After announcing the new matchmaking service that Infinity Ward will be putting up in lieu of Modern Warfare 2's dedicated servers, we now have some more in-depth detail regarding this new service. Robert Bowling, aka fourzerotwo, provides us with the deets.
The IWNET, as the new backend infrastructure is called, will mean no more browsing through a Server List for a server with the settings/ ping you want among other things. Said Bowling:
The news...[led] to many more questions than answers as to 'HOW' this would work, and if it would really be better for the PC community as a whole. Questions, assumptions, and speculation I intend to dispel.
The new IWNET service promises four main things:
* Matchmaking and Smoother Gameplay - Just select the playlist (pre-set gametypes with custom rules) and the system will automatically find you a game with the best quality game for your optimal enjoyment. It will even take into account the skill of the players you will be matched with for the game.
* Playlists and Private Matches - Playlists, as mentioned above, are pre-set game modes and gametypes for public games. Private Matches are for when you want to, say, practice for an upcoming tournament. Here, you will have complete control over the rules: who can join, who you can kick out, tweak the entire game to your liking. You can also invite the other team or just start it with your own clan. It's customized games at its finest.
* Party System and Friendslist - The Friendslist lets you easily see which of your friends are online so you can invite them to join your Party. The Party allows you to move from game to game as a group. It is also highly recommended for clan matches.
* Cheat / Hack Free Games - "The biggest benefit of using IWNET by far is the fact that you don't have to worry about joining a server full of aim-bots, wallhacks, or cheaters. Or relying on the server admin of the server to constantly be monitoring, banning and policing it.
Are you liking what you're seeing thus far? Over at fourzerotwo's official blog, the readers are making it clear and known that they are not buying it - just as Infinity Ward has made it clear and known that they will not be listening to your petitions for a dedicated server by shutting down petitions.
As one commenter succinctly puts it: "I want to meet these mythical creatures who have difficulty navigating a server browser." Others point out that the new system to be implemented reeks of console features and does not fit the PC.
What do you guys think? Is this an acceptable bone thrown your way or canceling your pre-orders definitely is now on top of your To-Do list for today?
