Bad Company 2 devs tout dedicated PC servers

Following Modern Warfare 2 furor, EA DICE calls out availability of player-run online multiplayer spaces for upcoming military shooter.

Infinity Ward hit a chord with PC gamers last week when it revealed that the desktop edition of its highly anticipated Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 wouldn't support player-run dedicated servers. Instead, Infinity Ward plans to introduce IWNet, a service that trades off dedicated servers for a more structured, console-like online multiplayer experience controlled entirely by the developer. Though billed as an improvement in matchmaking, the move will prevent owners of the PC version of the game from managing their own servers as they wish.

Bad Company 2 hopes to find good company online.

Following the news, many devout PC gamers expressed their discontent over Infinity Ward's decision en masse through an online petition that has secured more than 164,000 signatures. Capitalizing on this furor, fellow online PC shooter developer EA DICE has taken the opportunity to remind its fan base that dedicated servers will be a part of the Battlefield: Bad Company franchise's first iteration on desktops.

"Since Battlefield 1942, DICE has used dedicated servers for all platforms," the developer wrote on its Web site this week. "This formula has worked well, and still works well, for us and for the gaming community. We have stayed true to this practice and will continue this tradition into the upcoming title Battlefield: Bad Company 2."

As noted by DICE, Battlefield: Bad Company 2's online servers will be hosted by a variety of a datacenters in locations throughout the world that players can rent space from. Accordingly, server owners will be afforded admin control over their rented space, "allowing you to manage your server, your way." Players will also be able to earn ranks and rewards on dedicated servers, and they will also be covered by anti-cheat software.

The sequel to last year's well-regarded new expansion of EA DICE's shooter franchise, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on March 2. For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

178 Comments

  • TheHunt3D

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 4:31 am PT

    Thank the Lord, MW2 multiplayer is unplayable because of its lack of Dedicated servers!

  • TheJamin

    Posted Nov 12, 2009 5:10 am PT

    @Gruug

    if you've never experienced "clan" life before with dedicated servers, i would say you're already lacking how a pc gaming experience should be.

    I personally am giving a big thumbs up to Dice. and two massive middle fingers to Ifinity Ward

    COD Preorder was cancelled.

  • Gruug

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 5:48 pm PT

    I am buying MW2 and I will probably buy BC2. This dedicated server controversy is both interesting and hard to determined effect. I can see the argument from both sides. What I don't reallly know YET is how it will effect my gameplay. So, I choose to try and then decide. I did have to laugh when I read the above post. This could be a very good move on the part of the devs for BC2. Then again, it may not have much impact if MW2 plays just fine without dedicated servers.

  • highflyer8

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 1:29 pm PT

    @ paullywog
    Im not saying its going to be a definite success as i too have had much fun playing mods on the CSS servers. But im willing to play it with an unbiased oppinion.

  • Boomer_13

    Posted Oct 31, 2009 12:18 pm PT

    I think every single PC user who's pissed at IW for the dedi server lack is kissing DICE's ass too much. That's all I see everywhere. FY IW!,

  • Death_Masta187

    Posted Oct 30, 2009 3:15 pm PT

    I have a feeling MW2 will be where spore was last year. they will be #1 at something.

  • Psycold

    Posted Oct 30, 2009 9:19 am PT

    Even if everything else about Battlefield Company is better than Modern Warfare 2, MW2's storyline will be better, that's just how it is. I will buy both games though.

  • mcafeevsd

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 8:58 pm PT

    No fire button on R2 no buy.

    Fire button on R1 I say goodbye!

  • OF-5

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 7:24 pm PT

    lol nice

  • ChiefFreeman

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 7:14 pm PT

    Giancarlo is the man. Good interview. Great game.

  • paladin125

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 4:09 pm PT

    well just another reason BC trumps cod. still getting both tho, and i expect an update later that will allow for dedicated servers.

  • LosDaddie

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 12:55 pm PT

    Smart move

  • tevic

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 12:28 pm PT

    Really incredible how Activision multiplies bad moves lately, like this one. (often crappy moves actually) .

    I think that's what happen when a company (Activision) thinks "money" first, and not "players" first, as it should be.

    How long will the players continue to support Activision by purchasing their games ????

    Good move, EA DICE !!! (+ I love DICE's games !!!)

  • noodles297

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 7:45 am PT

    @ toadman682000

    Haha thats exactly what I thought right after reading the subject. Good move on their part though, way to reel in some attention.

  • toadman682000

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 1:23 am PT

    LOL Dice cashing in on an IW controversy, what a bastard move

  • shani_boy101

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 10:59 pm PT

    @treydawg1
    wait isn't that what i just said? if it wasn't i was implying that the servers would be dedicated ones run by the MAG devs and Sony.

  • Brendissimo35

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 8:38 pm PT

    Not buying Either, but this might just but me in the Market for Battlefield 3. We'll see DICE/EA, you have a LOT of trust to regain. This is a step in the right direction however.

  • pop_can

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 8:38 pm PT

    @DontEatCream

    Taking away dedicated servers on a PC game is like taking away matchmaking on a console game.

    Thats how serious it is to PC gamers.

    Console gamers would be doing the exact same thing if they replaced matchmaking on the console version with something nobody wants.

  • pop_can

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 8:33 pm PT

    Yeah, I think hell just froze over.

    EA has somehow become a symbole of freedom. Just a couple years ago, it was throwing down DRM on all its PC games, and basically being evil. Now, with Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age Origins being DRM free, Bad Company 2 having dedicated servers...

    I think they learned from their mistakes.
    A buisness that actually learned something... wow,

  • facistinabag

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 8:30 pm PT

    Bad Company was by far my favorite multiplayer experience on xbox. Sadly, it was just to rough around the edges to be "THE" multiplayer experience. That is where CoD came in, with the super polished multiplayer that was quite addicting.

    Like come on, how long did it take you guys to realize theres only 4 unlockable guns for each class in BC? 1 of which unlocked after you did some crazy bonus thing, and another was only unlockable at the max rank, leaving 2 unlocks per class. Just wasen't polished enough to be amazing.

  • PandaBear86

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 7:51 pm PT

    EA is an angel compared to Activision nowadays. Remember how EA used to be the devil of the industry? Yeah, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be my fisrt Battlefield game now. Won't bother with COD anymore.

  • SemperFi10

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 6:36 pm PT

    I'm going to have to look into Bad Company 2 a bit more, since I'm not buying MW2 now...

  • treydawg1

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 4:58 pm PT

    @shani_boy101

    no the MAG servers would be ran by either the game makers or sony or both. a ps3 cant host 256 players. and even if it could only like 1% of gamers in general could actually afford the internet connection needed to support that kind of player numbers. in order for the net connection to be able to handle 256 players on a server it would have to be MUCH better than cable or DSL.

  • evmiller

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 4:53 pm PT

    Bye, bye Call of Doodey: Modern Bore-fare 2

  • k0r3aN_pR1d3

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 3:32 pm PT

    EA has my solid approval. At least EA has brains if not a good soul.

  • zomglolcats

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 2:46 pm PT

    Looks like it's Bad Company 2 for me. Sorry Infinity Ward.

  • zakkess

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 2:25 pm PT

    i wanna see EA be the kings of FPS again...WW2 FPS was medal of honor, till COD came in..then it was battlefield 2:modern combat, till COD4 came in with modern WARFARE..pick a good title COD

  • SerOlmy

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 1:56 pm PT

    To all you guys who think that no dedicated servers and local hosting isn't a problem. I give it 2 weeks before people figure out how to exploit the hosting system and cheat using ping and speed hacks. VAC is good, but not that good.

  • HardCore_PC_Gmr

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 1:46 pm PT

    @rann89:
    Yes, i am serious.
    The logic behind MW2's usage of Steam or Starcraft 2's Battle.net is the same.

    Developers just want to make sure that players are the ones who pay for their games. This is all about fighting against privacy.

  • HardCore_PC_Gmr

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 1:41 pm PT

    @xtremeflem2day:
    In my humble opinion, MW2's usage of Steam or Starcraft 2's Battle.net make sure that players have genuine copies of the games which allows developers to "maximize" their profits.

    Needless to say, it is proven that none of the copy protection systems are useful against privacy.

    and usage of one centralized system for online gaming (like Steam or Battle.net) allows developers to deal with privacy.

  • rann89

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 1:39 pm PT

    HardCore, Starcraft 2 has nothing to do with a conversation about this. Of course Starcraft 2 won't have dedicated servers; are you freakin' serious? It's a strategy game.

  • xtremeflem2day

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 1:03 pm PT

    @ HardCore_PC_Gmr:

    You can still get plenty of money with dedicated servers, and with all the hype of modern warfare 2, do you think running dedicated servers will make it lose money? If they hadn't screwed it up, it would have probably been maybe the top selling game this year, that would be my bet. that would be a huge profit.

  • nickery123

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 12:44 pm PT

    good for DICE not being complete idiots like Infinity Ward. I play BC on my PS3 but I play all the other BFs on my pc and on the PS3 it's pretty good and fun so give credit to the consoles guys. The dedicated severs are just another factor guaranteeing that BC2 will blow MW2 away. @Javieralijandro Dead space for wii is a joke, any M game for the wii is a joke, really I'm not saying it's a bad console but M games and the Wii DONT go together.

  • Maxmus050

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 12:18 pm PT

    for me Bad company is the real shooter out there and a better game then call of duty anyway.
    The atmosphere, realistic war zone whit vehicles and big battles and more realistic gun sounds and feeling.
    Thats what needed for a shooter and battlefield never dissapointed me.
    Call of duty 4 and 5 are mostly overhyped and you can consider them as a grenade game instead of a real shooter.
    Since Call of duty 2 there hasnt been a real good call of duty game.

  • Hobbitslayer18

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 12:15 pm PT

    @beekayjay

    I totally agree with you mate.

  • centuryslayer

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 12:13 pm PT

    sounds like a smart move by EA/Dice to mop up where IW mucked up. PC players have always enjoyed far more control over their gaming experience than console counterparts. and I for one think it's a definite advantage.

  • gamer082009

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 12:07 pm PT

    Activision isn't thinking about the PC gamers, they're thinking about the money. I think with PC gamers you have to walk a fine line and not cross over on either side too much. And to me they've done it with removing dedicated servers. So sad, because to allot of those pissed off people all the game worth now is to pirate it. The game will do well regardless because of the consoles though, so I don't see them losing sleep over angry PC gamers.

  • beekayjay

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 11:48 am PT

    As far as multiplayer is concerned, BFBC is a better game than MW in my opinion. Dice has always been a fantastic developer. The gameplay just offers more: vehicles, environmental destruction, etc.. The end result is a more immersive atmosphere. I'm very happy that Dice is sticking to their guns and keeping dedicated servers. Hopefully this will be the first of many shots across the bow that will earn BF its rightful title as the best modern combat shooter on the market.

  • HardCore_PC_Gmr posted Oct 28, 2009 11:41 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    HardCore_PC_Gmr

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 11:41 am PT (hide)

    Dear all,

    Absence of dedicated servers (for MW2) can be seen as a negative factor at first.

    But, at the end of the day, this is business (unfortunately).

    And In business, money rules (again unfortunately).

    They are removing dedicated servers because they think that by doing so their product (MW2) will be more profitable.

    And ONLY when their product is profitable, they will keep supporting PC gaming in upcoming years.

    Why do you think incoming StarCraft 2 makes the usage of Battle.net compulsory?

    Would you prefer developers make a few more games with dedicated servers and then completely abondon PC platform when they do not get enough profit?

    For MW2, as long as it runs smoothly like that we have dedicated servers who cares that we are playing on dedicated servers or not?

    So just smile and keep having fun with your superior gaming platform.

    And again, PC gaming now and forever !.

    Best regards,

  • Javieralijandro

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 11:33 am PT

    I don't know EA is turning good imo, on the ps3 and wii atleast.

    Dead space
    Dead space extraction
    brutal legend
    bad company
    bad company 2
    1943 t

    atleast for me there doing good.

    activion has for me...
    I do not own a activision game atleast on my HD consoles.

  • neil108

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 11:26 am PT

    I have never been a console gamer. However, i feel the PC has unlimited potential vs console systems. Why would i want to play games on an antiquated system(xbox 360, etc) that is the hardware equivalent roughly of a PC with an NVIDIA 6800 Ultra. Of course, developers only focus on making games for this system because that is where the money is. PC Gamers are left in the mud and forgotten... BUT come on DICE gives us a true successor to the original BF1942 for PC GAMERS!!

  • magnificent7

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 11:23 am PT

    It's a sad day when EA is now the savior of the PC gaming community (not knocking them too much now, they've had a good turnaround in quality as of late). Activision, seriously, what the hell happened to you guys?

  • thundaro

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 11:14 am PT

    ahhh this is getting very interesting, EA saves the day? from Activison? 5 years ago say that to a gamer and they would of laughed, has EA become less "evil" or has Activison become SO corrupted by the almighty dollar, that they actually make EA look good? let me say this again to PC gamers EA saved the day, lol just saying that sounds ridiculous, but it is true, sometimes life really is stranger than fiction

  • wolvklaw

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 11:07 am PT

    Well will see if IW did anything that truly made an impact with the PC community. It's a shame to miss out on such a fantastic game when you aren't even sure if the IWNET is decent or not, let alone if you can add mods etc. Either way, as far as PC gamers go I hope for the best, if MW2 truly failed with their new setup, I hope BFBC2 does it for ya. For me its just another reason why I game on the 360 anymore, it just seems any game I deal with on the PC is more of a hassle, I like just jumping in and playing and as far as the "controls" go its all a matter of preference I don't think any way is superior and maybe someday we can prove that by being able to play against each other no matter what format you prefer. Goodluck though.

  • badman11226

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 10:20 am PT

    well this is very smart business move from ea for pc gamers. Take IW weakness well more like stupidity and make it ur strength. IW shot themselves in the foot by getting get rid of DS. Ea see this as a opportunity to drawn MW2 pc gamers to BC2 with DS included. i wont be surprise if BC2 outsell MW2 on the PC.

  • HardCore_PC_Gmr

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 9:38 am PT

    ----------------------------------------
    Simply, PC gaming now and forever !
    ----------------------------------------

  • HardCore_PC_Gmr

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 9:33 am PT

    @talonreese:

    agreed.

  • cjasko94

    Posted Oct 28, 2009 9:20 am PT

    glad it's not coming out around the same time as MW2.
    SO now I'll actually think about buying this game lol

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