Call of Duty 2 glitch solves multiplayer woes

by James Ransom-Wiley { Jan 26th 2006 at 1:00PM }

Some clever gamers have discovered a glitch that allows players to customize Call of Duty 2 multiplayer games on XBL. It's appalling that a glitch needed to be discovered in the first place, as customization should be a fundamental requirement of multiplayer games. But we digress...

The glitch requires two players. Player one creates a COD2 system link game, selecting the player limit, game type (including kill count), level, and time limit. Now, player two, while playing a different game, invites player one to join. Player one must initially accept the invitation, but when prompted to log out of COD2, player one must refuse. These actions will trigger the glitch, which designates player one as the host of an XBL match using the parameters chosen for the system link match.

If you wanna get in on the action, DUKEforLIFE, one of the first to discover the glitch, has started a thread targeting prime hosts. But let's hope Activision & Infinity Ward get a clue and issue a massive update, so we won't have to rely on glitches to play a decent round of COD2.

[Thanks, SickNic]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Major Scud @ Jan 26th 2006 1:12PM

AWESOME! Well this is much better then before, but still embarassing for the programmers that we need to exploit a glitch to have something simple like user created xbox live matches. A patch is needed bigtime!

Fan @ Jan 26th 2006 1:18PM

WTF wants to play a mulitplayer game that caps out at 8 player max??

LOL what is this? 1994?

Pixelantes Anonymous @ Jan 26th 2006 1:51PM

That glitch shows very nicely how "robust" CoD2's networking code is. No wonder they can't come up with a patch in any resonable time.

pennywise969 @ Jan 26th 2006 2:22PM

I think the "patch" for Call of Duty 2 online might be a game called Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter.

Matthew Lenz @ Jan 26th 2006 2:25PM

Do you console FPS players actually think your playing a real FPS? You gotta be kidding me. A chimp with a mouse and a keyboard could own even the most talented gamepad user. Not to mention the limitation on the number of players. Why even bother?

Jason @ Jan 26th 2006 2:35PM

We'll, I've tried to get this working 3 times and still no go.
I don't doubt the sources, but it's just not working for us.

Now that I've finished the single-player campaign, I think I'm gonna sell this one, the XBoxLive support is garbage. And the worst part is that my roomate bought the PC version and is having a blast with it...

Nate @ Jan 26th 2006 2:40PM

Matthew,

I prefer computer FPSs, too, but there are obviously a lot of good reasons to play them on consoles.

1) You can play with your friends.
2) You can play from your couch.
3) You can play on a bigger screen.
4) You don't have to hunch over a keyboard and mouse.
5) If you're playing on Live, you get all the nice Live stuff.

Don't be a hater, dude.

Dave @ Jan 26th 2006 2:45PM

"5. Do you console FPS players actually think your playing a real FPS? You gotta be kidding me. A chimp with a mouse and a keyboard could own even the most talented gamepad user. Not to mention the limitation on the number of players. Why even bother?"

1. Because I have these things called that I enjoying being in physical proximity to when I play at times.

2. Fun? God forbid a game should just be fun, and that "owning" isn't terribly important to me?

Dave @ Jan 26th 2006 2:48PM

Dammit, that should be:

1. Because I have these things called friends that I enjoy being in physical proximity to when I play at times.

anotherjeff @ Jan 26th 2006 2:50PM

Ooooh, fanboy burn.

pennywise969 @ Jan 26th 2006 2:50PM

We should all go and sell our consoles. We all thought we were having a good time, but Matthew Lenz says we are wasting our time! Im so glad people like Matthew are here to tell us how to spend our free time.

Jo @ Jan 26th 2006 3:16PM

My copy's for sale on eBay if anyone's interested, no scratches, mint condition.

Jameyt @ Jan 26th 2006 3:31PM

With TimeShift, Prey, GRAW, BFMC2 and Far Cry: Predator all coming out in the next 2 months I'm not sure that a patch is going to make any difference with this game. It's a pity that such a great campaign has such an awful excuse for online play.

The ZeroCorpse @ Jan 26th 2006 3:37PM

Fan,

Sometimes, I prefer a game with fewer players in it. Who ever said that more players is more fun was full of crap. I find that more players makes a deathmatch into a ridiculous event in which you spawn, and are killed almost immediately by one of the 30 guys who spawn near you, and then repeat it.

In a smaller game, you can stalk your enemies, you can set traps for them, you can ambush them, you can actually do a little sniping, you can do more than look for the rocket launcher to take as many with you as you can.

Some of the best games of Counter-Strike I ever played were with 8 players- four per side.

wilford brimley @ Jan 26th 2006 3:42PM

@ #3

they aren't coming out with a quick patch because this is like the top 360 game out. People will buy it regardless, so why bother?

stagl @ Jan 26th 2006 4:06PM

from a PC player:

1) You can play with your friends.
-- i do. online with my PC. or unless you mean in the same room...but i don't need any "screen lookers".
2) You can play from your couch.
-- i can and i do. i use a projector and play on a 90" widescreen. i use the dvi port out on my video card.
3) You can play on a bigger screen.
-- see above
4) You don't have to hunch over a keyboard and mouse.
believe it or not, but you can use a mouse and keyboard on the couch. i know it sounds just too incredible to fathom, but maybe if you tried it once, you'd see it's quite comfy.
5) If you're playing on Live, you get all the nice Live stuff.
-- what? monthly fees?

don't hate.

thiddith @ Jan 26th 2006 5:09PM

Gotta love opinions! Here's one:
Oh i love some of you pc cocks. So smart. So incredibly brilliant. You know what? I was a pc gamer for YEARS, and since LIVE, pc online gaming is done for me. Yah, yah - fucking coolguy has a 90" projector hooked up to his pc cuz he's such an amazing human. Yah, yah, your wireless keyboard and mouse combo sits on your lap and feels so warm on your wee balls.
Guess what? Your MOM owns. Period. She just does. It's pretty incredible actually. Now go jam your $110 gaming-mouse up your arse. You bore us with your lucid stupidity. Consoles are for gamers. You fucks are just dorks.
Hate

Fan @ Jan 26th 2006 8:32PM

@ 14

Im sorry but deathmatch is teh suck. I enjoy playing a real multiplayer game, preferably with 32 or 64 players. That way the game has something called objectives and everyone you meet has human AI.

I agree though that CS is fun with 4 vs 4 BUT COD2 is not CS. Valve rox. I dont own a 360 so i can only assume that the 8 player limitation is a XBOX LIVE imposed solution... One of the many reasons why 50$ a year for this service is a complete ripp off. For that price you should at least get some decent servers and not a p2p scam.

The ZeroCorpse @ Jan 26th 2006 9:09PM

No- On Live you can theoretically play up to 64 in a game. The 8-player limitation was the software designer's choice, not XBox Live's.

Another nice thing about Live: No LPBs. No dial-up idiots making things drag. No servers that won't let you play because the server's got some weird software patch you need to download.

Sean @ Jan 26th 2006 10:30PM

xbox will never touch Unreal Tournament 2004, and that was 2 years ago. if you want next gen graphics get a computer. if you want to play games get a console

for the same amount of money you pay on an xbox you can get a computer that is more powerfull... and play ut2k4 at 1600x1200 why do these even sell? oh thats right they don't.. hahahaha microsoft sucks, would you buy a computer from them? why a console??? why why why?

Bangbang... @ Jan 27th 2006 1:32AM

what is GRAW?

Huey2k2 @ Jan 27th 2006 3:26AM

This entire Console vs PC debate is absolutely retarded. Neither is better, they just offer a different and equally entertaining experience. Not everyone has thousands of dollars laying around to spend on a top of the line PC to play COD2 at 60+ FPS.

I personally enjoy both console AND PC gaming, consoles typically do action/RPG games better then PC's... PC's rule the market when it comes to Strategy games and MMO's.

As far as the stupid Gamepad vs Keyboard debate for FPS's, to suggest one is superior is purely idiotic. Just because you prefer a keyboard/mouse or a gamepad doesn't mean everyone else does. I know several people that play FPS's on their computers with gamepads because they actually prefer it to using a keyboard/mouse.

Why don't we all get our heads out of our asses and stop trying to preach our bias opinions onto everyone else.

Oh and the fact that COD2 only allows 8 people on the 360 was the choice of the developers and has nothing to do with live. The developers were just lazy and for some reason didn't feel like optimizing the games network code for the 360.

nate @ Jan 27th 2006 4:13PM

i believe almost all reviewers said that the 360 version ran smoother and just as pretty as their $3000 alienware pcs huey2k2...

ExChaos @ Feb 22nd 2006 8:59PM

Huey2k2 is absolutely right. And as far as Matthew Lenz goes, go find yourself the best damn chimp you can find because I will wreck his ass with a 360 controlller. Ive been playing FPS games on both the PC and console before Goldeneye was remotely popular so dont give me that bullshit that PC owns when it comes to FPS. Everyone is better at their own thing, and maybe if your head wasnt so far up your ass you might be able to see that and the fact that this whole debate is totaly ridiculous.

Trickey @ Mar 7th 2006 6:49PM

Does anyone know how to get system link to work on COD2 all i can do is get one on each console to work and cant get more than 1 person on a 360 please tell if u kno how. Thanks

Bill @ Mar 9th 2006 6:51PM

I cannot get system link to work. I have emailed Activision with the problem and they have not been able to help sovle the problem. I have 2 xbox 360's that I want to play Call of Duty 2 on using system link. I have them connected via a router , cat5e cable running ot each console. I am able ot create a game on the one console in system link but in the second console I am unable to see the game I created. The weird thing is I put in Halo2 in both consoles and it worked fine. 4 vs 4 was awesome.
Anyone seen similar issues?
Or any help would be awesome.
Thanks,

Greg @ Mar 10th 2006 11:41AM

Hey Sean, you'r post (#20), like you. is a joke. Saying you can get a more powerful computer for the price of a 360 is ludicrous. You can't even get a high-end graphics card for the price of a 360. Ofcourse you would'nt know this because I'm sure you'r mommy still buy's you you'r toys.
And for the record, I have a $3,800.00 custom built gaming machine that will compete with any Alien/VooDoo/etc...., But it's my 360's that are bringing the joy. PC gaming can be a ball; But with all of the cheating, worthless, fleas out there with their ridiculous mods, It's not worth it.
Not only that, but how many (real good) quality games come out each year for PC ? Maybe 5 if you'r lucky. This will not be the case with the 360. It's already starting to pick up with the addition of GRAW; with many, many, more to come in the not so distant future....