Last night I posted a rumor about the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 being a console port. Reading through the Digg comments, specifically the complaints directed towards the game and Infinity Ward, I was met with the same immature, aggravating garbage that I’ve been reading for the past month.

If I sound bitter, it’s because I am. The amount of vitriol pouring out of the internet over the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 was unbearable before it even started. That’s right. It’s so awful, it defies time and space.

I’m not a console gamer. I’m simply a gamer and I play on consoles and PC. All of my friends are on Xbox Live so that’s the version I bought, so I admit I was never affected by changes to the PC version. But here’s the thing: despite my anger towards PC gamers, I don’t necessarily disagree with them. I’ve never even thought about it, because I’ve been trying as hard as I can to avoid every one of you. I’m all for organized protests, but that’s not what this is, because most of you decided to scream at the top of your lungs, bang pots and pans together, and throw your shit at the walls.

And the only logical step anybody took, starting a petition, failed because of shit like this. I feel your guys’ pain. I really do. If I was a serious PC gamer like a lot of you, I would probably be just as disappointed. But the way people acted, and are still acting, needs to stop. This isn’t directed at everyone. Some of you are very sane, but for every John Kershaw there are ten slobbering idiots smashing bricks over their heads and threatening to never support Infinity Ward again, all the while playing Modern Warfare 2 on Steam.

If you guys think you can convince IW to patch in dedicated servers, a lean function, and all the other stuff you’ve been deprived of then, by all means, continue in a civilized and organized fashion. If not, wait until they butcher Modern Warfare 3, and then don’t fucking buy it. Or at the very least, play it offline and avoid looking like hypocrites.

The raging fires of rage surrounding the PC version of Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 are already face-meltingly hot and now the above screenshot, supposedly taken from the PC version of the game, suggests that it’s just a console port.

I say “suggests” because there are commenters on the Digg page where the image originated that question its validity. That’s right. I waded through the cesspool that is the Digg comment section and found not only the worst contributions that the internet has to offer, but a few comments suggesting that the image is a fake or that, if it is real, it doesn’t necessarily mean the PC version is a console port. One user suggested that Infinity Ward simply shares code across multiple platforms.

Despite the in-game terrorism scandal and the dedicated server protesting debacle, rock solid developer Infinity Ward out did themselves again. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 flew off store shelves like cupcakes at an over-eaters anonymous gathering. Mmm cupcakes.

According to early statistical data, Modern Warfare 2 has sold approximately seven million world wide copies across multiple platforms on the first day of its release. How impressive is that? Well, consider Rockstar’s well hyped release of Grand Theft Auto IV sold six million copies in its first week. Yeah, it’s pretty darn impressive.

All in all though, developers like Rockstar and Infinity Ward deserve every ounce of success that comes their way. When you think about the fact that games these days retail at sixty bucks a clip, we have every right to demand a top tier product for our money.

Modern Warfare 2 may not make the world a better place. It won’t cure Cancer or end world hunger, and it definitely won’t bring a smile to anti video game violence protesters, but assuming you’re Okay with all that, it’s one kick ass thrill ride of a game well worth the price.

There are apparently a few hiccups with the PlayStation 3 version of Modern Warfare 2. Specifically, issues with the party invite feature. Infinity Ward is aware of these problems and promises to have a downloadable patch out by this Friday. Over and out.

[Thanks Examiner]

It has leaked on the web that several GameStop locations in the North East (Brooklyn NY, Philadelphia PA, Bowling Green Ohio) have been selling Modern Warfare 2 before its November 10th release date — as in today.

According to Mike Fahey over at Kotaku, at least one location claimed that they received specific permission from Activision to do so based on other retailers (like Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and even Mom n’ Pop shops) already breaking the release date in their district.

Another individual I spoke to said they purchased MW2 from a Brooklyn, NY GameStop and added that their uncle picked a copy up at a Philly location. Activision responded directly, releasing the following statement today:

“Activision has not given any retailer permission to sell Modern Warfare 2 prior to the Nov. 10 street date. The company fully supports the Nov.10 street date.”

I reached out to a hand full of managers at GameStop locations in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. All of them emphatically stated that they will be selling the game in accordance with Activision’s scheduled release date. In addition, I was told that employees working at locations caught breaking the release date are subject to immediate termination.

One GameStop manager added another layer to the convoluted “he said, she said” mess, accusing some individuals of flat out lying. His belief was that many of the leaked videos and images actually obtained from pirated copies of the game on torrent sites were being dishonestly attributed to GameStop broken release date sales a a means to garnish an envious reaction by those desperately seeking attention.

Update: Infinity Ward’s Creative Strategist, Robert Bowling, chimed in a few hours ago with the following tweet:

“ANY store selling #MW2 early is in violation of street date. There are no “special permissions”. That said, we won’t punish players for it.”

What do you think? Is this a case of GameStop greed or lying internet attention whores? Sound off in the comments section below.

I’m not a trained killing machine, but if I was this trailer would definitly make me want to go out and find one terrorist after another and continuously shove each one of them up the others ass (kind of like those little stackable dolls) until there was only one heavily constipated terrorist left. Then I’d break his arm off and beat him into the ground with it. Yup.

Infinity Ward released a fake PSA about grenade spammers (shown here) that closes with an offensive acronym. Fast forward to this weeks edition of Sessler’s Soapbax as Adam Sessler shares his deep thoughts on the subject.

Activision has just released a montage video of sorts, jam packed with bits and pieces of Modern Warfare 2 trailers and footage dating back to it’s initial announcement and teaser.

Though mostly a five minute long rehash of previously seen footage, it seems to also confirm the existence of cinematic version of the terrorist airport level. If true, this’s a great move by Infinity Ward, as it would allow those gamers who choose pass on the opportunity of playing it out first hand a means to still experience the plot element.

See for yourself at the 52 and 1:40 second marks in the trailer below.

What do you think? Does that look like a cinematic version of the level or should I put the pipe down? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

You might recall that many PC fans of Call of Duty (specifically Modern Warfare) got very upset when Infinity Ward announced that they were not going to support dedicated servers for Modern Warfare 2. As something that is a core part of the PC gaming experience, a petition was signed by many people requesting that the decision be reversed. Although Infinity Ward declined, DICE, the developers of the excellent Battlefield series, soon announced that their next game, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, would definitely have support for dedicated servers.

In thanks for this, a fan of PC gaming has sent the money he would have spent on Modern Warfare 2 to DICE and requested that the money be spent on the features he desires- because he couldn’t send them a cake, he decided this would do. I should mention that I think this is a great way to show your support for a developer, but I’d recommend that you don’t do this unless you’re rich or really, really like dedicated servers.

In a few days, the latest installment of Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare series will be upon us, but until then, we will have lots of amped up predictions and mind boggling preorder numbers to discuss. The joys of anticipation.

During a recent interview,GameStop VP, Tony Bartel, said that:

“As of today, the number of pre-order reservations we’ve taken for [Modern Warfare 2] is the highest for any title we’ve ever sold in our 6,200 store network.”

In addition to that, analyst Michael Pachter made some hefty sales predictions as a part of his Q3 Activision Blizzard financial preview:

“Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 should allow Activision to achieve guidance. We expect global sales to exceed $500 million in the first week following launch, and think that the company can easily sell 10 million units in Q4.”

Can you feel it? The hype machine is moving faster than a heat seeking missile, and after a rough patch consisting of dedicated server debate and leaked terrorist gameplay footage, Infinity Ward likely welcomes the positive feedback. As far as I’m concerned, they are one of the best development teams around and they deserve every ounce of it.

Modern Warfare 2 will be available in stores on Tuesday, November 10th for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Thrifty gamers looking to milk their Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare purchase a little longer will be happy to know that Activision is making a the “Variety Map Pack” DLC (first released in April of 2008) available to consumers at a discounted price today.

The pack includes four maps “Broadcast,” “Creek,” “Chinatown” and “Killhouse” and rings in at a 50% discount amounting to 400 MS Points (about $5) on the 360 and $4.99 on the PS3. The deal ends on midnight on November 8th.

In addition, another double XP weekend will run on both the PS3 and the 360 starting November 6th at 3pm EST through November 8th at midnight EST).

Discounted maps. Double XP weekend. What’s not to love.

A Neogaf forum post (containing the image above) implies that Infinity Ward will be disabling the party chat function of the Xbox 360 in some if not all of their online multiplayer modes.

Assuming the post is not a hoax, the general consensus is that party chat allows for cheating in multiplayer contests. For those that own a Microsoft Xbox 360 and don’t have a clue as to what “party chat cheating” is, good for you. As for the rest of you … you should be ashamed of yourself (snicker).

An example of party chat cheating in an online multiplayer, such as Modern Warfare 2, usually involves communication from a recently killed teammate (normally muted in game channel chat due to being dead) with those on his team who are still living i.e. “The bastard that just killed me is heading your way through the warehouse!”

If the forum posts proves to be legitimate, I’ll be behind it 100% and hope that more developers follow in Infinity Ward’s footsteps. How about you? Do regulations like this increase, decrease, or have no effect on your interest in a game?

The trailer above … it’s the teaser for Modern Warfare 2 put out by Infinity Ward months ago. Remember it? You should.

So many sites spent weeks trying to analyze the distorted video and muffled audio, and if you remember it, the recently leaked terrorist level that made it’s way around the web shouldn’t come as such a surprise. It’s essentially the teaser trailer that Infinity Ward put out when the game was first announced only this time it’s unscrambled and obviously playable.

As mentioned in a previous post, the level is optional and initiated via an in-game checkpoint. I repeat, you don’t have to play it, but my guess is that nearly everyone who buys the game will.

Spoiler Warning: Do not read this post if you don’t want to have plot specifics revealed.

Infinity Ward has confirmed that the leaked video game footage from their yet to be released Modern Warfare 2 title is real, and as expected, the airport terrorism acts depicted in the video will be optional. Meaning you don’t have to kill loads of civilians if you don’t want to. Now lets sit back and see how many of you actually do anyway.

When asked to explain the context of the footage, IW stated:

“The scene establishes the depth of evil and the cold bloodedness of a rogue Russian villain and his unit. By establishing that evil, it adds to the urgency of the player’s mission to stop them.”

“Players have the option of skipping over the scene. At the beginning of the game, there are two ‘checkpoints’ where the player is advised that some people may find an upcoming segment disturbing. These checkpoints can’t be disabled.”

There you have it. Plot related and completely optional. And lets not act like this sort treatment is new. Television and feature films have been doing this sort of thing for ages.

Sure, you can argue that the interactive element in video games takes things a step further, and that a simple cinematic could offer the same treatment without the sense of control over the situation. You would probably be correct, however whether it be purely visual or interactive to an extent, entertainment mediums are, and always will be, about building tension, passion, animosity, and suspense. It makes the climax that much more rewarding when you finally kill the bad guy, save the princess, or … I think that about covers it.

“Modern Warfare 2 is a fantasy action game designed for intense, realistic game play that mirrors real life conflicts, much like epic, action movies. It is appropriately rated 18 for violent scenes, which means it is intended for those who are 18 and older.”

Well said. So, before you knock a developer for including this type of interactive playable content in their game, take a long look at yourself before you purchase that ticket to see SAW 6 or press the play button on a recently recorded episode of Dexter. The majority of us subject ourselves to questionable content on a weekly (sometimes daily basis), and last I checked buying a movie ticket and/or turning on the TV is an “interactive” process.

Infinity Ward quotes courtesy of VG247.

A game changing reveal was first teased by Infinity Ward Community Manager, Robert Bowling, during an interview which took place at a Los Angeles held Modern Warfare 2 event in September.

Bowling stated that there was an aspect to the game that had yet to be discussed, and went on to say that the reason it hasn’t been mentioned is because “once you see it you completely forget everything we’ve already talked about” adding that this aspect will turn Modern Warfare 2 into a “whole new game”.

Fast forward to today, and we are presented with supposed “leaked” gameplay footage depicting Modern Warfare 2 third person gameplay. In addition to that, a screen capture of what appears to be a listing of gameplay modes has also surfaced on the net. Have a look at both after the jump and let us know what you think.

The video above does look “Modern Warfare-ish” but I am not completely convinced that it’s what it appears to be. It might be real considering a few early copies are rumored to be in circulation and the comments made by the community manager lend themselves nicely to this type of gameplay twist scenario,  but it also may be nothing more than an elaborate hoax by an attention hungry gamer.

Want more fuel for the fire? Of course you do. The image below surfaced on the web today as well (go figure) and claims to showcase MW2 game play modes. If you can’t read it without squinting and causing severe brain damage, try your hand at the translated text listing directly underneath it. Both courtesy of Kombo.

- team deathmatch
- free-for-all
- domination
- ground war
- sabotage
- HQ Pro
- Search and destroy
- capture the flag
- demolition
- 3rd person team deathmatch
- hardcore team deathmatch
- hardcore Search and destroy
- team deathmatch …(cant read) (maybe something like team tactical)
- cage match 3rd person

I’ve sent an email to Activision PR and plan to update this post as soon as I hear something. In the mean time I’m curious to know what you think? Real? Fake? Really fake? Sound off in the comment section below.

UPDATE: In a recent PR email sent to Ripten from G4TV teasing Modern Warfare 2 Exclusives on X-Play, the promotional copy promises a look at MW2 “never before seen Co-op play from two wildly different perspectives” during this week’s show. Sounds like third person to me. Thoughts?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is coming to the PC in just over 2 weeks, so WASD finger clicking buttons back in shape and check the minimum specs released by Activision after the jump.

System Requirements
OS: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 (Windows 95/98/ME/2000 are unsupported)
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 3.2 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 3200+ processor or better supported
Memory: 1 GB RAM
Graphics: 256 MB NVIDIA GeForce 6600GT or better or ATI Radeon 1600XT or better
DirectX: Microsoft DirectX(R) 9.0c
Hard Drive: 12GB of free hard drive space
Sound: 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
Internet: Broadband connection required for Multiplayer Connectivity. Internet Connection required for activation

We here at Ripten enjoy games quite a bit. (Well, some of us. The jury’s still out on that shifty Naylor character.) In fact, one of our highest-rated games of 2007 was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. All things considered, you can see why we’re really excited for Infinity Ward & Activision’s latest foray into the Call of Duty series, Modern Warfare 2, and this trailer does nothing to satiate our hunger.

The trailer, titled Infamy, is the newest trailer for Modern Warfare 2, and it’s amazing. No spoilers, but there’s a rather large reveal at the end of the trailer, and I have no doubt that it’s making a lot of people excited. Maybe this is just me, but does this trailer make anyone else wish that there was a Call of Duty movie? Yes?

Good.

Oooowww!!! Another new clip of Modern Warfare 2 showing off some bad-ass new features, including knife throwing and host migration among other new additions.

Towards the end of the clip it shows a player being disconnected, but instead of being kicked back to the lobby, a new host migration feature quickly finds another host keeping the player in the game. Dope as shit! We gotta give big ups to Infinity Ward for adding this feature to MW2, because getting disconnected and kicked back to the lobby sucks big time.

The second big addition featured in this video, also towards the end of the clip, has a player throwing a knife to kill an enemy. That’s some pretty sweet stuff right there. The rest of the clip shows off some gameplay footage of Capture the Flag mode with a few noticeable new additions to the game like blood-splatter effects and a riot shield. I can’t wait for November 10! Check out the video!

Yessir! Here’s some leaked footage of Modern Warfare 2 that has emerged over the Internets that should get you even more pumped for the highly anticipated shooter. While Infinity Ward and Activision have been relatively quiet about the game and have done a pretty good job keeping much info from getting out, this somehow slipped from under their noses from a recent Game Crazy retail event and features some great action from the Rio de Janeiro stage. Now stop reading and check out that video!

Source: totalvideogames.com

I enjoyed 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand a lot more than I thought it would. On top of the ridiculously awesome premise, it was actually a pretty solid shooter. Now, that doesn’t mean I like 50 Cent and I want him anywhere near my Call of Duty. Unforunately, the damage has been done, and 50 Cent is indeed doing a voice in the upcoming shooter.

A post made on his website earlier today reads “50 was cast as The Multi-Player Voice.” That sentence is all sorts of screwed up, but Robert Bowling of Infinity Ward later confirmed via Twitter that “he’s one of the squad voices in Multiplayer/Spec Ops.”

Source

Even though it’s been known that two downloadable map packs for Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 would be hitting the Xbox 360 first, it now seems that those same two map packs could be the only DLC we seen coming out for the upcoming sequel.

Discussing Modern Warfare 2’s “online content,” Activision’s Publishing CEO Mike Griffith was noted saying, “We plan to launch two separate map packs for this title.” He then went on to say that over 8 million Call of Duty map pack DLC have been sold on the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Infinity Ward only released one map pack for the first Modern Warfare, while Treyarch has released three map packs for Call of Duty: World at War, the third just being released yesterday. With so much popularity for downloadable content and new map packs, I think it would be stupid for Infinity Ward not to take advantage of the opportunity to please their fans and of course make more money for themselves.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 hits the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on November 10. Damn, I can’t wait!

Source: Shacknews

Damn I can’t wait ’til this game comes out! Just check out the above trailer showing online multiplayer footage from Modern Warfare 2 complete with new maps, new weapons and even a new killstreak bonus that gives you the option to “unlock and personalize your killstreak loadout”. Oh, and remember that AC130 you used to rain down on your foes in the campaign mode from the first MW? Yessir, it’s back and this time you’ll be able to use it in online multiplayer. Hurry and press play to check out the awesome online gameplay to come this November.

While I’ve read a lot of positive feedback regarding the Prestige Edition, I’m not too hot on the idea. It needs to be affordable for gamers, so it’s probably going to be a rather shite pair of goggles, or it’s actually going to be a good pair of goggles and cost two kajillion dollars. I could always be wrong, and given my track record, I almost assuredly am.

The box art for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been revealed by Infinity Ward community manager Robert Bowling. Also worth noting is the fact that, after a little back-and-forth action, it looks like the Call of Duty moniker is official. Hit the jump for the full picture.

Yesterday during Microsoft’s pre-E3 press conference, Infinity Ward took the stage to finally show us some actual gameplay footage of Modern Warfare 2, coming out November 10. The game looks awesome and I’m even more excited about it after seeing this demo. Along with their demo, Infinity Ward announced that all map packs for Modern Warfare 2 will come out for the Xbox 360 first, but nothing was said about exclusivity. Check out the video.

Finally, enough with the teasers already! The first complete trailer for Modern Warfare 2 debuted this past Sunday night during the Eastern Conference Finals between the Cavaliers and the Magic (the Magic won by the way, sorry Lebron fans).

Running at just a second over two minutes, the trailer gives us a better glimpse of what MW2 is about and also goes onto tell us a bit about the story and the rise of villain Makarov. Not that we all aren’t already excited about the game, but this trailer just gives us another reason to be. Check it out!

Infinity Ward has given GameTrailers.com another teaser trailer for Modern Warfare 2. Like the previous trailer, this one is very much a teaser with just a few flashes of in-game footage, even with a few old scenes we had already seen before.

The first full trailer is set to debut this Sunday, May 24, during the Eastern Conference Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic. Can’t wait for that! Actually, screw the trailers. I can’t wait ’til November 10 when the game actually comes out!

Through a listing on his LinkedIn profile, Treyarch senior animator David Kim has accidentally announced that production of Call of Duty 7 has already begun.

“I am currently on my second title as a senior animator in the games industry with Activision / Treyarch on Call Of Duty 7,” reads Kim’s profile on the networking site.

Following Activision’s trend to give its major franchises annual releases, you can expect Call of Duty 7 to come out in 2010.  Infinity Ward and Treyarch have been alternating CoD releases the past few years, so it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to hear the next installment will be worked on by Treyarch.

Along those same lines, recent rumors have hinted at Call of Duty 7 being set during the Vietnam War era, a very controversial issue that hasn’t been touched by many game developers/publishers. Activision has supposedly been looking to license music from the Vietnam War ear, as well as Cuban, African, and Soviet Union music. This hasn’t been confirmed by Activision nor Treyarch, as of yet.

It might be a little too soon to be talking about CoD7, seeing that we don’t even have much info on the sixth installment, but I guess it’s all good.

Source: Shacknews and thatvideogameblog.com

First off, this clip of Modern Warfare 2 was played during the NBA playoffs both last night and Sunday night. Not much to look at now, but just wait for the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on May 24 for the world premiere from Activision.

Second, the latest issue of Game Informer has the latest intel on what fans can expect from MW2 when it hits stores this November. According to the leaks that have popped up on the internet, MW2 will cast the return of Captain “Soap” MacTavish following the events of the first Modern Warfare.

Along with the return of Soap, other details have said that MW2 will stray away from co-op campaign gamplay, but will feature more open-ended gameplay and more “special ops” missions like the final “Mile High Club” one from CoD4.

Not much else has been revealed by Infinity Ward, but if your looking for more details you’ll just have to go pick up the lastest issue of Game Informer on newstands now.

Source: Joystiq

After being revealed only as Modern Warfare 2 in it’s debut trailer, there was much speculation that the Call of Duty label would be dropped from Activision and Infinity Ward’s upcoming sequel. Well, during their quarterly earnings call earlier this week, Activision’s boss Michael Griffith referred to the anticipated sequel as “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2″ and “the must-have title of the year”, in which I completely agree.

So it’s been confirmed. Expect to see Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the cover when the game hits stores on November 10.

Source: CVG