PS3 Modern Warfare 2 battling server issues

The first shots of multiplayer Modern Warfare 2 were fired upon the game's release yesterday, but for PlayStation 3 players, the guns have already fallen silent. The game's multiplayer modes are largely inaccessible today in a postlaunch snafu reminiscent of another recently released shooter, Borderlands.

According to a post on the Twitter feed of Infinity Ward community manager Robert Bowling, the game is a victim of its own popularity.

"The amount of players on [Modern Warfare 2] PSN overwhelmed the PSN presence server which updates 'what you're doing' and is essential to parties," Bowling said.

In other posts, Bowling said more servers were being added to meet the demand for Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer mode. He also added that a patch addressing issues with unlocking the game's trophy awards in the single-player and Spec Ops modes had been successfully rolled out, with another patch fixing multiplayer party invites rolled out by Friday.

[UPDATE] This afternoon, Bowling offered the following update: "MP Servers gradually coming back online. Some users may still experience issues. Also, EU Players get Trophy patch tonight."

Hamstrung PS3 multiplayer aside, Modern Warfare 2's launch appears to be a success. Earlier today, UK industry body ELSPA and sales tracker GfK ChartTrack declared it the best-selling game debut of all time in the country. The different versions of Modern Warfare 2 combined to sell 1.23 million copies in the country, nearly doubling the previous best, a 631,000-unit 24-hour total posted by Grand Theft Auto IV last year.

For more information on Modern Warfare 2, visit GameSpot's launch center.

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