14 DAY TRIAL // We reported last week that the Windows Store version of Call of Duty Infinite Warfare cannot be played in multiplayer mode against PC users on Steam because of a decision which Microsoft claims was entirely made by Activision, and now we can already see the outcome of this bad idea.
One of those who purchased Call of Duty from the Windows Store turned to reddit to reveal that his little brother wanted to play the game online, but he found himself all alone in the multiplayer lobby.
And while at first glance you might be tempted to believe that it’s all just a bug, it’s not, and users were waiting for someone else to join their games for ever, pretty much because nobody else was playing.
A screenshot that he posted online reveals that only 2 players were connected at that moment, whereas the Steam version is significantly more successfully, attracting thousands of players already.
Full refund issued by Microsoft
And it turns out that Microsoft is well aware of the fact that Call of Duty could cause frustration to Windows 10 Store buyers, so the company is giving full refunds to those requesting them.
In case you’re wondering why would anyone buy the game from the Windows Store and not from Steam, which is pretty much the largest gaming platform at the moment, Vice has the answer. The Windows 10 version is a lot cheaper, as it costs only $63.99, while the Steam version is available for $79.99.
Fortunately, Microsoft appears to be handling this very well and giving users refunds, but this is unlikely to become a widespread problem, pretty much because there are only a few players that purchased the game in the first place.
For what it’s worth, statistics provided by SteamCharts show that 40 minutes before publishing this article, there were no less than 3,849 players on Call of Duty IW, while the 24-hour peak is 15,312 players at the same time. On the Windows Store version, the maximum number of players at the same time is 2.
