The Games Radar "Anti-Awards"

The gaming industry's 2009 roster sported more than enough finger-in-the-butt moments to fill a six page article.  Games Radar was up to the task of writing that article, and it's a pretty entertaining read.  The categories and the respective "winners" follow. (Be careful to note how many time Activision is mentioned.)

Worst game with the best story

• Winner - Eat Lead
• Runner Up - Darkest of Days

Stupidest plot twist, possibly ever

• Winner - Bionic Commando ("the Wife Arm")
• Runner Up - Modern Warfare 2

Fanboys totally losing it

• Winner - Killzone 2 shi*tstorm
• Runner Up - Flaccid L4D2 boycott

Coolest trailer that LIED

• Winner - Halo 3: ODST
• Runner Up - Star Wars: the Old Republic

"There's a patch for that" award

• Winner - Modern Warfare 2
• Runner Up - Ghostbusters: the Video Game

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That didn't take long

A group called the TeknoGods has released version 1.0 of a "multiplayer loader" for MW2, which is essentially a server emulator that bypasses IWnet and allows players to connect directly to a listen server. The loader still requires Steam for network initialization, but the two-player co-op mode is no longer dependent on IWnet's matchmaking facility.

The plan for version 1.1 is to enable dedicated servers, without the need to connect to either IWnet or Steam. (MW2 already has dedicated server code - it's just disabled.) The beauty of the loader is that it's not a hacked executable. It's a straight code injection, which means that it operates in much the same way as a mod. That, in turn, means that it's going to be extremely difficult for IW to patch the loader to death.

Hacking dedicated servers into existence is not without its pitfalls. Without Steam, there will be no anti-cheat. Although the loader is designed to work only with original (i.e. not cracked) executables, it's entirely possible that a new crack will be developed that the loader can't detect. And, most importantly, there's the risk that your Steam account will be banned if the IWnet bypass is detected.

None of this changes the fact that MW2 for the PC is $60-worth of gaming f*ckery. But, it is nice to see that there are still a few guys out there that aren't content to get bent over by Infinity Ward, even as the reek of a failed boycott still permeates the air.

Why I'm not buying Modern Warfare 2

I've been on the fence about Call of Duty "version 6" for a long time. As I said in greater detail here, for all the bells and whistles that have have been tacked-on over the years, the multiplayer hasn't really evolved. Most of what Infinity Ward calls innovation seems to me to be a series of "expansion pack" offerings that have amounted to little more than bits of new flesh affixed to the same decaying bones. The one thing that has forced me to revisit the buying decision from time to time is the fact that some members of my online gaming crew are (or were) pumped to play MW2. When you have a group of people that you enjoy gaming with night after night, you should never take them for granted.

Once the dedicated server bomb dropped, I started thinking beyond the immediate and obvious consequences of MW2's various amputations. There's a good deal of subtext to the introduction of IWNET, and I think we have enough information at this point to draw a few conclusions about Activision's and Infinity Ward's vision for the future of PC gaming. The reasons I'm giving MW2 a pass are listed below, and that list will be the foundation of my broader argument.

1. The console tax - Considering the absence of (A) a proper server browser, (B) a dedicated server app, and (C) modding/mapping tools, MW2 offers much less for $60 than CoD4 offered for $50. Instead of adding functionality to the console SKU's, Infinity Ward expects PC players to pay for a net decrease in functionality, all in the name of making the various platforms "more equal."

2. Multiplayer stagnation - CoD5's multiplayer looked a lot like CoD4's. MW2's multiplayer will follow suit. Where any of those games looked different from 2004's United Offensive, the new additions were largely derived from things modders did with previous releases. Infinity Ward isn't just offering yet another retread with MW2; they're also shitting on their best creative resource. The next game in the series will suffer for it.

3. Multiplayer longevity - It's hard enough to build a community around a game when the next game is only a year away. When you're forced to run a listen server to make use of any of the (meager) match-customization options - which in turn severely limits the number of players that can join a game - community building becomes impossible. IWNET's consolized matchmaking system not only deprives clans of the opportunity to have "home" servers; it also fundamentally eliminates the potential for larger-scale organization between players within the game. That kind of system is fine for a co-op game like Left 4 Dead, where the games are all 4v4. For a game that can theoretically accommodate a much larger number of players, forcing everyone to join stock pubs via a "friends" list is a kick in the balls that few PC guys will tolerate for very long.

4. Contempt for the gamer - Infinity Ward's PR offensive has been nothing short of inept. They've touted IWNET over the traditional server browser - for the supposed benefit of the apocryphal "casual player" - hoping that no one will notice that CoD4 still has over 200,000 players that make effective use of the latter. They've marginalized all the modders, mappers and "tuners" that have invested hundreds of hours in producing original content for the (real) benefit of other players. And they've intimated that the people upset about the lack of a dedicated server are mostly cheaters, or "insular" elitists, or shills for game server providers. I don't want to hand money to an organization that seems so fit to insult my intelligence, and then openly insults the community that supported the franchise all these years.

Over the course of two or three releases (including MW2), Infinity Ward has made it abundantly clear that the consoles are its priority, and that PC development has become an afterthought (at best, and most likely an annoyance). Between piracy, hardware costs, a lower price point, and free DLC, they're just not making enough money on us. It seems to me that the IWNET strategy is part of a longer-term effort to push PC players to migrate to one console or the other, and it's not enough to simply discontinue the PC SKU. Instead, Infinity Ward is apparently trying to leverage the loyalty of the PC fanbase overall against the people that want to hold PC gaming to the higher standard that it has always enjoyed vis-a-vis the consoles. If they can convince enough players to lower their expectations of what a PC game should be, it might reduce the incentive to build a gaming rig in the first place.

It's not just about Call of Duty. The real danger is that other PC developers will follow Infinity Ward's lead, raising prices while diminishing the quality of the online multiplayer experience. I don't begrudge any game developer's desire to make money, but I do oppose this anti-PC gaming movement Infinity Ward has started. So, I'm voting with my wallet. Buying Modern Warfare 2 would be a tacit endorsement of creeping-consolization, and the ultimate cost would a hell of a lot more than $60. If I don't join the boycott, I'm helping to screw the very people that made gaming enjoyable for me, night after night, for the last five years.

And besides, spending $60 for six to eight hours of singleplayer would just be stupid.

The boycott goes bizzaro

Picked up this story on Rock, Paper, Shotgun.

So you've read about Valve's crafty counter-punch to the boycott. Well, the story (or a tangent thereof) just got better. An intrepid Australian named Joe has a L4D campaign in the works. Peeved that the two boycotters were rewarded for their efforts, he sent the following email to Valve's head-honcho, Gabe Newell:

Why the hell haven't I been flown to Valve?

I mean, you guys need to preview my campaign.

Mr. Newell responded:

We are boycotting your campaign.

Joe replied:

Does...does that mean I have to fly you here?

And Gabe's response:

Me and Erik.

Joe's rejoinder is just brilliant. He created a blog entitled "FLY GABE NEWELL" which is set up to accept donations for Gabe's and Erik Johnson's travel expenses to Brisbane, Australia. The site has already collected $947.59 (in American currency). Joe has promised to refund everyone's money, or to make a donation to the Child's Play charity, if the deal comes to naught.

On behalf of IUN, I sent the man $25.

UPDATE: The till has $1,757.21; enough for one plane ticket and one hotel room. IUN got its props.

Bitch, and you shall receive

You'll remember the L4D2 boycott, if only from IUN's thrashing of it. It seems that Valve is more diplomatic.

From 1UP.com:

The announcement of Left 4 Dead 2 has been somewhat overshadowed by the L4D2 Boycott. Despite previews claiming that the new game is a significant departure from the old one, boycotters have remained unconvinced. So what can Valve do, except invite a few of them to let them try the game for themselves? That's exactly what happened recently according to a Steam Community post. Users Walking_target and Agent of Chaos had a day to try out the game, and reported their findings back to the community. "If the frantic pace which we had seen people working at is any indication, we're not going to be left in the dust [in regards to Left 4 Dead]," the post read. "As for L4D2, things seem balanced and 'tight' and did not feel like a rushed job. What we can say with confidence is that the quality of gameplay in Left 4 Dead 2 is not in question; and it will only get better."

The post ends with a promise to stick with the boycott community as they see if Valve addresses their other concerns. Predictably, the community wasn't too kind in its response. It's already filled with accusation of hypocrisy, selling out, gay slurs and racial epithets. And on the internet, no less! Who would have guessed?

UPDATE: the boys of cott have dished on Valve's plans for additional L4D1 DLC (after the release of Crash Course), which may include a new special infected. So speaketh Shack News.

MW2 will be USD 60 on all platforms

That's the standard edition, and yes, it includes the PC version (which will not get the "hardened" or "prestige" editions). Destructoid says people are pissed:

Hot off the heels of Left 4 Dead 2, it seems as if another boycott is looming on the horizon, and unlike the last one, this is a bit more justified. Following evil Activision's decision to raise the price of Modern Warfare 2 to £54.99 in the UK, angered British gamers are venting spleen and sharing one common sentiment -- that they will not bend over and let Bobby Kotick's gold-plated cock shaft them with the fury of a thousand Suns.

It won't make a bit of difference. What concerns me more than extra ten bucks: the utter dominance of the Xbox 360 in all "official" communications between IW and the media.

The number (and letters) of the beast: MW2

At least three games - Singularity, Heavy Rain, and Bioshock 2 - have had their original holiday season release dates pushed into 2010, and there's a good chance the same fate may befall Starcraft 2. That, dear friends, is what we call a trend, and it's interesting because the apparent common thread between the delays has little or nothing to do with whether the games will be ready on-time. Rather, the various publishers are holding back because they don't want to compete with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Singularity and Starcraft are also Activision/Blizzard titles, so the delays there are nothing more than the publisher getting out of its own way. It seems, however, that Sony (Heavy Rain) and 2K (BioShock2) are buying into the hype over MW2, and they've opted for a tactical retreat. None of the five properties should be direct competitors to one another in terms of player preferences, but gaming dollars are finite nonetheless.

So, we're looking at a more limited stable of titles this Christmas, compared to last year's massive roll-out of high-profile properties (check out these October and November 2008 game release lists if you've forgotten). The irony of the whole thing is that the absence of so many strong competitors - two of which are highly anticipated sequels with established fan-bases - makes it more likely that the sales projections for MW2 will be met or exceeded.

For the other games due to be released in October and November this year, a less diluted market might give them a boost. I'm wondering, though, whether this feedback loop MW2 is generating is just going to blow everyone's face off, particularly in the case of Left 4 Dead 2. That game has already suffered the slings and arrows of disgruntled fans, and if the boycott holds, L4D2 could be something of a disaster for Valve.

Other people will undoubtedly notice all this. Some of those people will write about it, on blogs with more credibility and mainstream gaming sites, and every gamer on Earth will read what gets written. That could, in turn, create a self-fulfilling prophesy - about how MW2 is going to dominate holiday sales - where "everybody" is going to want the game because they expect that "everybody else" is going to get it.

If that happens, and if you'd prefer your new game to be something other than Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the first quarter of 2010 may very well suck some serious ass.

It's time we talked about this

As reported here and just about everywhere else, several thousands of people have pledged to boycott Valve's Left 4 Dead 2, which is due for release in November. The boycotter's manifesto is available here, but distilled to its essence, it consists of a demand that they get all the new content for free. Failing that, of course, they want it at a reduced price. Under no circumstances – so the story goes – will they pay full price for the sequel to a game they've deemed unfinished.

To be fair, there is an argument to be made that releasing a sequel only a year after the first game is very un-Valve-like. TF2 has seen several content updates since the game's release in 2007 (with more on the way), and L4D(1) players got a large upgrade in the form of the "Survival Pack" a few months back (again, with more on the way). And that's to say nothing of the continuous and frequent patching of every major title in Valve's stable. All of that has traditionally come gratis to those who bought the original games.

And that has left some with a sense of entitlement.

Although it contains the caveat that "[j]udgment cannot be passed on the quality of Left 4 Dead 2 until its release," the manifesto goes on to assert that the "announced content of Left 4 Dead 2 does not warrant a stand-alone, full-priced sequel[.]" Restated, the argument is that four new characters, 20 new weapons, new zombies (with revamped kill mechanics for the old ones), a new Director, and five new campaigns (that's 25 maps, BTW) – among other things – does not a sequel make.

Taken in isolation, that argument is pretty stupid. In an industry where the prevalent formula is core gameplay + facelift = sequel, L4D2 is entirely unremarkable. For those who've claimed that all the additional stuff was easy for Valve to create (thus devaluing the effort), I invite them to make one map in Hammer that's not only functional – in campaign, versus, and survival modes – but also has the quality and balance of any one of the stock L4D maps. Make sure you keep track of your time, so you can multiply the final tally by a factor of 25. If you prefer, you can pay someone else to do it … at an hourly rate typical for the industry. Times 25.

The aforementioned absurdity is, however, layered beneath what I take to be the main, mostly unspoken argument: that L4D(1) doesn't have enough to it to be considered a "full" game. In other words, a series of free content updates – ala TF2 – is necessary to justify the initial $50 outlay. My response to that is this: I've logged over 92 hours in the game since I bought it, which works out to about 54 cents per hour for my investment. I only play the game occasionally, and only with a handful of friends, and I am quite certain that many of the boycotters have played L4D far more than I have. If you still feel you're not getting enough bang for your buck, try going to 92 hours worth of movies, and check your wallet when you're done.

It would be entirely reasonable to argue that the rabid loyalty of Valve's fan base is an indispensible component of Valve's success, so their gripes should be taken seriously. The inverse, however, is also true: the fan base has been that loyal because Valve has been that good through the years. On balance, Valve is entitled to the benefit of the doubt.

Being spoiled does not entitle us to behave that way.

ADDENDUM: I forgot to mention that none of the boycotters responsible for (or supportive of) the video up top seem to realize that they've cast themselves as the nazis. Apparently, a sense of irony is not a prerequisite to joining that Steam Group.