Infinity Ward's fourzerotwo thinks devs should 'take control' of marketing

http://digg.com/pc_games/Modern_Warfare_2_shock_No_servers_or_mods_for_PC_version

A lot more that 600 diggs

No, absolutely not. I do not agree with this guy and I do not want to see it happen. There is a reason things are setup the way they are. For the past two years, I've seen so many developers act like fanboys and I've seen negative results in their games based on what they said. This is what happens when you allow a developer too much free reign, if there aren't any bosses to keep them in check then all hell breaks loose.

All of 2007 and part of 2008 was a disaster, with devs speaking out everywhere until fans spoke out too and Publishers took notice and put a stop to it because ultimately the fans were what's important. The publishers publish the game, and this includes marketing and PR. That is their specialty, they have highly paid professionals to do this so who would you rather trust, a dev who has no skills in this area or a publisher who hired a guy or girl who is fully trained for this? I'd rather have the professional. PR and Marketing is hired to present the game to the audience and make it look as good as possible, while Developers job is to make the game as good as possible. The better the devs can make it, the better PR/Marketing can present it. It's a good partnership.

WINterfang,

Until you can write your OP with clear, proper grammar, maybe you should lay off the F-bomb replies.

"Devs are getting too much power nowadays," you wrote.

I wrote, yeah, I feel Bowling has a lot of leeway to say whatever he wants, (he works for a dev, dude) and sometimes what Bowling says makes no sense. Then I gave an example.

If a marketing firm was aiding this guy, maybe he would not say such things.

If you want me to make it clearer, I can try.

mr. twofourzero is a d'bag. They may be able to market a game that already sells massively by themselves. But, wait for (if they ever) decide to make a new IP. Then they would be crying for a pr firm to help them out. If they are going to split from acti, and hire their own marketing department, good for them. The way twoforty makes it sound, every developer should handle marketing...and that is a dumb statement

I had plans to purchase this on the PS3 so the dedicated servers issue didn't affect me, but all of this negative press has really blown the wind out of the sails of "hype" for me and has caused me to reconsider my purchase. After all it's just another Call of Duty game of the other 5 (?) that are out already. There are a bunch of other fantastic games coming out in the next couple of months that aren't just "copy and pastes" with a few new features added. Maybe I'll pick it up after it's cheap and the ridiculously priced "DLC" is free.

MW2 will be a treasure chest for Activision (ATVI). Their stock price will shoot up next year!!!! I said it here first so don't say I didn't tell you!!!!

I owe 800 shares!!!! :)

Yes, leave marketing to the marketers; BUT, realize that 'marketing' is not the only productive use of discourse between a company and it's consumer base.

Plenty of other developers are using those lines of communication for things that have intrinsic value to both them and the players and just so happens to sell more games along the way.

This is his secret cry of help that activision has him and his game by the balls and wont let go

Riiiiight... because you guys have done a fantastic job at marketing.
Lets see the history of MW2:

-MW2 trailers gets released. Everyone is excited
-Activision CEO shits on gamers. Gamers don't care much since he doesn't represent IW
-Infinity Ward opens their mouths (insert sexual joke here)
-Gamers get angry, PC gamers sign petitions, etc...

I would be a hypocrite if I wasn't going to buy this game, it is no doubt going to be excellent. But, I will definitely not enjoy thinking about how I'm supporting the devil (Bobby Kodick)

I'm not sure if developers marketing their own game makes sense for publishers. I'm sure the larger developers may be capable of marketing their own games-- but if a developer were, chances are they would only concentrate on the single game rather than attempt to coordinate and market around other titles from the same publisher. Imagine if Call of Duty Modern Warfare and Call of Duty World at War were marketed at the same time. I'd also be concerned if a developer didn't market their game well, just to save costs.

It kind of sounds like Infinity Ward is basically talking about breaking away from Activision. At least that's where this road is leading.

SpyderTaco,

"So he knows how much "gamers" care about dedicated servers and the ability to use mod tools on the PC versions of their games." His knowledge seems to be remarkably selective. You know...the kind of selective knowledge where you know you've made a series of terrible mistakes only to then say, "Well....that didn't really happen." or "It's not really an issue." in order to save face. Unless people are singing praises and giving accolades to him or anyone else at Infinity Ward, he seems to be intentionally ignorant of the honest criticisms coming from 100,000+ fans.

Why should he listen to us? It's not like we've bought his previous games in large volumes, making his company reputable, and, ultimately, paying his check every week; the rise of Infinity Ward and the finances that pay for his job are actually products of Unicorn snuggles instead of fans buying their games. As far as the game's concerned, they've just done all they can to make the PC port of Modern Warfare 2 all it can be. It's the perfect game. It's 17% more expensive than it's predecessor was for no other reason than it can be, it has DRM that prevents resale, the modding community was rendered stillborn because charging for "DLC" is much more important than giving the people who actually play the game the ability to give it longer legs, and we're now forced to use some proprietary, halfbaked matchmaking system for two reasons: 1) a cabal of dimwitted idgets who've migrated from the consoles can't find a single game to play (despite the 14,000+ entries they have available) unless someone picks it for them and 2) it's apparently wrong for anyone to play only with their friends/clan while having the best connection possible in their region as a server admin watches the game in order to kick out cheaters who elude Punkbuster. Yep...none of those are honest criticisms or reasons to flip Infinity Ward the bird. /s

@WINterfang

When you get more subtle with your english you'll understand perfectly. He basically agreed with what you said, gave an example and said we'll have to wait and see if Bowling hangs himself (likely) or climbs up the rope (not likely).

I feel bad for the PC users, but I lack the convictions necessary to boycott what looks like a fun game because one version has been gimped massively. :( I'm a console gamer first and foremost for this series, so matchmaking in COD comes with the territory to me. If, say, they announced a new version of Team Fortress where matchmaking is the only way to play with other people, then I'd be really pissed...

Here's to hoping someone figures out a way to mod the PC version in a way that dedicated servers are possible, I guess!

"Not only do we know the game but we know the gamer," he's speaking my language. :)

someone mention to 402 to hit us up at FiftyOne Marketing ;) http://www.fiftyonemarketing.com

When developers start paying their own dev costs and paying for the marketing, then they should have control of it. Of course, then they would probably be publishers, not developers.

Until the dev takes the risks associated with the cost of developer and marketing and distribution, and everything else, instead of taking up front advances to cover their risk, then they need to play be the rules of the ones that pay them.

If Infinity Ward is so bloody brilliant, and marketing is so easy, then they should quit working for publishers and create their products with their own money and do all the leg work of sales, distributions, marketing, returns, manufacture, warehousing, etc... Then they would be free to do whatever they want.

well if hes claiming marketing responsibility for MW2 then he made a massive cock up of the dedicated server thing im still doubtfull if they wouldve told us had it not been for the suspected PC delay

you owe 800 shares

gambing is bad man

Pc gamers will be able to not buy the game on principle

But sadly as we are Human beings and as a race we are terribly terribly spiteful people will pirate instead as a sort of up yours IW

and as for there being a mod to allow dedicated servers in the game i still highly doubt that people would go and buy a legit copy, because IW would turn around and say oh look as of 3rd of december out PC sales have skyrocketed everyone must be accepting IWnet

and the one guy in the corner sits there coughing "cough or theres a Cough Dedicated server Mod Cough"

You're bugging. Lemmie see you put together a game this huge. Matter of fact, put a team together, and do anything on the lines of this game.

Sounds like to me they wanted to call it MWII but Activision pulled that thought based on sales.. IW is basically saying: "Hey we wanted to do this-this-and that, but activision said NO. -So thats why things are the way it is.."

As for them being cocky, so what? Based on their track record, I'd talk shit too, because I can. Y'all are taking your hate on Activision too far. Dpn't hate the game, hate the publisher.

And to the fellas talking about "Steal this Game".. Y'all are just saying that just to make an excuse of y'all thieving ways.. Keep stealing. That just make publishers and studios want to develop MORE for consoles.

Keep bitin' the hand that feeds you.

and people kept saying Treyarch is garbage compared to IW. At least Treyarch hasn't whored themselves out to Activision like IW has done with this game. IW is just lucky this game is called Call Of Duty otherwise this game would have tanked with all these terrible design choices. I know I'm still buying it because of the CoD title.

That's a pile of bull! Bowling has a "direct line" to a TINY percentage of customers, getting very little meaningful feedback. Moreover, they only follow him on twitter because his franchise is already hugely successful and supported by an unprecedented hype machine. That's very much 'traditional' marketing, supported by boring corporate meetings and nauseating flowcharts.

The days of developers being able to fully handle their marketing are long over.