Buyers Who Purchased Modern Warfare 2 Via Steam Discover DRM Puts Them 2 Days Behind Everyone Else
from the that-sucks dept
When talking about video games, we sometimes hear that Valve's Steam is one of the few examples of "DRM that works," but that's hard to accept when you hear ridiculous stories like this one. Apparently people who downloaded Modern Warfare 2 via Steam, expecting to be able to play the game today (along with everyone else who bought it in a store today) have discovered that the DRM has been setup so you can't actually play the game until Thursday. Ouch. It's yet another example suggesting that Infinity Ward really does not care at all about PC gamers. The game will likely sell millions of copies anyway, but it's really amazing to see how badly the company treats its PC gamer fans.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: drm, fans, games, modern warfare 2, steam
Companies: activision, infinity ward, valve
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
too true m8 !
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
lots of boycott
all I can say is, lots of gamers are revolting on this - sales numbers won't be pretty, and plenty have stated the intent to boycott activision at this point.
Activision wants to be able to make a case that nobody wants PC games so that they can shove console DRM on every gamer under the land. Console DRM is a lot easier to control than PC's where people can get around DRM and actually have rights (and not be overcharged). This is the real situation that nobody pays attention to. Many groups are colluding by flat out boycotting activision at this point.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: lots of boycott
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: lots of boycott
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: lots of boycott
How many are actually *playing* it ? I'd suggest a significant portion of their record sales have come from currently *unhappy* customers.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: lots of boycott
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
only one thing to do...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: only one thing to do...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: only one thing to do...
/sry :P
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: only one thing to do...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/10/modern-warfare-2-wont-unlock-on-steam-until-friday/
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
http://kotaku.com/5401569/modern-warfare-2-steam-release-bumped-back--forth
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
http://kotaku.com/5401569/modern-warfare-2-steam-release-bumped-back--forth
lets hope
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
DoS
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Btw retail purchased copies work fine, it is only the digital version that is DRM'd up.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Dear Activision / Infinity Ward,
I know, the good times we had. Cod 2 was literally a work of art. 3, not so much, but we all know IW had nothing to do with it. 4. Wow. What a game. It did everything right. Great story, great graphics, great control, great multiplayer. It is still one of the must play FPS's of the past half decade. I beat it numerous times just to see all the sights again. I play multiplayer for many, many hours. Threw a few grenades into the back of my roommate's head. Fun times. Fun times.
COD:WaW was decent, not as good as 4 or 2, but 10x better than 3. It was a good repentance from the developers of three.
And then we hear of Modern Warfare 2.
There was some trepidation, of course. The name was quickly changed and the developer was announced as the gods of fps's development: infinity ward. Many people were ecstatic to hear that not only will we not be fighting more nazi's (thank god), but it will done by the people who made fps's fun again.
And then as the release date got closer, news started trickling out. Same price as the console version. Well, can't say i didn't see it coming, but still a shock. No dedicated servers. Okay, well that may not be bad, not cool, but doable. Then no console and no way to change most defaults. Well, I guess that is okay, your game and all. Must use IWnet, no LAN play. Wait, what? Then forcing you to use steam, but buying over steam is a three day wait. What the hell?
Well, it has been an awesome few years, but Activision/IW, I have to break it off. It is your own fault.
No don't bother calling, it's over.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re:
"even though anyone who's used the system (despite obvious exceptions) has given it glowing reviews"
You must be kidding.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
And there you go again.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re:
Steam is the whole reason I have not installed HL2 or CS:S on my last 4 PCs.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
I remember buying HL2 and then finding it was 2 days before the downloads finished, after the installs.
Sins of a Solar Empire and the expansions .. installed and playable as soon as the disc stopped spinning.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I'm going to apply for a job at Activision. It seems like one really doesn't need to know all that much to get into upper management.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
What they didn't say is that's the European date format, and it's out December 11th!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Steam is alright
I had one issue where I bought a $5 puzzle game a few days ago, and was somehow accidently given Trine, a $20 game, and it wasn't a game I cared for. I contacted Steam Support and got it corrected right away since it was the honest thing to do.
Besides, we should already know about "VALVE TIME". They always delay the releases of stuff, and there is usually a good reason. (Quality Control?)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Steam is alright
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
COD2 was released in 1995, yet still claims the #3 spot on Xfire for most played game online. The community is massive, and they consumer about 4 million minutes of the game daily! A game thats over a decade and still pulling these kinds of numbers says many things:
1) COD2 rocks tits
2) Very few games to date have surpassed its playability and replayability.
3) COD2 game its users lots of freedom to tweak and mod the game as they saw fit
Give gamers the power to tweak and alter the game your wrote for them, and they will respect for you it, for decades to come.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Oh, and the Half Life series' mod community puts CoD2's to shame.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
MW2
I have a PS3 but FPS games are only served on the PC...consoles are for console games...PC's are for serious games...After months of waiting to get into the game all I am hearing and experiencing is bad bad news for us PC gamers...I can't believe they have shafted the very people who made them who they are..Forget Xbox and PS3 multiplay...COD 4 on the PC is where it was at....They are doing us up the a55 and they are not KY ing us up first...
How can Infinity Ward totally screw this up after months of preparation? Forget Steam and the Publishers wankofvision, Infinity Ward are to blame...greed and self delusion has clearly overcome them...What a load of Shit!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: MW2
So what you're saying is Infinity Ward is cornholing you, biting your ****, and crapping on you all at the same time? Wow!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Steam and DRM
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Was Christmas day - no tech support to be had.
I guess, it has it's advantages, but I avoid games through Steam, but it's a better idea than CD locks and crap - I suppose. Only problem is - if you have a dead Wifi card - like we did later, you're stuck with no internet and no Steam games, unless you know to put them in offline mode first.
It's too cumbersome.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
heh, yeah - I'll buy my games no matter what - if I play it, I buy it, but yes - I run some 'altered' copies instead of originals too - I hate having to use the CD's - such a hassle. I hate having to be online - unless I have a reason to be online, I disable my Ethernet (simple right click) - when playing single player games etc - it's one security hole that's not needed... if I don't need it.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Valve's Steam
> examples of "DRM that works,"
Steam is responsible for my ceasing playing computer games.
Having to have that piece of annoying kludge manage my games and successfully destroy my two-thirds completed game of Half Life 2 absolutely destroyed my interest in playing such things.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Valve's Steam
For me its convenience. I don't have to store my games, I don't have to keep track of serial numbers, if I have a computer at another location I can install my games on that one as well just as long as Steam isn't running on my other one. I've never had a single issue to date. And talking to others I get the same impression.
The issue with MW2 isn't the fault of Valve/Steam, it's the publishers who feel they need to make concessions with Brick & Mortar outfits. Hopefully that will end soon since B&M's are paying less and less attention to the PC as a gaming platform anyhow.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
MW2
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: MW2
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
@Thublihnk
Go back and read my post, you can apologize later :D
Oh, and the Half Life series' mod community puts CoD2's to shame.
CoD2 and Cod4 are ranked at #2 and #3 on xfire, totaling 15 million minutes per day across 150k people; compare this to CS:Source which has 1.6 million minute across 17k people. Get your numbers straight before making a statement like that :p
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: @Thublihnk
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: @Thublihnk
Literally I don't play I any Half Life 2 mods but I've heard of a few (Gary's Mod, etc). I can't name any CoD mods.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Modern Warfare 2: Brining console shortcomings to the PC
I will not be buying the game, and have talked at least 3 others out of it so far (2 others might get it anyways, so somewhere between 3 and 5 won't).
Many of my reasons are nicely summed up here:
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/11/pc-modern-warfare-2-its-much-worse-than-you-though t.ars
If I wanted the console gaming experience, I would play on the console. Forcing us into a console gaming experience on the PC is not acceptable.
Activision and IW: Get it right next time and I will consider buying.
Note: I also refuse to pirate this game.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Now I'm sick home from work and I can't even play the game I bought.
why does activision have to be such dicks.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
So... is it on?
When i validate the game files there is always a file missing which is downloaded and installed, which it obviously aint.
So is there a problem with my steam/gamefiles or are Activision still not letting us on?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Activison and Steam Suck!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Activison and Steam Suck!
=0.933400 USD) which should make it $65 over here, even with rounding up.
Even then I bet *we* get the crappy MA15 version since some idiot attorney general over here thinks 15 year olds should be able to play GTA.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
cod mw 2
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
ugggh
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Blame Activision, NOT Infinity Ward...
At the end of the day, it's all about money and politics...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Double-edged sword...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
WTF?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
modernwarfare 2
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
modernwarfare 2
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
can any one help me
[ link to this | view in chronology ]