So today Mr Bowling decides to announce to the world  ’exclusive information‘ on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Now don’t get too excited as its NOT good news for the PC community, not sure why I am surprised …. Mr Bowling has managed to post 2, yes that’s TWO, posts in the PC forum in over a month. This just shows how excited he must be.

The Good news

• MW3 will have dedicated servers i.e. they commented the code back in from CoD4 – Lets face it its the same engine with some additions ! Its an insult to the PC community to say they have been listening which is why this was added back, the PC community has been asking for Dedi’s since the MW2 fiasco. I suspect the only reason they added this is to prevent every Pre Order being cancelled.
• RCON is back This is good news as its a very handy tool for us ‘experienced’ PC gamers

The Bad news

• They are still using Vac and some ‘internal’ anti cheat – Well they worked well in MW2 didn’t they
• Max players is 18. WHY??????

Some Classic quotes from the ‘exclusive’ item

Oh and before we start I really suggest that Mr Bowling READS what he posts, the number of spelling and formatting errors is a joke – Just shows how seriously he takes the PC community.

‘We value the PC player and have gone to great lengths inproviding a more rich experience for our players. We keep our ear near the ground and try todeliver items most requested’

Err where have they been getting this feedback from? It seems to me that all they have managed to do is comment back in the CoD4 dedi server code and Rcon code. The PC community asked you BEFORE the MW2 fiasco to provide dedi servers so in fact they were told not to remove them.

I’m extremely excited about the PC version of Modern Warfare 3 this year, because we’ve been taking your feedback since Modern Warfare 2,and the franchise as a whole, on what you wanted to see in the PC version of Modern Warfare 3 and the team at Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games has put aton of emphasis on delivering a PC experience that brings in all the great things we added in Modern Warfare 2

What a load of marketing gibberish. Mr Bowling is in no way excited about the PC version, two post on the PC forum in over a month just proves that. This is also backed up by his total lack of support for PC gamers during the MW2 fiasco. I seriously question how a ‘Community Manager’, or whatever the title is this week, that only plays on consoles should be allowed to represent the community as a whole.

Beyond that, we know our PC audience has sent in a ton of questions to us via @fourzerotwo, Sledgehammer Games’s QotW,  and to the forums and wanted to knock out someof the most asked questions in a quick and easy FAQ so that you can make a fulland informed decision when pre-ordering Modern Warfare 3.

Ah so Mr Bowling didn’t even write the post. So he’s not excited about the PC version – I wonder who is?

No. We chose to keep lean out of the game to keep the gameplay experience universal across all platforms. This was a gameplay design decision.

This is laughable. What he really means is that since a console can’t support lean, due to the controller, they have not bothered to implement it on the PC. That has to be the most pathetic excuse I have ever seen. Every other FPS, even console ported games, support Lean. This is just laziness on the part of the designers.

Will there be Modtools for Modern Warfare 3 on PC?

Mod Tools will not be shipped at launch.  As always we are continually evaluating features to support post launch and this is one requiring further discussion.

What he really means is NO so why not just come out and say it.

How is Modern Warfare 3 on PC handling anti-cheat?

Security is a major focus for Modern Warfare 3, especially coming out of Modern Warfare 2. We will be utilizing multiple methods of Anti-cheat and Security methods, including Steam’s VAC system, CEG, and our own propriety methods implemented to provide multiple layers of defense in keeping online multiplayer fun, fair, and secure for all players without limiting the control they expect on PC.

So the only Anti cheast is VAC? CEG is designed to prevent people copying the game and I seriously doubt that the devs have put any form of anti cheat into the game as that would be a waste of time when there are better products out there.

read more at www.warfail3.com

BlackMonkeys.de have released the final version of their Call of Duty 4 total conversion mod Galactic Warfare which has been in development for several years.

The mod tempers Modern Warfare’s sprinty, killstreaky gunplay into Rebels vs. Empire blaster fights across familiar Star Wars terrains like Mos Eisley, Bespin, Tatooine, and more. Download Galactic Warfare from Mod DB here. If you need help installing the mod, Blackmonkeys has assembled a handy video guide.

This version contains seven maps

• Mos Eisly
• Bespin
• Bestine
• Not A Cave
• Jundland
• Jundland Dusk
• Anchorhead

Due to the nature of the in game server browser it can be hard to find servers running this mod. The easiest way is to browse to http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?vars=fs_game=mods/swm_gw1&game=cod4 and make a not of the ip address and server port of servers running the mod. You can then either manually connect or as them as favorites.

[-=BVA=-] Have a Galactic warfare server running at 87.117.194.129:28964

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has revealed the existence of ‘Beachhead’, a new internal studio and digital platform geared specifically around its Call of Duty franchise.

Few details are available as yet, but the division is “focused solely on the development of an innovative new platform and services for Call of Duty.”

Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg hinted this may involve cross-platform functionality. It “will create the best-in-class online community, exclusive content, and a suite of services to supercharge the online gaming experience like never before.

“The platform will support in-game integration and bring online experiences and console play together for the first time.”

CFO Thomas Tippl declined to answer when asked whether the new platform would involve a subscription fee.

A free to play online Call of Duty for the “exploding” Chinese market was also announced. It is not expected until next year, but will offer “learnings we can use throughout our organisation.”

Kotick repeatedly claimed in the post-financial results earning call that the publisher will turn increasingly towards digital in 2011.

Source: gamesindustry.biz

Treyarch have released another PC Patch update today aiming to fix some of the more major problems with the game. These fixes include multi-player exploits, audio and performance problems being resolved.

The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted.

The major changes include:

Call of Duty: Black Ops

• MP Audio stuttering on certain systems.
• Playercards sometimes not showing properly.
• Added three Private Match Server Settings: Team Change, Team-Up Period, and Keep Balanced Teams.
• Added Alternate Color Scheme for accessibility: Settings / Multiplayer / Player Name Indicator.
• Changed Team-Up Period countdown interval to 10 seconds.
• Combat Training sessions are no longer counted in Server Browser Unranked tab.
• Friends on your team will now show as blue on your minimap.
• Prevention of various exploits.
• Objective markers localized for all languages.
• Various stability improvements

Call of Duty: Black Ops Rcon Tool

• Recognize new “invalid password” server response

Treyarch have announced details for the upcoming DLC named First Strike. The DLC will contain 4 new multi-player maps and 1 new zombie map. It will be available for the XBOX 360 in February and expected a month after on the PS3 and PC. It costs 1200ms points on the XBOX there are no details on prices for other platforms.

Online Director Dan Bunting and Community Manager Josh Olin walk you through Kowloon, Discovery, Berlin Wall, and Stadium. First Strike hits Xbox LIVE® on February 1st, with more details coming soon for PC and PS3. Enjoy:

Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops for PC was downloaded illegally over four million times in one month, according to new data collected by the website TorrentFreak.

The results, which were gathered from several sources, including reports from all public BitTorrent trackers, shows Black Opsedging out EA’s Battlefield: Bad Company 2 on PC for the top spot. This should come as no surprise to most gamers as Black Ops already generated over $1 billion in revenue for the publisher in just over a week.

Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for PC was 2009′s most pirated title with 4,100,000 downloads.

Things look a bit different on the home console front, however. Super Mario Galaxy 2 was tops on Wii, which was downloaded illegally nearly 1.5 million times while EA’s Dante’s Inferno hit the most downloads on Xbox 360 with 1.3 million.

Below are the top five most pirated games for PC, Wii, and Xbox 360 as of Dec. 26, 2010, courtesy of TorrentFreak.com:

PC Game Downloads in 2010
1. Call of Duty: Black Ops (4,270,000) (Nov. 2010)
2. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (3,960,000) (Mar. 2010)
3. Mafia 2 (3,550,000) (Aug. 2010)
4. Mass Effect 2 (3,240,000) (Jan. 2010)
5. Starcraft II (3,120,000) (Jul. 2010)

Wii Game Downloads in 2010
1. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (1,470,000) (May. 2010)
2. Wii Party (1,220,000) (Oct. 2010)
3. Donkey Kong Country Returns (920,000) (Nov. 2010)
4. Kirbys Epic Yarn (880,000) (Oct. 2010)
5. Red Steel 2 (850,000) (Mar. 2010)

Xbox 360 Game Downloads in 2010
1. Dante’s Inferno (1,280,000) (Feb. 2010)
2. Alan Wake (1,140,000) (May. 2010)
3. Red Dead Redemption (1.060,000) (May. 2010)
4. Halo Reach (990,000) (Sept. 2010)
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops (930,000) (Nov. 2010)

Source: IGN

The Call of Duty Black Ops community manager has updated the official forums today with information on the next PC patch; which contains what they’re currently working on. There is currently no scheduled release date for the PC patch as yet.

PC Patch 3 change log below -

• Added an option to create shaders during load time. This fixes hitching when viewing a new area of the map for the first time on some video cards.
• Incomplete server browser results.
• Improvements to Quickmatch results (with better ping and reduced lag)..
• /connect
• /reconnect
• Improved threading performance on computers with only 2 cores.
• Fixed random freezes in certain computer configurations.
• Increased reserved slots to 9.
• Improvements to the spawn system to resolve an issue where negative spawn influencers from specific game events were not always being deleted after the danger had cleared – in some matches, this was causing good spawns to be erroneously flagged by the game as bad spawns, which in turn forced actual bad spawns to get selected later in the match
• Weekly and Monthly leaderboards will now track all kills, deaths and assists properly (All Time leaderboards were not affected by this)
• Prevention of killstreak selection getting disabled in Combat Training under rare conditions
• Array: Added collision to prevent players from partially clipping into a tree
• Launch: Added collision to prevent players from strafe jumping onto an invisible ledge at the base of the rocket near B3
• Summit: Added collision to prevent players from jumping to a location outside of the map boundary when in Custom Games where player speed is maxed out
• Havana: Added collision to prevent players from jumping onto an invisible ledge above a doorway at C2
• Nuketown: Adjusted a spawn point that would spawn players on top of a mannequin’s head when that mannequin was randomly spawned in that location
• Launch: User could access a small platform outside of the intended play space below the rocket gantry by jumping to a very specific location; now blocked from access
• Launch: User could access a small area inside geometry at vents near Dom flag A by going prone and moving around in a very specific location; now blocked from access
• Some users reported that weapon attachment challenges were not resetting after prestige; now all are guaranteed to clear as soon as selecting the prestige option
• Radar sweep when there are only 2 players left in One in the Chamber will stop functioning if the 2 players have multiple lives when the sweep starts
• Villa: User can clip into rock at west edge of grid zone B2 and see through to the other side
• Crisis: User can clip into LVT between grid zone A3 and B3 and see through to the other side
• User can get an infinite number of ‘Sam Turret’, ‘Care Package’ and ‘Sentry Gun’ killstreaks (commonly referred to as the “care package glitch”)

Treyarch has posted the following policy on the official site:

Hey Black Ops Community –

Treyarch is committed to providing all gamers with the best online experience possible, and that means maintaining the game’s integrity. We have a zero tolerance policy against exploitation, and this is to protect the many gamers who go online to compete and have legitimate fun. Below is a brief outline of our security and enforcement policy which will remain posted and will get updated here.

The team at Treyarch has worked very hard to create a fun, competitive online environment, and we want to keep this environment clean so that the game can be played as it was intended. Users who abuse the game through modding, boosting, glitching or making offensive emblems degrade the online experience for others, and we will take action to prevent this from happening.

Keep it clean. Play nice. Have fun.

Thanks
- Team Treyarch

CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS – SECURITY & ENFORCEMENT POLICY

Modders (I assume Treyarch is talking about console modders here : Rudedog)
Users who have modified their hardware and have run hacked script or code. This includes modifying profile data to use illegal characters in a player’s name.

• Instant permaban. You will no longer be allowed to play the game online, and you will be reported to the console manufacturers.

Boosters
Users who organize to exploit the game for the explicit purpose of ranking up very quickly or to appear in a high position on the leaderboards.

• Minor offense: Temp ban, complete stats reset, leaderboard entries removed once
• Major offense: Temp ban, complete stats reset, permanent ban from appearing on the leaderboards
• Extreme or repeat offenses: Permaban from playing the game online

Glitchers
Users who go out of their way to exploit the game to grief other players. An example would be going outside of the map’s clearly defined playable boundary.

• Minor offense: Temp ban from playing the game online
• Major offense: Extended temp ban from playing the game online
• Extreme or repeat offenses: Permaban from playing the game online

Offensive emblem makers

• Users who create emblems that are sexually gratuitous or racially offensive.
• Minor offense: 2-week ban from using the emblem editor, emblem reset to default, emblem purchases wiped
• Major offense: Permanent ban from using the emblem editor

Source: official forums

This is a SPOILER. Note that it is in all caps. That means I’m really serious about just how spoiler the following information and images are. Don’t want to know? Move along and don’t read this post. DON’T click on the link.

Now that that’s done.

We knew that a zombie mode was coming to Call of Duty: Black Ops, but weren’t sure exactly how it would be delivered, given the more modern setting of the game this time.

Leaked videos of Call of Duty: Black Ops in action seem to show the solution as well as a terrific hook for the shooter’s post-game zombie survival mode. This time around, instead of fighting off Nazi zombies as some nameless soldiers, you can take on the roles of John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Robert McNamara or Fidel Castro as they fight to hold off the hordes in the Pentagon.

Seriously!

Call of Duty: Black Ops is just over a month away from being released so, what do we already know about the upcoming Treyarch game?

• The highest level is 50 and Prestige Mode will return, but the number of Prestiges is currently unknown.
• In the Black Ops rank system, the player must level up to unlock weapons for purchase.
• Drivable vehicles will return in the form user-controlled killstreaks such as the RC-XD and Chopper Gunner.
• Some campaign levels will be based off multiplayer maps instead of the typical vice-versa. This change is because some multiplayer maps had been made before the campaign was finalized.
• Players can now record, manage, edit and upload in-game video clips to their file share via “theatre mode.”
• Matchmaking is being changed so that it is easier for friends to play together.
• In-game currency will be used to purchase weapons and upgrades.
• Unlike in World at War, submachine guns will have full movement speed while aiming down the sights, as they did in most other Call of Duty games.
• Four confirmed Multiplayer maps are: Summit, Launch, Radiation and Cracked (possibly more on release)

Game Types

Team Deathmatch
Team Deathmatch is called Team Battle, but the objective is still the same. Team Deathmatch (in Modern Warfare 2) is extremely popular as there are usually over 100,000 people playing it.

Capture the Flag
Capture the Flag is a game mode, the objective in this multiplayer mode is obvious; to capture the enemy flag while attempting to defend yours.

Search and Destroy
Eliminate all enemies, or destroy an objective. Plant the bomb on one of two objectives, indicated by an A or B, then defend it until there is not enough time to defuse it. Note that the bomb can kill any nearby enemies, and the person who planted it. In the Hardcore Ricochet mode if a teammate is within the kill-radius of the explosion, and the player who planted is still living, if the bomb explodes it will kill the planter.

Demolition
Demolition is very similar to Search and Destroy. Both Game Modes involve one team aiming to destroy bomb sites while another aims to defend them from being destroyed.

Hardcore Team Deathmatch
Hardcore Team Deathmatch is a modified version of regular Team Deathmatch in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: World at War and Modern Warfare 2 that is designed for those who want a more serious and somewhat realistic competition with strict limitations to aids and user-friendliness.

Headquarters
Headquarters is a multiplayer game mode featured in all Call of Duty games in which teams capture a set point in the map, or headquarters, to gain points. It is one of the most popular game modes, as it has more of a goal than just killing, and offers large amounts of experience in just one game. Teams must coordinate a good defensive perimeter around a captured headquarters in order to keep it. In Call of Duty 4, the headquarters is marked by a metal box with a laptop computer on top. In Call of Duty: World at War a wooden table with a radio and helmet takes its place.

Sabotage
Sabotage is a bomb-based game type in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: World at War, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 somewhat similar to Search and Destroy. Unlike S&D though, the bomb is neutral, there is only one round, players can respawn (except in Sudden Death), and both teams are simultaneously trying to destroy the opposing team’s base.

Domination
Domination is a multiplayer game mode featured in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: World at War, and Modern Warfare 2. There are three flags scattered about the map that begin as neutral. Teams gain points by capturing these flags. Domination is a very popular game mode thanks to its high rewards and tactical game-play.

Combat Training: Fight against enemy AI in a training mode.
Combat Training is a new game mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops. It serves as offline multiplayer for those lacking an internet connection, those who do not wish to play online, those who are new, or for those who want to try out new tactics or practice with different weapons. It features a separate ranking and unlock system with AI opponents instead of online enemies. It can be played cooperatively.

Multiplayer Maps

Below are confirmed Multiplayer maps that will be available on release.

Summit Map

Summit

Summit in multiplayer is a narrow map with severe drops on all sides. Summit features plenty of variety when it comes to buildings and platforms. The interior of one large building in the middle is the most open area on the Summit map, with most of it made up of narrow gaps and pathways. It is a map with lots of small spaces for the player to hide in. It has been confirmed that there is a location on the map where players have the opportunity to use a “special” gun, early speculation believes that players will be able to get on the cable car shown on the loading screen but the location and method of finding the weapon is yet to be announced.

Launch Map

Launch

The map features a Soyuz rocket taking off in the background and appears to take place in a rocket launching facility somewhere within the Soviet Union. At some time during the game (set randomly), the rocket will take off, and set alight and kill anyone located beneath the rockets engines.

Radiation Map

Radiation

It is set in an abandoned power station. The map features a conveyor belt, where if the player does not jump off in time, they will meet a fiery death. There is also a trap door, like a silo hatch, that can be opened and closed via a switch located some distance away. Anyone that falls into the trap door dies from a fall-death. The map also features a set of steel blast doors which can only be opened by a control panel on a nearby platform.

Cracked Map

Cracked

Cracked is a multiplayer map featured in Call of Duty: Black Ops. It was first seen being played by community VIPs during the multiplayer reveal for the game. It appears to be the basis for the level “Slaughterhouse” in the single-player campaign.

Wager Matches

A new mode with a separate ranking structure than the standard online modes, will allow players to gamble with their money. However, only the top three will receive the prize. They will be placed into one of four random modes:

• One in the Chamber – each player is given a pistol with one bullet and a knife. For each kill achieved the player will receive one more bullet. However, each player will only have three lives.
• Sharpshooter – each player is given the same random weapon. The weapon will be used for 45 seconds before being switched out for another one. Kills will award the player with perks and score multipliers.
• Sticks and Stones – each player receives only a crossbow, ballistic knife, and a Tomahawk. The catch in this gamemode is that if the player was able to hit an enemy with a Tomahawk, the enemy player will go “bankrupted”.
• Gun Game – players start out with a pistol. For each kill they move up a level, granting them a better gun. First person to achieve kills with all 20 weapons wins. However, someone who is knifed will move down a level.

PC Information

• The PC version of Call of Duty: Black Ops will feature dedicated servers.
• Modding tools and the leaning feature will return, though it is likely that the modding tools will come out a bit after the game has been released.
• The PC version will be using Steam as DRM and will be using VAC as an anti-cheating tool.
• Players can choose a server via a server browser screen or use matchmaking to send a lobby to a server chosen by the game.
• Dedicated server files are not public must be rented from GameServers.com.
• Unranked servers are completely customizable while ranked ones let the renter choose levels and game-types.

Most of the facts came from the Call of Duty Wiki page. Which can be found here, it also contains a lot more information regarding the game, such as what weapons are available and what’s to come in the single player campaign.

Call of Duty Black Ops Wiki