Unlike the console market the PC market has had a large amount of freedom. A whole market has been created to provide dedicated servers to clans and individuals.
Most decent clans will at some point organise themselves in such a way as to subsidise a clan server. This will become a home for the clan and clanmates and will normally involve configuring the server the way they like it which may mean certain server plugins or mods.
Of course the other area for clans at least is to have the capability to arrange matches. This will also involve in configuring the server for the clan match.
Most clans will then choose to make these dedicated servers public and will then use these public dedicated servers for the purpose of recruitment and ensuring they get to play the game hassle free. This would mean changing the mapcycle and kicking or banning unwanted players.
To take this away without any consultation affects both the Game service providers and the Clans who use these services. This certainly seems cavalier and is certainly one of the biggest reasons for the lashing out.
Taking clan members away most persons rely on dedicated servers to play games. These dedicated servers are typically provided by clans or the game service providers. The end users do not pay for these services.
I think its a lack of control of local LAN play and impact to modding communities which has people up in arms.
Also the dubious "we did market research which showed" this was the best course for the PC market. Clearly this was a corporate deal between IW and the providers of the service.
@vGInfidel, I think you are overestimating piracy on the PC and underestimating the value of advertising on one of the largest FPS titles in recent months. NVidia and ATI both often do sponsorships of different content for a multitude of publishers do the fact that their target market is so easily reached with such advertising (e.g. both graphics card makers made some Orange Box-related content free to people who own graphics cards based on their chipsets). This is a common thing in the PC gaming realm.
In reality theres no way they could charge for the maps as they would just be downloaded illegally by 90% of people, trying to stop it wouldnt really be worth it. So the sponsorship is just a cover so console owners dont kick up a stink over it not being free on PSN and XBL yet.
The Variety Map Pack which includes Killhouse, Chinatown, Creek and Broadcast will be coming to the PC on June 5th, according to Infinity Ward community figurehead fourzerotwo. As expected from a map pack that's been available on other formats for nearly two months, the pack will be free to download on PC thanks to a sponsorship from NVIDIA.
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Most decent clans will at some point organise themselves in such a way as to subsidise a clan server. This will become a home for the clan and clanmates and will normally involve configuring the server the way they like it which may mean certain server plugins or mods.
Of course the other area for clans at least is to have the capability to arrange matches. This will also involve in configuring the server for the clan match.
Most clans will then choose to make these dedicated servers public and will then use these public dedicated servers for the purpose of recruitment and ensuring they get to play the game hassle free. This would mean changing the mapcycle and kicking or banning unwanted players.
To take this away without any consultation affects both the Game service providers and the Clans who use these services. This certainly seems cavalier and is certainly one of the biggest reasons for the lashing out.
Taking clan members away most persons rely on dedicated servers to play games. These dedicated servers are typically provided by clans or the game service providers. The end users do not pay for these services.