EA DICE Fires Across Modern Warfare's Bow

In response to all the recent hullaballoo about dedicated servers in the PC version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, EA DICE has released a statement clarifying its stance on Internet connectivity for its upcoming Battlefield: Bad Company 2. As one might expect given the reaction to Infinity Ward's controversial decision, DICE is sticking to the tried-and-true method of dedicated servers.

"This formula has worked well, and still works well, for us and for the gaming community," reads the statement. "With dedicated servers everyone gets non-stop action with no connection penalties based on some other player and their Internet." Bad Company 2 will not have any matchmaking on PC, relying instead on gamers to find servers that fit their style via the kind of server browser we've been using for years. DICE also confirmed the option to run servers in Ranked mode, allowing for unlocks, rewards, and persistent stats.

Many gamers have already enthusiastically embraced DICE's decision, declaring their support for the greater freedom allowed server admins under the company's more open policy. For many stalwart PC fans, the lack of matchmaking is a non-issue. Finding a server whose community and ruleset suits your style is not terribly difficult when you're already plugged into the multiplayer scene.

There's no doubt that the hardcore PC FPS crowd is a community whose preferences and proclivities maximize the positives of dedicated servers (generally more stable connections, support for custom rulesets, access to mods) while limiting the inconvenience of navigating server browsers and dealing with tweaked rulesets. Whether Infinity Ward's gamble on a silent majority of players who want a streamlined, hassle-free matchmaking experience pays off remains to be seen. Certainly, DICE will receive fewer personal insults and hate-filled emails for its decision.