community, but more than likely, it will just share them. BFBC2 will not compete with MW2. It's a different game. Some of the social (clan-based) gamers and tactical guys will head over to BFBC2, while the lone-wolfers and andrenaline junkies will stay on MW2. The games are different.
Different enough to realize that there really is no direct competitor to CoD.
Up-market FPS's are very expensive to make and it is that very high barrier to entry that has meant that only two companies are seriously competing for marketshare: EA and Activision.
Lately, only Activision has shown the ability to make visceral, heart-pounding excitement that appeal to a vast army of gamers.
This has made Activision a defacto monopoly in "purist" shooters. EA's Battlefield franchise adds a large mechanized element that carves out its own niche, but I'm talking about foot soldier versus foot soldier combat.
In that vein, everything is now riding on EA's MoH to give CoD a run for its money.
MoH has sputtered the last few years and has lost much of its fanbase. Will a new gaming engine and two developers (EA's LA and Sweden's DICE) working together bring it back to glory? Key to whether MoH will be a good game rides on communication. This is hard to achieve within one studio, but having two, half a world apart, will make things rough indeed.
I will not be betting MoH will succeed in its new incarnation, but I will be rooting for it.
The Activision monopoly has meant that it can force changes down every gamer's throat with few consequences.
For the hardcore gamer's voice to be heard, we need more developers to take CoD head-on to return the balance towards the consumer. Unfortunately, that is unlikely to happen. The average player wants eye candy and cool effects, they are unlikely to be interested in whether there is a record feature, or whether their framerate can't be adjusted higher than 80 fps.
Not unless they are taught the benefits of doing so.
And education here is the key. Unless you want your game to continue to regress, you all need to spread the word to your fellow gamers that there are better ways of doing things out there.
Our CoD Union is...
...different.
The truth is that the CoD community had undergone much change lately and is morphing from an admin and mod-centric group to a player-centric group.
The way we play as a community has also changed drastically and some say, not for the better.
Changes may also be shaking apart the developer world. Rumors that Infinity Ward will not be doing an MW3 are rife. If so, CoD might go into the next decade under Treyarch's custodial care.
Trey have shown some interest in our PC community in the past and recent hirings indicate that this will continue. Perhaps it's time we let them know we are still here, that we support them and would like to keep the gains we have made in this community over the past six years.
There's not a lot of time to let them know before they finish up CoD7...we have only a few months left.
Let's tell them we no longer wish to go backwards.
I'll end with this quote from BASHandSlash.com reader XKaan:
"I'm just holding out hope that SOMEONE gets the FPS thing right sometime soon..." - XKaan
Well, what do you all think? Is CoD simply changing again like the other times in its lifespan? Are there competition coming up? Do you still think MW2 is going downhill? What about Treyarch and how they will make their game? How is Activision going to see the success of Modern Warfare 2 and the future of their games? Is it true that the new PC game players are used to this because they started on console? What is the future of clans, both competitive and for fun?
The biggest question.. How do YOU, honestly, see the state of CoD as of now?
Source
Categories: Call of Duty News
[MW2] Care Package Glitches Still Thorn in Side.
From Robert Bowlings' (402) twitter:
@Sym0n One instance of how to do it was fixed. Another was found. We're investigating a deeper code fix for it to eliminate it permanently. As well as
Ugh. This care package exploit is becoming the bane of my existence, but not for long. @infinityward is working on a permanent fix for it. Seems like it is not going well for stopping exploits. Have you still seen care package glitching going on?
Source
@Sym0n One instance of how to do it was fixed. Another was found. We're investigating a deeper code fix for it to eliminate it permanently. As well as
Ugh. This care package exploit is becoming the bane of my existence, but not for long. @infinityward is working on a permanent fix for it. Seems like it is not going well for stopping exploits. Have you still seen care package glitching going on?
Source
Categories: Call of Duty News
[MW2] Care Package Glitches Still Thorn in Side.
From Robert Bowlings' (402) twitter:
@Sym0n One instance of how to do it was fixed. Another was found. We're investigating a deeper code fix for it to eliminate it permanently. As well as
Ugh. This care package exploit is becoming the bane of my existence, but not for long. @infinityward is working on a permanent fix for it. Seems like it is not going well for stopping exploits. Have you still seen care package glitching going on?
Source
@Sym0n One instance of how to do it was fixed. Another was found. We're investigating a deeper code fix for it to eliminate it permanently. As well as
Ugh. This care package exploit is becoming the bane of my existence, but not for long. @infinityward is working on a permanent fix for it. Seems like it is not going well for stopping exploits. Have you still seen care package glitching going on?
Source
Categories: Call of Duty News
[Other] Lite Version of WaW:Zombies Released
For those that do not know this, you can play some of the Zombie modes on your Apple mobile device. Treyarch has recently released a lite version of it. Joystiq.com tells more:
Are you on the fence about whether or not you should pick up the cumbersomely titled Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies for your Apple-branded mobile device? First of all, fence straddling is dangerous. Get down from there! Also, there's no reason to be all wishy-washy anymore, as a free "Lite" version of the game has recently become available on the App Store.
Zombies Lite allows players to mow down three rounds of oncoming Nazombies in a single-player match, or two waves of the undead in a multiplayer match before coming to an abrupt end. That may come off as a little unsatisfying, but hey -- 'tis better to have murdered zombies and lost than to have never murdered zombies at all.
For those of you that may like to try this out, let us know how it is!
Source
Are you on the fence about whether or not you should pick up the cumbersomely titled Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies for your Apple-branded mobile device? First of all, fence straddling is dangerous. Get down from there! Also, there's no reason to be all wishy-washy anymore, as a free "Lite" version of the game has recently become available on the App Store.
Zombies Lite allows players to mow down three rounds of oncoming Nazombies in a single-player match, or two waves of the undead in a multiplayer match before coming to an abrupt end. That may come off as a little unsatisfying, but hey -- 'tis better to have murdered zombies and lost than to have never murdered zombies at all.
For those of you that may like to try this out, let us know how it is!
Source
Categories: Call of Duty News
[MW2] Lag and Disconnect Issues in MW2 Caused by Steam Update
[Expletive Deleted] posted this in the support area:
Hey Everyone -
We are aware of several users reporting crashing when attempting to connect to certain hosts in multiplayer after the latest update to Modern Warfare 2 on PC.
It appears this was an issue with the latest Steam Client and not the PC patch we just released. Steam has identified the issue and updated it. We attempted to repro the problem since their update and it appears to be addressed. However that change is only available in the Beta version of their Steam client (which is available to all users if they choose in their Steam settings). We have no ETA on when they'll be rolling it out to their standard Steam client but will keep you posted if I hear anything further.
Any user currently on the beta version of the Steam Client should have the problem resolved -- likewise, when it's pushed to the standard client -- it will be resolved for all users.
We appreciate all the feedback on the issue. Thanks![Expletive Deleted] also confirmed that the beta client does correct the lag and disconnect issues. No ETA on this fix being done on the live client.
For those really suffering from this, you may try the beta client of Steam.
UPDATE
Steam just released an update with the fix for the non-beta client:
[-]January 22, 2010 - Steam client update released
A Steam client update is now available. To apply the update, click the File menu inside of Steam and then select "Check for Steam Client Updates...". The specific changes include:
Steam Client
Fixed a case that could cause stats and achievements to be reset
Show timestamps in both group and individual chats based on global setting
Fixed a Steamworks api crash that was affecting Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Tweaked the connection fallback logic to be more robust
Hey Everyone -
We are aware of several users reporting crashing when attempting to connect to certain hosts in multiplayer after the latest update to Modern Warfare 2 on PC.
It appears this was an issue with the latest Steam Client and not the PC patch we just released. Steam has identified the issue and updated it. We attempted to repro the problem since their update and it appears to be addressed. However that change is only available in the Beta version of their Steam client (which is available to all users if they choose in their Steam settings). We have no ETA on when they'll be rolling it out to their standard Steam client but will keep you posted if I hear anything further.
Any user currently on the beta version of the Steam Client should have the problem resolved -- likewise, when it's pushed to the standard client -- it will be resolved for all users.
We appreciate all the feedback on the issue. Thanks![Expletive Deleted] also confirmed that the beta client does correct the lag and disconnect issues. No ETA on this fix being done on the live client.
For those really suffering from this, you may try the beta client of Steam.
UPDATE
Steam just released an update with the fix for the non-beta client:
[-]January 22, 2010 - Steam client update released
A Steam client update is now available. To apply the update, click the File menu inside of Steam and then select "Check for Steam Client Updates...". The specific changes include:
Steam Client
Fixed a case that could cause stats and achievements to be reset
Show timestamps in both group and individual chats based on global setting
Fixed a Steamworks api crash that was affecting Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Tweaked the connection fallback logic to be more robust
Categories: Call of Duty News
[MW2] Lag and Disconnect Issues in MW2 Caused by Steam Update
[Expletive Deleted] posted this in the support area:
Hey Everyone -
We are aware of several users reporting crashing when attempting to connect to certain hosts in multiplayer after the latest update to Modern Warfare 2 on PC.
It appears this was an issue with the latest Steam Client and not the PC patch we just released. Steam has identified the issue and updated it. We attempted to repro the problem since their update and it appears to be addressed. However that change is only available in the Beta version of their Steam client (which is available to all users if they choose in their Steam settings). We have no ETA on when they'll be rolling it out to their standard Steam client but will keep you posted if I hear anything further.
Any user currently on the beta version of the Steam Client should have the problem resolved -- likewise, when it's pushed to the standard client -- it will be resolved for all users.
We appreciate all the feedback on the issue. Thanks![Expletive Deleted] also confirmed that the beta client does correct the lag and disconnect issues. No ETA on this fix being done on the live client.
For those really suffering from this, you may try the beta client of Steam.
UPDATE
Steam just released an update with the fix for the non-beta client:
[-]January 22, 2010 - Steam client update released
A Steam client update is now available. To apply the update, click the File menu inside of Steam and then select "Check for Steam Client Updates...". The specific changes include:
Steam Client
Fixed a case that could cause stats and achievements to be reset
Show timestamps in both group and individual chats based on global setting
Fixed a Steamworks api crash that was affecting Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Tweaked the connection fallback logic to be more robust
Hey Everyone -
We are aware of several users reporting crashing when attempting to connect to certain hosts in multiplayer after the latest update to Modern Warfare 2 on PC.
It appears this was an issue with the latest Steam Client and not the PC patch we just released. Steam has identified the issue and updated it. We attempted to repro the problem since their update and it appears to be addressed. However that change is only available in the Beta version of their Steam client (which is available to all users if they choose in their Steam settings). We have no ETA on when they'll be rolling it out to their standard Steam client but will keep you posted if I hear anything further.
Any user currently on the beta version of the Steam Client should have the problem resolved -- likewise, when it's pushed to the standard client -- it will be resolved for all users.
We appreciate all the feedback on the issue. Thanks![Expletive Deleted] also confirmed that the beta client does correct the lag and disconnect issues. No ETA on this fix being done on the live client.
For those really suffering from this, you may try the beta client of Steam.
UPDATE
Steam just released an update with the fix for the non-beta client:
[-]January 22, 2010 - Steam client update released
A Steam client update is now available. To apply the update, click the File menu inside of Steam and then select "Check for Steam Client Updates...". The specific changes include:
Steam Client
Fixed a case that could cause stats and achievements to be reset
Show timestamps in both group and individual chats based on global setting
Fixed a Steamworks api crash that was affecting Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Tweaked the connection fallback logic to be more robust
Categories: Call of Duty News
[MW2] Care Package Exploit Fixed in New Modern Warfare 2 Patch
A new patch was released tonight for Modern Warfare 2 that fixes the speed running glitch while holding a care package drop. The patch also addresses a few other issues including a vague fix for "XP hacks."
As with most patches through Steam, the update will be automatically applied the next time you start up Steam or Modern Warfare 2.
- Care Package, Emergency Airdrop, and Sentry Gun marker grenades sprint speed normalized
- Sentry Guns: Improved placement detection, preventing cases of Sentry Guns inside geometry
- Model 1887: Bling using Akimbo and FMJ combination now has same range and damage as non-Bling Model 1887s
- Improved player collision removing cases of getting into geometry and 'elevators'
- Mouse latency tweaks for more mouse movement consistency
- Fixes to prevent various texture and XP hacks
As with most patches through Steam, the update will be automatically applied the next time you start up Steam or Modern Warfare 2.
Categories: Call of Duty News
[MW2] Care Package Exploit Fixed in New Modern Warfare 2 Patch
A new patch was released tonight for Modern Warfare 2 that fixes the speed running glitch while holding a care package drop. The patch also addresses a few other issues including a vague fix for "XP hacks."
As with most patches through Steam, the update will be automatically applied the next time you start up Steam or Modern Warfare 2.
- Care Package, Emergency Airdrop, and Sentry Gun marker grenades sprint speed normalized
- Sentry Guns: Improved placement detection, preventing cases of Sentry Guns inside geometry
- Model 1887: Bling using Akimbo and FMJ combination now has same range and damage as non-Bling Model 1887s
- Improved player collision removing cases of getting into geometry and 'elevators'
- Mouse latency tweaks for more mouse movement consistency
- Fixes to prevent various texture and XP hacks
As with most patches through Steam, the update will be automatically applied the next time you start up Steam or Modern Warfare 2.
Categories: Call of Duty News
[MW2] "Level Down" Servers Plague Modern Warfare 2
UPDATE: This also seems to be affecting users on the PC version as well.
Original:In what seems to be the ongoing saga that is Modern Warfare 2, a new issue has popped up amongst the community. Recently a number of players have reported coming across hacked "level down" servers during their gaming. These servers give extreme amounts of negative experience per kill or round that will generally reset players to single digit rankings. This issue first popped up on the IW forums the other day with video evidence (Video 1, Video 2) to support the claim.
This comes from someone who claims they started out a round as a second prestige rank 50 and ended as a rank 1.
ME and my clan (SC) went into a game of HxC SnD, we found a group of tenth prestiges, we thought they were merely boosters, we were very wrong.
We knew something was wrong when they just waltzed out of their spawn in Highrise and let us kill them.
After we won that round, they said "AWW look at the level 1's" and we noticed...
Killing them made us LOSE xp.... we won the match cause they ended it.
Match Results: -899999453xp....As of right now, it seems to only affect Xbox 360 gamers but that is not to say the same issue won't pop up on the PC or PlayStation 3 versions of the game.
Original:In what seems to be the ongoing saga that is Modern Warfare 2, a new issue has popped up amongst the community. Recently a number of players have reported coming across hacked "level down" servers during their gaming. These servers give extreme amounts of negative experience per kill or round that will generally reset players to single digit rankings. This issue first popped up on the IW forums the other day with video evidence (Video 1, Video 2) to support the claim.
This comes from someone who claims they started out a round as a second prestige rank 50 and ended as a rank 1.
ME and my clan (SC) went into a game of HxC SnD, we found a group of tenth prestiges, we thought they were merely boosters, we were very wrong.
We knew something was wrong when they just waltzed out of their spawn in Highrise and let us kill them.
After we won that round, they said "AWW look at the level 1's" and we noticed...
Killing them made us LOSE xp.... we won the match cause they ended it.
Match Results: -899999453xp....As of right now, it seems to only affect Xbox 360 gamers but that is not to say the same issue won't pop up on the PC or PlayStation 3 versions of the game.
Categories: Call of Duty News
