InsaneBear

Reactions: Modern Warfare 2 and Perfect Dark 2 rumors

That there image you see above you, that’s a screen-shot from Infinity Ward’s increasingly controversial Modern Warfare 2, courtesy of 1UP. Now in case you can’t quite read those tiny letters, I’ll go ahead and quote the message for you. “This multiplayer session requires that you be in the game chat channel. If you don’t switch, you can’t play. Switch to the game chat channel now?”

What does this mean? This means that at least in select game types, private chats will not be available to Modern Warfare 2 users. Obviously it’s a measure to combat cheaters who exploit private chats to pass on information that they shouldn’t be passing on, but let’s think about this for a minute. No dedicated servers? I can live with that, although I do feel the PC market’s pain. Needlessly wasting resources on a crappy third-person mode? Whatever. But forcing me to associate with random assholes I don’t know when I just want to enjoy some Team Deathmatch with my friends? Now you’re crossing a line. I’m still going to get the game for a single-player campaign that’s sure to be fantastic, but I can tell you right now that I will not be playing much multiplayer if I have to listen to every douche bag 14-year-old on Xbox Live. Really stupid-ass move here, IW.

And in news that could either be just as upsetting or brighten your day depending on personal preference, Rare recently said that they’re working on a Natal-centric FPS.

As part of a feature on the first-person shooter, Rare’s Mark Betteridge told MCV that the company’s “sights are trained on Natal.” Betteridge went on to call Microsoft’s multi-tasking control interface “a great opportunity to break new ground with content and gameplay…[Project Natal is] also an opportunity to exercise some genre evolution, so hopefully we’ll be able to develop something on that front.”

It’s no secret that Rare is set to be one of Microsoft’s poster boys for Natal, and the developer does have a history of awesome FPSs (although we haven’t seen much of that in the past ten years), so I’d at least color myself interested. The obvious assumption is that this Natal FPS will be a continuation of the Perfect Dark franchise, given the company’s moderate success with the launch title Perfect Dark Zero and persisting rumors of an additional Perfect Dark project on the docket, the other being the XBLA remake of the original. With Natal likely launching in Fall 2010 and Rare’s last game (Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise) coming out in 2008, it doesn’t seem like much of a stretch for a new Perfect Dark to hit stores congruently with Natal. Here’s to hoping as genre-changing as Rare wants it to be.

Author: Cody

Tags: activision, infinity ward, microsoft, modern warfare 2, perfect dark 2, project natal, rare, xbox 360