dedicated-servers
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Titanfall will have dedicated servers
Following a demonstration of Titanfall at E3, EA's Craig Owens confirmed that the game will have dedicated servers on all platforms – PC, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. "We're using Microsoft's cloud compute initiative to run all our servers for it, so it's all running on dedicated servers," Owens said. "We'll spin up and spin down servers as necessary, and it'll do all the AI hosting and physics calculations and all matchmaking and all of that good stuff. It's all dedicated servers, all the time." Owens also confirmed the PC version would feature dedicated servers.
Modern Warfare 3's dedicated PC servers are unranked, unlocks controlled by admin
Modern Warfare 3's dedicated PC servers will be unranked and admins will have complete control over what's unlocked, Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling said in a PC FAQ. Public PC servers will be ranked and feature a standard unlock system, while consoles will strictly use P2P, with no option for dedicated servers, ranked, unranked or with randomly assigned unicorn mounts. That's right -- no unicorns. Bowling defended the decision on his Twitter, saying the admin control of dedicated PC servers will be "Nothing like COD4. That's why we built in all the new backend control / security, so we don't have that problem again." Bowling also said that no one on PC is forced to play P2P servers; it all depends on what you want to get out of the game: "Public is about progression, private is about control."
Modern Warfare 3 to have dedicated servers on PC
We've got some horrible news for a select few of our more easily-incensed readers: Those "Boycott Modern Warfare 3" shirts you've been printing up all month might not be necessary. According to IGN, Activision confirmed at Gamescom today that the PC version of the soon-to-be-hugely-successful shooter will support dedicated servers -- a reversal of a highly protested decision for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Of course, the privatization of servers could (see: will) lead to rampant cheating and modding, which in turn could throw off the contests which Activision's planning on hosting as part of the Call of Duty Elite social tools. Activision said it won't launch the game until it comes up with a solid anti-cheating solution for the platform. We suggest some variation on the honor system, but that's just because our hearts are virtuous and pure. Update: A representative from Activision asked us to clarify that the PC game is on schedule and will launch with the other versions.
Bethesda details how Brink's dedicated servers will work on PC
The official Bethesda blog has posted an in-depth FAQ detailing exactly how the PC version of the upcoming Brink will make use of dedicated servers. Interested players will be able to download the free standalone server on Steam prior to the game's release (the game itself will also pre-load on Steam, according to Bethesda), then configure and run it right through the Steam client. The setup will come with a few standard settings, but players will be able to customize their games as much as they'd like, setting up certain game modes, and customizing things like time limits, team sizes, passwords, and even the availability of certain buffs and friendly fire. In short, Splash Damage is going old-school, and allowing players (as well as third-party server providers) to run whatever games they'd like on their own. That's much more generous than the less open options some high-profile multiplayer games have offered recently, so PC gamers should appreciate it.
Dedicated server support added to Section 8: Prejudice on XBLA
Well, this is certainly unexpected. No Xbox Live Arcade game to date has been afforded a dedicated server option. That is, until now. TimeGate Studios has announced that its recently released, multiplayer-centric title, Section 8: Prejudice, now allows Xbox Live players to access and play on PC-hosted servers through GameServers ... for a small fee. Dedicated servers can host ranked or unranked matches with support for up to 32 players. The monthly charges will run you $1.29 a player, plus a little extra something something if you want to purchase support for a standalone voice chat program. You can place your order for a dedicated server for the XBLA version now -- PC and PS3 players should look sharp, though, as the same support is on its way to their respective versions of the shooter.
Hackers apparently create dedicated MW2 servers, gain super powers
Whoa! We've put quite a bit of time into Modern Warfare 2's online multiplayer offerings, but we've yet to unlock a perk that lets you rapid fire grenades, or jump 80 feet into the air without succumbing to death upon landing. However, the soldiers seen in the video after the jump seem to be doing just that. Is it, like, a prestige perk, or something? Well, it couldn't possibly be because they're playing on a dedicated server, where such suspensions of the laws of nature are allowed. See, those don't exist. Sure, the video's description says that hackers have enabled these superhuman abilities on "a whole new wave of servers," but we all know that most of those people are total liars anyways.
Infinity Ward responds to Modern Warfare 2 dedicated server petition
We're going on three days now since the event that some computer gaming enthusiasts are referring to as "Black Saturday," in which it was revealed that the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 wouldn't allow online multiplayer on dedicated servers. These same enthusiasts penned an online petition that has since garnered over 100,000 signatures -- but unfortunately for this rapidly expanding group, comments recently made by Infinity Ward's Jason West and Vince Zampella in a Game Informer interview make it sound like the developer's position won't be reversing any time soon. "We're just prioritizing the player experience above the modders and the tuners," West explained. The duo had received countless complaints from PC Modern Warfare players who were unable to find a match online that wasn't riddled with cheaters, "insular" clans and enormous skill disparities -- problems they hope IWNet will eliminate. When asked why both matchmaking and dedicated servers couldn't both exist, West explained that this practice would "bifurcate the community." The implementation of IWNet will likely make the game more accessible to casual PC gamers -- however, we worry that Infinity Ward might be ignoring the timeless adage of "make new friends, keep the old, one is silver and the other gold." What do you think, dear readers? Is this a smart move or a brilliant mistake on Infinity Ward's part?
Petition for dedicated servers in Modern Warfare 2 growing rapidly
Normally, we try to avoid writing about petitions from incensed gamers who're miffed at some corporate slight recently made against them. However, the petition which was drawn in response to Infinity Ward's somewhat unpopular decision not to allow dedicated servers in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is different -- not only for its reasonable request that the developer "review their decision" regarding the game's server hosting capabilities, but also because it's garnered around 75,000 signatures since the announcement was made just two days ago. As is often the case with instances of internet democracy, it's impossible to know whether or not the petition will influence Infinity Ward to reverse its dedicated server policy. We've contacted IW's Robery Bowling to see if the petition has at least made a blip on the developer's sizable radar screen. %Gallery-50567%
Modern Warfare 2 PC won't support dedicated servers
Whatever goodwill may have been garnered by Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling's announcement that the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 wasn't delayed has been stripped away by an interview which surfaced later in the day. On the latest podcast (around the 1:41 mark) of Call of Duty fansite Bash and Slash, Bowling revealed that matchmaking within Modern Warfare 2 would be reliant on proprietary server technology (called IWNet), and wouldn't allow users to host their own dedicated servers. Even without a doctorate in PC gaming affairs, it's easy to see how this fact would upset someone (or some community) who drops a wad of cash every month on renting a private server. Also preturbed by this news are fans of modded game modes and custom maps -- both of which would be unlikely under the IWNet framework. While Bowling maintained that the new server tech would be a boon for the PC gaming community, most hardcore PC gamers aren't particularly thrilled about MW2's server hosting capabilities being brought into parity with those of the console versions of the game. (That is to say, completely eliminated.)
