14 DAY TRIAL // GameStop has managed to break one of its records with the help of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. What was previously the biggest recorded number of preorders for a single title has been shattered by Infinity Ward's first-person shooter. The game, promising to outdo the first Modern Warfare, generated a huge amount of interest and excitement from the gaming community and everyone expects it to have an impressive sales record, as the most anticipated shooter of the year.
GameStop executive Tony Bartel had a one-on-one talk with USA Today and stated that, “As of today, the number of pre-order reservations we've taken for the game is the highest for any title we've ever sold in our 6,200 store network.” So, in spite of the negative publicity and downright rage fits Infinity Ward managed to give fans of the series when it announced it would be taking out the dedicated server support from the multiplayer, it seems like plenty of gamers are still looking forward to the game.
Now, it could be that most of these preorders are from the console version of the title that was never involved in this scandal. The consoles stayed away from this disaster simply because the dedicated servers were a PC feature in the first place, so, whether it's included in the game or not, it doesn't really concern the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The servers are mostly used by PC gamers in their clan tournaments and in all sorts of private matches, something they have become very accustomed to over the years, besides the freedom it gives them.
Infinity Ward supported their decision by saying that, in this way, they would be more efficient at supporting the gaming community. Now, considering that it's the gaming community itself that was so outraged by this decision and vocally spoke out against it, it would seem like the wellbeing of its fans is the last thing on Infinity's mind. Since it decided to listen to its own judgment and completely disregard the opinion of the game's fan base, this could be a case of the misunderstood evil, the parent knowing what is best for their child, but chances are slim.