FourZeroTwo Blog Update

[Spawndemon]

Infinity Ward's FourZeroTwo has recently posted up a new blog update which covers a variety of topics. Take a look:

On the PC Side, MOD TOOLS!
While the console side has been keeping me busy the most recently the PC side of things has a lot of cools stuff happening as well. The biggest is probably the fact that we're closing in on the final version of the Mod Tools which means we'll soon be releasing them to the community as a whole.

We've been having a Mod Tools beta over the last month (delayed by Holidays) with a few members of the PC community which were helping us test and optimize the tools based on their feedback. This past week we sent out the first release candidate to the small group of community testers which we hope will be the final version. If it is then we can expect to release the tools to the Modding / Mapping community as a whole very soon and start seeing some really cool Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare PC Mods being released.

They Wonder Why People Don't Make PC Games Any More
On another PC related note, we pulled some disturbing numbers this past week about the amount of PC players currently playing Multiplayer (which was fantastic). What wasn't fantastic was the percentage of those numbers who were playing on stolen copies of the game on stolen / cracked CD keys of pirated copies (and that was only people playing online).

Not sure if I can share the exact numbers or percentage of PC players with you, but I'll check and see; if I can I'll update with them. As the amount of people who pirate PC games is astounding. It blows me away at the amount of people willing to steal games (or anything) simply because it's not physical or it's on the safety of the internet to do.

To check out the rest of this blog update, click here.

[Sike]

They Wonder Why People Don't Make PC Games Any More[/U][/B]
On another PC related note, we pulled some disturbing numbers this past week about the amount of PC players currently playing Multiplayer (which was fantastic). What wasn't fantastic was the percentage of those numbers who were playing on stolen copies of the game on stolen / cracked CD keys of pirated copies (and that was only people playing online).

Not sure if I can share the exact numbers or percentage of PC players with you, but I'll check and see; if I can I'll update with them. As the amount of people who pirate PC games is astounding. It blows me away at the amount of people willing to steal games (or anything) simply because it's not physical or it's on the safety of the internet to do.[/INDENT][URL].

i hate people that ruin online games like that, most of them are the people that ask there mum to get it, she says no, they start crying and pirate it. they are too lazy to go get a job an earn some money

[GrossKopf]

What gets me is the number of idiots that openly advertise cracked servers, either in the COD 4 forums on on their websites. I've already reported a few of these cracked servers to the server hosts. I just hope they do the right thing and shut them down. Perhaps in the future, I should also notify IW and they can put pressure on the game server hosts.

[StoneCold313]

I can understand if someone dl's game, tests it and then if he likes it, goes out and buys the game...

But if doesn't even buy the game... Maybe it's time to get his broke a$$ to work...

[PeteDude]

And the ones playing pirate copies of the game often cheat.

[GrossKopf]

I can understand if someone dl's game, tests it and then if he likes it, goes out and buys the game...

But if doesn't even buy the game... Maybe it's time to get his broke a$$ to work...

Should we start the legal comparisons now?

Is it ok to steal a car to see if you like it, then return it and buy it? :)

[Pitchfork]

I'm stoked bout the Mapping Tools coming soon. Need. New. Maps.

[imported_Whiskey]

Should we start the legal comparisons now?

Is it ok to steal a car to see if you like it, then return it and buy it? :)

Yes, but you can test-drive a car for a bit first, more so than a 1-mission SP demo of a game would allow.

It's a touchy subject. In a perfect world, the "try, then buy" method would be great. Let's face it, a lot of games these days are not worth the money, and it's getting harder and harder to return them for refund or even store credit if you end up with a game that's really bad.

Unfortunately, a lot of people just use that as an excuse...even when they find a good game/movie/whatever, once they have the pirated version, they have no intention of buying a legit copy.

[CptainCrunch]

And the ones playing pirate copies of the game often cheat.

Well, of course they do, what do they have to lose?

Which brings up a point; If they were concerned about piracy, why did they make it so that you dont even need a disk to play multiplayer?

Dont get me wrong, I am 100% against piracy. I just find it strange that they make it that easy to play the game with no disk. Yes, there are virtual disks and things like that to counter it, but that is one more type of "security" that is in place to help stop/slow down piracy.

Crunch

[Kingkat54]

Unfortunately, we are trying to make sense out of why a person steals. Its why I prefer clan servers that I know, and am in a clan. Its just the price for security.

Nice to see MOD Tools soon. New Maps n e 1? :)

[StoneCold313]

Should we start the legal comparisons now?

Is it ok to steal a car to see if you like it, then return it and buy it? :)

No we don't need to start legal discussion now...

With Cod we got a 15-20 min demo... For most people that is enough to make the buy/not to buy decision..

But with some games(consoles mostly) you don't get demo or anything. You have to make decision by what others think about it(reviews). You pay 50-70€(to some people that is lot of money) for the game and it turn's out to be piece of sh*t, you go to the store, and you don't get full refund. They only give you have of the price.

That's why, i understand if someone want's to test the game out before supporting the company with buying the game.

[killervane]

i get why they steal it, they can! but i think another point to this subject is this is probably why us pc gamers are'nt going to see alot of the new games being ported over or made for the pc thanks to all these thief's running around the internet ,wich then goes right back to the maker who put's a game out so they can rip it off ! lower the price of the consoles give me 2 contoller's instead of 1 and lower the price of the games that can't be modded so you can enjoy them longer after you beat them and maybe i'll think about buy'ing a new console!:dead:

[=HIT=Svalsbard]

Maybe I'm missing the point here, but...um...if they know that these people are using pirated versions of the game...can't they...I don't know...BAN THEM?

I mean, that would seem to be the logical conclusion if they know these are pirated CD keys. The fact that they did nothing makes me wonder why not.

Anyway...all I want now is them to release a Vista/Realtek patch that lets me play the game again, I paid for my own legal copy, yet I can't play at all because of this bug. I've tried all the posted solutions and nothing works.

[=SavageHenry=]

On another PC related note, we pulled some disturbing numbers this past week about the amount of PC players currently playing Multiplayer (which was fantastic). What wasn't fantastic was the percentage of those numbers who were playing on stolen copies of the game on stolen / cracked CD keys of pirated copies (and that was only people playing online).

There need to some sort of shake up in terms of security for games in the industry as it stands today. CDKey's and Securom protectors don't work.
Now don't get me wrong, I would be a hypocrite if I was to sit here and say that I have never downloaded a game. There are always those occasions where you’re skint and something new has just come out that you are desperate to try or that you’re stuck for something interest to play on a weekend so you get yourself something new online.

I don't see any problem with it... because eventually I usually buy the games that I like and get rid of the rubbish ones. I like to have the boxes and manuals and it's preferable to have legit copies especially with FPS games.
I am sure I don't just speak for myself here; I like to try before I buy... Prime example downloaded Kane & Lynch purely on the basis of wanting to see what all the fuss was about. After a two day download over Bit Torrent Finally get it installed and it's not what I expect and generally not my thing... (Wasn't a particularly good game either but that's another story) but the point is I could find out very quickly were not to put my next £30 and in the end spent it on COD4. I like to try before I buy, like many gamers I am sure. I can't just read a magazine review and take it as red that "Kill'em up 3 is going to be the next big thing" I want to find out for myself and preferable without having to waste my hard earned in the process.

With the computer games and computer entertainment industries growing at the rate they are, it's becoming harder and harder to judge what it good and what is tosh. It would be good if we could be more involved in the development a little more as gamers. This is why I salute any developer who is brave enough to get there game out there on a free public beta (QW-ET, Frontlines - Thanks Guys and Great work). This gives us a chance to see a game as it develops and allows us to make suggestions, or find problems that the developer has probably missed.

In terms of piracy, until they have a major re-think on how games, music and films are distributed there will always be the minority that will take the piss out of it and selfishly manipulate the system for their own financial ends.
I have to say though I do like what some companies are doing to limit this, using direct download whoever ones you downloaded it usually just as easy to make a rip of a game and get cracks etc.

But in terms of deployment, direct download system such as EAlink or Steam are brilliant. You don't have to go hunting round the games shops, they got exactly what you want even an extensive back catalogue of old school and it's downloaded at a blistering rate and you'll be playing in no time.
The only way that I can see piracy stopping is if as gamer we all stood up and as one voice said "NO!! PIRATES WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!! And we’re not going to stand for this any longer!!" This will never happen un-fortunately. So surely it lies with the developer and distributer to offer us some middle ground, let us play before we pay, often a one map/level demo isn't enough, let us participate in beta tests, let have the game on a 30day lockdown. Embrace the fact that there is a person out there who want a game, but maybe don't want to pay for it straight away.

To simply say it's stealing and that it's wrong is just way to harsh a sentiment to convey... It's disappointing yeah, but not wrong. How many are of there of you that have never downloaded a piece of software you can't afford, all those budding modders out there, tell me you went out and spent £1000's on middleware tools like C++ and 3DSMax so you could mod aspects of your game.

Piracy exists everywhere, you never going to eliminate the black market so why bother trying man... You’re never going to beat a Freebie!!! If big companies (games, music and media) stopped spending millions on tracking down pirates and prosecuting them there would be a lot left in the coffers for games development and marketing. What the point in trying to control something that can't be controlled. And actually when you think about it, who are they prosecuting is it the multimillion organised crime ring that send the think Chinese dudes round the pubs and offices in London with the backpack full of DiiViiiDee's no it's not.. It's us... the lowest hanging fruit those who it will effect most, and those that they can get the most easily.

It's a shame, but hey why not be pragmatic about it. COD4 is great, a phenomenal success. Who cares if there not all legit copies... **** man at least people are playing. That's surely what important here!!

[Chris_Redfield]

Its really amusing, to say the least.

People touting the anti-piracy horns spend 1% (fictional number) of their monthly pay on a game, while in another region, the price of the game may make up to 20% of their salary. Thats 1/5th of their months check, on a game. While its illegal, its bad, and should be fought against, people in the highly developed nations should STFU for a second and get a reality check.

After getting buttraped by many-a-games on PC, throughout quite some time, Im downloading first, buying later. You wont see me cash out 50 bucks on a game that needs bug fixing, testing, or plain out sucks, but because of clever marketing, has appeared to be "great".

The amusing thing is. You see Ubisuck make games for consoles, port it over to PC, and release such a completely fvcked up product, that it kills an entire community withing just a few months. And then the industry is crying their eyes out.

Piracy is bad. But in order to counter it, you dont need to call the cops. Add value to your product. Add real value.