If you're one of the many, many PC players of Modern Warfare 2 that was, shall we say, less-than-enthused about Activision and Infinity Ward's decision not to include support for dedicated servers, you may now put down your pitchforks and delete your online petitions: Modern Warfare 3 is getting dedicated servers.

This news of Activision's sudden 180 on the subject comes via IGN, who confirmed from Activision reps at Gamescom that Modern Warfare 3 will fully support dedicated servers on the PC. IGN says that this is part of a larger effort to show PC players that Activision is still very much dedicated to the PC platform.

While this news is no doubt exciting to potential Modern Warfare 3 players, the publisher evidently still has some concerns about opening up the servers in such fashion. Specifically, the inclusion of dedicated servers does mean that it would, in theory at least, be easier to cheat in online multiplayer matches. This is especially an issue given the upcoming debut of Call of Duty Elite, which Activision plans to use to hold a number of multiplayer-oriented contests with "millions and millions of dollars" worth of prizes.

With that in mind, Activision has apparently said that they will not ship Modern Warfare 3 until developers are sure they can keep the play environment fair and balanced. Given the unlikelihood of Activision missing its planned November 8 release date, we can presume then that the game will be as secure and cheater-proof as it possibly can be by that date, and that any suggestions otherwise will be treated as the maniacal ravings of the lunatic fringe that they most assuredly are.

If you're one of the many, many PC players of Modern Warfare 2 that was, shall we say, less-than-enthused about Activision and Infinity Ward's decision not to include support for dedicated servers, you may now put down your pitchforks and delete your online petitions: Modern Warfare 3 is getting dedicated servers.

This news of Activision's sudden 180 on the subject comes via IGN, who confirmed from Activision reps at Gamescom that Modern Warfare 3 will fully support dedicated servers on the PC. IGN says that this is part of a larger effort to show PC players that Activision is still very much dedicated to the PC platform.

While this news is no doubt exciting to potential Modern Warfare 3 players, the publisher evidently still has some concerns about opening up the servers in such fashion. Specifically, the inclusion of dedicated servers does mean that it would, in theory at least, be easier to cheat in online multiplayer matches. This is especially an issue given the upcoming debut of Call of Duty Elite, which Activision plans to use to hold a number of multiplayer-oriented contests with "millions and millions of dollars" worth of prizes.

With that in mind, Activision has apparently said that they will not ship Modern Warfare 3 until developers are sure they can keep the play environment fair and balanced. Given the unlikelihood of Activision missing its planned November 8 release date, we can presume then that the game will be as secure and cheater-proof as it possibly can be by that date, and that any suggestions otherwise will be treated as the maniacal ravings of the lunatic fringe that they most assuredly are.

Its to late call of duty.

Back to resetting stats CoD4 style \o\

Fair and balanced being used in the same sense that Fox News does no doubt.

Is this good news? Do PC players like Call of Duty?

BF3 nuff said

...Virginia? I don't understand.

The fact that dedicated servers for an PC FPS is even news is pretty damn sad. It should be a core feature and not something that needs to be announced. This is like Nintendo announcing that the new Super Mario game will have jumping.

It won't make a difference, all the PC gamers will still pirate it, then complain about the balance or spawning issues and threaten to boycott the next CoD all over again. Guh.

im from virginia  
you needed to know

eh, burned that bridge - no going back.

no one cares activision

@DAFTPUNK said:

BF3 nuff said

Nothing said.

If it is anything like the dedicated servers in Black Ops than no thanks. Those servers tools were so poor and stripped down it felt like I was giving the server suggestions more than actually changing things. Please let us host our own servers, and not have to buy them from that one shitty provider you picked out of a hat.

@Laketown said:

no one cares activision

That Catholic girl started much too late.

Yo BF3 is coming out this year, I don't know anyone who would buy MW3 on PC over BF3.

BF3 looks so much better than MW3.

Who wants to bet that dedicated servers will be a CoD Elite-only feature?

Cool. That cheating issue is a nonsense excuse and I'm glad they're allowing dedicated servers again. Now it's just a matter of the game actually keeping up with MW1 and 2 standards.

Great that big publishers are coming around again on the PC as a growing, viable platform after years of hemmoraging money and failing projects on consoles.

@imsh_pl said:

Who wants to bet that dedicated servers will be a CoD Elite-only feature?

I accept that bet.

No Activision your not getting my money, go away until you have Diablo 3

So yes you will be able to play on the mw3 equivalent of a 24/7 nuketown server with retarded rules such as no crouching or assault rifles only.

@ryanwho said:

im from virginia you needed to know

Me Too!

It won't make a difference, all the PC gamers will still pirate it, then complain about the balance or spawning issues and threaten to boycott the next CoD all over again. Guh.

@ryanwho said:

im from virginia you needed to know

Me Too!

bottom line is MW3 will be dope, and you all are being silly with your hate bandwagon bullshit.

So the graphs shifted and showed that Kotick would get richer by adding dedicated servers than by using matchmaking...

Hooray?

BF3 nuff said

This is great for people who still care about MW3. As for me, I'll be playing Battlefield 3 instead.

YES!!!!

Scald me with a steaming hot bucket of water.

Nicee I like this

I love seeing all the fair weather companies try to get back into the PC markets good graces now that it's taking an up swing.

Wundaful, wundaful... Oh wait, Battlefield 3 exists.

Why is everyone acting like this is some sudden shift for Activision?

I took the feature being in BLOPS as a sign that it would be in all future COD games, MW-branded or not.

Can we get some kind of consensus that attempting to play MW3 on a PC strips you of all rights to complain about anything related to the experience?

@Fagballs said:

Back to resetting stats CoD4 style \o\

COD 4 PC, is the shit!!

Can someone please explain whats the fucking point of dedicated servers if they are rent only and with no customization options? 

...Virginia? I don't understand.

I think it might be a bite at the "people who care about it are virgins AND nerds" joke. But that might be a bitter, cynical and negative interpretation, just like Alex's article.

Oh snap.

Demanding since MW2.. but.. they gave us that with Black Ops..? The Black Ops netcode was complete shit but the MW2 codepath was so much better off we should be fine with this.

Where's the BF3 PC 1080p 60fps trailer at btw, GB?

@Ghostiet: Actually, it was a reference to this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes,_Virginia,_there_is_a_Santa_Claus

But hey, you just go right on interpreting the most absurd thing you possibly can out of it.

Apologies then, I'm not American and there was no way in hell for me to get that reference, I think.

But hey, you brought that on yourself, being so cynical and bitter in those news posts.

Still want to have your babies, though.

Given the unlikelihood of Activision missing its planned November 8 release date, we can presume then that the game will be as secure and cheater-proof as it possibly can be by that date

Translation:   As broken, laggy, and exploit laden as every CoD launch before it.   Sweet.

@Ghostiet: Actually, it was a reference to this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes,_Virginia,_there_is_a_Santa_Claus

But hey, you just go right on interpreting the most absurd thing you possibly can out of it.

@ds8k said:

...Virginia? I don't understand.

I think it might be a bite at the "people who care about it are virgins AND nerds" joke. But that might be a bitter, cynical and negative interpretation, just like Alex's article.

Oh snap.

Is this good news? Do PC players like Call of Duty?

not like it made any difference to the sales of mw2, but ok, sure.

@Alex said:

@Ghostiet: Actually, it was a reference to this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes,_Virginia,_there_is_a_Santa_Claus

But hey, you just go right on interpreting the most absurd thing you possibly can out of it.

Nice bitch-slap you handed out there, however obscure the reference may have been.

@Hailinel said:

@Ghostiet

@ds8k said:

...Virginia? I don't understand.

I think it might be a bite at the "people who care about it are virgins AND nerds" joke. But that might be a bitter, cynical and negative interpretation, just like Alex's article.

Oh snap.

It's a reference to A Miracle on 34th Street.

it's a reference to this http://www.newseum.org/yesvirginia/

edit: oops, someone beat me to it :/