_{by Brent}

Valve's digital download service Steam has evidence of this booming popularity. Steam has now more than 25 million of loyal customers. And companies like Google, Disney and Gamestop are all investing in PC gaming industry. Even B. Kotick announced that 70 per cent of Activision Blizzard's revenue comes from the PC...

Gas Powered Games CEO Chris Taylor seems rather excited about the state of PC gaming. He even believes that the PC version of their next game will actually compete against the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions in regards to actual sales.

"It's a matter of time before you're playing a triple-A game in a browser experience," Taylor says. "There's no reason that won't happen within five to eight years. No installation. No grief. No reading the box and wondering if you have a 7000 or 8000 series video card and DirectX what? It just plays. It works. Wait till that happens full on."

"There's so much change going on. If you make an observation about all that change, most of it's happening on the PC. Probably 60 per cent of it's happening on the PC." 

And with the Call of Duty: Black Ops release on Nov 9th, an other peak in PC games sales is expected.

_{by Vrandas}

To get the PC side of Call of Duty: Black Ops more clear the CoD Community has Jock from BASHandSlash.com and his BASH podcast interviews. Last year it was in his podcast that Fourzerotwo revealed that CoD Modern Warfare 2 would not have dedicated servers.

In the latest Bash podcast Jock explores the possibility that many in the community may have over-reacted, thanks to the lack of clear, official information on the multiplayer — in part due to poor reporting during the MP reveal. On with him, as usual, to dissect the Call of Duty Black Ops MP FAQ is Jim (aka Rudedog) from fpsadmin.com and guest Josh Peckler from planetcallofduty.com.

Treyarch PC developer pcdev issued these official MP FAQ to help distinguish fact from fantasy and so stem some of the over-reaction and criticism that followed. The reality of the situation may be much better than some think.

So, as PC gamers, are we staring down the same MW2-style abyss or have we inaugurated a new beginning in PC gaming thanks to a PC-friendly developer ? Listen to the latest Bash podcast :

_{by Brent}

Last week I made a list of questions : Call of Duty: Black Ops LAN and Multiplayer Questions.

One of the questions was: Must you be online to play LAN PC Black Ops ?

I thought this got answered by the following statement; made by Treyarch's pcdv a few days later :

Interviewer Josh Peckler : Is LAN mode for the pc, get together with friends at a house?
pcdev : We’re NOT supporting LAN, it’s a steam title internet required.
 

Now, a few hours ago, pcdev tweets an other statement :
 

To clarify: you can play MP on a LAN as long as everyone on the LAN has internet connectivity. #codblackops #pc

Similar problem with Modern Warfare 2 noted by an Iraq soldier ( a real one )

"Ok, all of my buddies and I over here in Iraq like to do the whole Call of Duty LAN stuff, but it seems we can't do it on MW2, or at least we don't know how to. A few of us buy a copy then pass it around, and it always worked before, but now it says we have to connect to steam, and the bad thing is we don't have internet connection outlets for all of us to hook up, only 2 at a time, so does anyone know if it is possible to play LAN on it? "

So for CoD: Black Ops the answer is still :  NO

 
Real LAN or Fake LAN ?

All official information so far has been clear.

The CoD: Black Ops server files will not be released to the public.

Fresh tweet from pcdv   : If you run a private match on a LAN then the host (listen server) is on the LAN.

When you call a server a host and add the (listen server) your talking P2P.  But only the in-home kind of P2P.

So NO private matches with your friend in a neighbouring town.  Just the In-home P2P... 

_{by Claire Claws}

CoD4 has still a lot of public servers. CoD7 will only have rented dedicated servers.

CoD4 is still used for Online Tournaments; because CoD4 has the "sponsor" option.

As it looks now:

Many Clans won't have multiple (open and private, standard and modded) servers in Black Ops.

NO online Tournaments for PC Black Ops. So no more GSP sponsored ladders...

Many Players, who regulary make small online "friends only MP servers" wont be there.

(Example: Students who "LAN" over the net while living in the same building or kids finding jump spots together. You know... the FUN spontaneous things people do.)

So, a few months after release, the number of CoD: Black Ops MP Servers are expected to drop.


Sure.... Treyarch will rent a lot of servers on release day and will try keeping a certain amount of servers up; but who will admin these servers after hackers will find their way in ?

Popular servers (with admins) will be always full and you can't join when you want to. ( 18 slot servers max)

And so, all can get in a downwards spiral fast.  Because, as always, players give up.

It's a thin line between love and hate.

So I say :  Make the unranked servers public servers or add this as a second "unranked" option.

• So ALL players can have an own little server if they want to. 

• Change Local P2P option in LAN server,

• Clans can run more then one server on their own box.

• Mod and Mappers can properly test their created stuff.

• Continents/Countries without gameservers.com can play with low ping.

And when things go wrong the REAL dedicated server-admins will hold the fort and provide all with cheat free gaming.   

Technical it is possible to keep the ranked servers in the secure hands of Gameservers.com and make an unranked version public. Or just add a third, more user friendly, option to the _{Call of Duty: Black Ops} server options....

_{by Vrandas}

Donutdan4114 keeps updating his Modern Warfare 2 Configuration Utility...

Version 13.6 is the latest version.

• Backup your rank, stats, titles and emblems!
• Enable/Disable the in-game music!
• Change the color of your ping bars!
• Change advanced mouse settings!
• And SO MUCH MORE!!!

You will not be banned for using this program !

======= UPDATES/ENHANCEMENTS v13.6 ===================================

- Several minor fixes, including a few bugs
- Backup/restore tab now remembers your time setting
- You can now set the program to delete old backups
- Backups will now be located in the program folder "Program FilesMW2CUBackups"
- Added more content to the "About" section
- PROFILES (BETA)! Added a new tab for creating and playing with new profiles! (only for Steam users)
- You can only use the Profiles feature if you accept the terms of the BETA agreement.
- New "About" section! Made the common settings look better!
- You can disable the save reminder if you think its annoying (Help > Remind me to save)
- Moved all ping bar settings to the "Edit Ping Bars" form.
- Added Reset buttons to the advanced tab. Check them out!
- You can now type in a mouse settings (not just scroll bars anymore).
- Graphics tab now has performance slider, for quickly setting to Highest Quality, or Best Performance.
- Updated the LaunchMW2.exe program. To get the newest version, click the 'Put Backup Icon Desktop' button found on the backup/restore tab. Updating to the newer version will fix some minor issues.
- Better update system.
- Now alerts you to run as an Administrator (hopefully no more issues relating to that).

========== BUGS FOUND v13.6 ===========================================

- [SOLUTION] If the program doesn't start, try updating your .NET Framework
- [SOLUTION] Make sure you run the program as an Administrator, or it won't work properly

================================================== ===================

Download MW2 Configuration Utility v13.6

_{by Brent}

Updated

- Must you be online to play LAN PC Black Ops ?

Answered :

Josh Peckler : Is LAN mode for the pc, get together with friends at a house.? 

pcdev: We’re Not supporting LAN, it’s a steam title internet required

update : For latest development about this look here !

- Does PC CoD: Black Ops use (MW2) matchmaking or (WaW) serverlist ?

Answered :

Josh Peckler : I’ve heard rumors about Matchmaking on the pc, it being included… 

pcdev: ... although it will support some old style listen servers, this is a dedicated server title. its going to have a newly designed server browser, that I think you’re going to love, and also if you don’t feel like browsing you can ask the game to pick the server for you with the click of a button, that’s the extent of anything that someone what some would call matchmaking its just putting them in a server.

- Will server-admins have FULL control or simplified desktop control ?

Answered :

No FTP access. GameServerProvider Desktop remote rcon style

info update:

As far as gameservers.com knows right now, ranked BO servers will be restricted to 18 players, and won't be able to run bigger or smaller.

You should be able to switch server types (ranked/unranked) There most likely won't be one setting or button you can press to switch types. Switching would likely require an entirely new server to be created and the old one removed.

So having an ranked Clan server but using mods sometimes will go like this : 

You have to upload the whole mod everytime you want to play some "promod" with your mates.  Lots of server downtime switching from public to "war" server and vice versa. Same goes for uploading custom maps ( if there ever be maptools for BO).