This blog post needs no introduction. We are in the final stretch of the release of the most anticipated FPS sequel of the season. November 10th, 2009 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 hits the shelves (or steam store for those who prefer digital distribution). Up to this point, I, along side hundreds of thousands of players, could not keep our eyes of the amazing trailers and other game spoilers which only increased our temptations 10 fold like a dog receiving table scraps on Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, this past weekend a 'spoiler' has horrifically turned our once begging desires into sour despise. That spoiler being the death to freedom of individualism, unity and choice in both the interactive and competitive gaming communities. Welcome to the Age of Gaming Socialism.

I have always been one for simplicity in my gaming choices. I game with the members of the MC/Paradises Garage community any time available. If there is a community member playing a game that I want to play, you bet I would be joining that same server right behind them. Most typically the server I would be joining would be an {MC} Paradise server. I know what I like, and that's fellowship in community and familiar surroundings, hence my choices. And unless you sported a [CoR] tag, I respected your being and opinion because it was most likely like mine: you know what you like, and what you like is fellowship through community and familiar surroundings. There is no idea to trump that logic. This is the gaming we know and love. With Modern Warfare 2, this is a thing of the past.

Modern Warfare 2 introduces you to a new reality where Infinity Ward (The creators of Call of Duty MW2) tells you where to go, who to play with and what your going to play. All made possible by the recent announcement that there will be 'no dedicated servers.' With this brilliant concept, Infinity Ward helps simplify your already simplified choice in server choice. So Instead of loading your favorites, and choosing one of the only 2 servers you play at, you get to press a similar 'join game' button which magically whisks you away to a server with a potentially similar excitement and fun level as Delaware. Upon entering this whimsical cesspool of unnecessary e-thugs and hypocritical logic-enforcing 'mature' peace-keepers (which reminds you of political gerrymandering of a more racist America), you will find sanctity in the one player who prefers to use the team chat for the use of strats rather than the reinforcement of MTV's latest update on rapper wars, who will then quickly part from you upon the next map change. After about 20 minutes of feeling the metaphorical chains of oppression you will probably enter a state of appreciation for gaming communities...if you do not quit the game first.

But there is a way to prevent this from ever happening, because after all I only saw that in my flashforward. First of all, everyone should sign this petition to allow dedicated servers. Dedicated servers is the absolute essence of PC gaming, for it is the oasis for communities, clans, orgs, guilds, mods, and game-play that we are all ready accustomed to. To sign this petition, please visit http://www.petitiononline.com/dedis4mw/petition.html and sign. This is serious business (just like everything else on the internet), and thus should be signed with all seriousness. Secondly, If you preordered this game, I would recommend canceling that preorder. That does a few things. 1, it saves you money and time. Since this game is going to be distributed through steam for security purposes, preordering a digitally distributed game would be like calling in your order to McDonald'ss for it to be ready in a few hours. 2, a sufficient reduction of preorders upon a singleconceptt will scare the hell out of this company just trying to make a buck. 3, why waste your money on a game where you may have to experience the feelings portrayed in the paragraph above?

After such an outcry that has gone on these last few days, I see no fear in the above example coming true, but until this changes, I for one will not fall victim to gaming socialism.

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As Kanye West Would Say:  Robert Bowling, I'm going to let you finish failing, but Call of Duty 4 had the best dedicated servers of all time

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