Infinity Ward's announcement that "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" on PC would not have dedicated servers but instead opt for a matchmaking setup powered by IWNET provoked a vocal response among gamers, including an online petition that's now surpassed 125,000 signatures. The studio has been clear that they see that backlash, but also defended their move to IWNET, calling the peer-to-peer infrastructure a major investment.
"[It] definitely made a big wave, and the response will not be ignored. I'll ensure everyone at IW sees the petitions and responses to it," Infinity Ward's community manager Robert Bowling said in a response from his Twitter account.
Bowling also affirmed his commitment to selling PC gamers on the new multiplayer environment, which he ranks among Infinity Ward's greatest achievements.
"'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' is actually the biggest investment Infinity Ward has ever made into the PC version of our games," he wrote on his FourZeroTwo blog. "It’s also the most feature-rich PC version we’ve ever made. IWNET takes the benefits of dedicated servers and allows them to be utilized and accessed by every player, out of the box, while removing the barrier to entry for players unaware of how to maintain a server on their own."
Among IWNET alternative's selling points, he listed hack and cheating preventions, easier party and friend finding, and a greater range of personalized settings. Just how far that goes with convincing dedicated server fans to change their tune will remain to be seen -- and likely take a prolonged messaging campaign leading up the game's release. But thus far, it sounds like IWNET is here to stay.
What do you think of Robert Bowling's defense of the IWNET system for "Modern Warfare 2"? Has he said anything to convince you the new peer-to-peer system will be a worthwhile replacement? Share your responses in the comment section below.