PSA: Modern Warfare 2 won't unlock on Steam until Friday

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 10th 2009 at 2:00PM }

While those who suffered the slings, arrows and unbearable social graces of the Modern Warfare 2 midnight launch lines have been playing the game for half a day now, those who decided to purchase and download the game through Steam won't be able to unlock their copy of the game until Friday morning at the stroke of midnight. If you've bought a retail copy of the game, Steam will go ahead and unlock it now -- the delay only seems to apply to the digitally distributed version.

It looks like the game was initially delayed to unlock at midnight on Thursday, but at some point this morning, an additional 24 hours was tacked on to the postponement. Valve and Infinity Ward still haven't commented on why Steam users are being forced to wait -- we'll see if we can get an answer from them.

Tags: activision, call-of-duty, call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2, delay, infinity-ward, modern-warfare-2, steam

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Marius Returns @ Nov 10th 2009 2:04PM

Im pretty sure most PC gamers have bought it for a console already,

So how is the game....

Jerk Face @ Nov 10th 2009 2:27PM

So, so good.

Brodo @ Nov 10th 2009 4:49PM

im still waiting for my xbox back from microsoft! Welcome to the club pc gamers

AvA (ice~) @ Nov 10th 2009 11:08PM

I love it. It's a quality game, and it's as addicting if not more than the first. All the hatred around it is basically for the PC version, so if you're a console gamer, there's not much to worry about. though we gotta feel for our PC brethren :'[

fffunfarm06 @ Nov 10th 2009 11:47PM

I KNOW WHY! I KNOW WHY! READ IT! HERE HERE HERE!!!

its because, and listen carefully... Activision is getting paid off by gamestop by advertising the game, so making them wait will have more people buying it at Gamestop.

I wish the bloggers could voice their own opinion sometimes, cause im sure they thought this too

fffunfarm06 @ Nov 10th 2009 11:56PM

I mean "paid off" in the form of free advertisements.

THE HEAVY @ Nov 10th 2009 2:04PM

I may hate Nascar.

But I still love Valve.

Marius Returns @ Nov 10th 2009 2:06PM

wait what does Valve have to do with this

SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Nov 10th 2009 2:12PM

Steam = Valve.
Welcome to 2003.

Marius Returns @ Nov 10th 2009 2:16PM

gross

THE HEAVY @ Nov 10th 2009 2:42PM

Wait what does Nascar have to do with this.

SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Nov 10th 2009 3:51PM

Wait why did you ask yourself a question?

THE HEAVY @ Nov 10th 2009 4:13PM

Who are you to question the asking myself of a question?

ShadowOp @ Nov 10th 2009 5:18PM

Wait, what have ask you zing baabadeedoop?

I enjoy these comments...

Also, so not worth it for pc... might as well wait for Battlefield Bad Comapny 2 for pc *GASP*

perhaps BFBC2? B^2FC2? Wait, why am I talking about BB-FC2 on this message?

SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Nov 10th 2009 2:05PM

Well, I can't pick up my PS3 version until Friday.
At least I won't be the only one in pain.

Hashbrown Hunter (OneGiantCluster.blogspot.com) @ Nov 10th 2009 2:06PM

Sucks for all those Steam-heads.

THE HEAVY @ Nov 10th 2009 5:52PM

You say that like its negative...

RKN @ Nov 10th 2009 2:06PM

Oh good, I thought even those who bought the retail version would have to wait until Friday because those also need to be activated via Steam. Newegg has the PC version for $52-53 with free shipping.

Shagittarius @ Nov 10th 2009 2:17PM

If you had ordered it from amazon you got a 20$ gift certificate when it shipped, good towards any other game. So in effect it cost me 39.99. Or I got Assassin's Creed 2 for 29.99. What ever way you want to look at it.

The Dark Wayne [Planeteer: Power of the Batusi] @ Nov 10th 2009 2:06PM

Really? I mean, the other things were business decisions but this is just trying to be mean to PC gamers!

David Black @ Nov 10th 2009 3:30PM

This just in: Not only can PC gamers not play the game until Friday, upon launching the game after activation a picture of a naked Bobby Kotick appears with the caption: "Suck it PC gamers" and then your machine is bricked by a trojan code.

Okay not really, but can PC gamers really get the shaft shoved any further up their @$$ after this? I just don't get it.

Phillip @ Nov 10th 2009 3:30PM

I'm sure it's just Gamestop and friends paying Activision to delay the Steam release.

And it's not really "mean". This is one of those games where you buy the retail version, and you can register your CD key with Steam and d/l it on Steam from then on (a la Left4Dead, Dawn of War 2, etc.).

Temidien @ Nov 10th 2009 2:07PM

Why is it that such problems with release and controversies seem a million times more magnified because the game is highly anticipated? I think people forget it's a video game, not a life-altering event.

For the record, this comes from a big CoD fan, I just want to put things in perspective.

Reuben @ Nov 10th 2009 2:08PM

An extra 24 hours was just tacked on for seemingly no reason. If I had pre-purchased it off Steam, i would be pissed as well.

I think that's understandable.

den-69 @ Nov 10th 2009 2:11PM

A big fan who didn't buy it through steam I take it? lol

I would be pretty p*ssed that everyone else got to play it first, even people who bought the retail version.

The more I see and hear about digital distribution, the more off-putting it gets for me.

Temidien @ Nov 10th 2009 2:13PM

I understand that and had I ordered through Steam I'd be on the phone with them right now, but my post has more to do with the build up of all these little issues over the last few weeks. The lack of trophies, breaking release date, civilian-killing scene, etc. It just feels like a lot of attention is being placed on it for relatively minor reasons.

Again, my sympathy to Steam players. My 360 RRoD-ed last night so it'll be a few weeks before I get to play. I feel your pain.

Dustin @ Nov 10th 2009 5:07PM

That sucks... It seems pirating it will get it accessable faster than retail, and without any Steam to affect it.

Quite nice :)

Rhamsey @ Nov 10th 2009 2:07PM

Infinity Ward must really hate pc users.

Hyperion45 @ Nov 10th 2009 3:05PM

They must be punishing the PC players for all that bitching and moaning they were doing over severs and multiplayer match size.

IGLAW @ Nov 10th 2009 2:08PM

50 minutes until my torrent is finished~

The Dark Wayne [Planeteer: Power of the Batusi] @ Nov 10th 2009 2:09PM

fuck you! No wonder they abandoned the PC version!

Temidien @ Nov 10th 2009 2:10PM

Your needle is facing the wrong direction.

Marius Returns @ Nov 10th 2009 2:10PM

stick it to the man

RKN @ Nov 10th 2009 2:15PM

I'm sure that Activision wanted IW to stop developing for the PC altogether but IW said no. So, Activision mandated they piss off the PC gaming community as much as possible to encourage more piracy for the game and thus they have the excuse to cut off the PC forever.

Dreaded Fear @ Nov 10th 2009 2:22PM

Congrats idiot. You have shown that you are interested in the game, but decided not to buy it. Now Activision and other publishers will use this to justify the bs they put on PC games these days (DRM) or they might not even bring the game out on PC period.

PC gamers can thank idiots like IGLAW for ruining their past time.

EGOvoruhk @ Nov 10th 2009 2:36PM

@Dreaded Fear

Good! I do have interest in the game, but no longer want to buy it. If they didn't screw over the PC version, I would have bought two copies. One for the 360, and one for the PC, just like I did with the MW1...but not now! I hope everyone at IW feels dirty after all of this

Neebs @ Nov 10th 2009 2:56PM

Dark Wayne - maybe he's pirating to a make a point that good games get bought and shitty, shafted ones get pirated because no one wants to pay money for them?

Dreaded Fear @ Nov 10th 2009 3:08PM

Yeah idiots, great point. You want to play a game that people have worked hard on, but don't want to pay for it because your douche bags. Let me guess, you didn't buy Braid because you though Johnathon Blow was acting like a douche? Or maybe you though it was $10 too much. Your pathetic, and don't realize how lucky you are that the gaming industry is profitable and great games come out... no thanks to you.

Gamer4Life @ Nov 10th 2009 3:11PM

@IGLAW it's okay to use piracy as a form of protest not just because you're a cheap ass.

EGOvoruhk @ Nov 10th 2009 3:15PM

@Dreaded Fear

Uh, no. I want to play the game, because I enjoyed its predecessor. It has nothing to do with how hard they worked on it. People work hard on shit games too. I'm not buying it, because they removed a bunch of features I actually used in MW1, and are charging $10 more for it. If not wanting to pay more money for less makes me a douche, so be it

Lurker28 @ Nov 10th 2009 5:39PM

Yes, I forget how innocent the Xbox 360 users are. No, they don't hack their consoles and download torrents...huge lumps of xbox 360 users NEVER get banned for having illegally obtained copies of software. Only the "evil" PC users do that.

HeXeN @ Nov 10th 2009 2:14PM

At least he has the balls to say it (If that's any consolation).

HeXeN @ Nov 10th 2009 2:15PM

?!?!?!?

anthony @ Nov 10th 2009 2:17PM

well im not getting me copy till thursday so i can kinda feel the steam communities pain

sonofman @ Nov 10th 2009 2:24PM

So why is this game sixty dollars? I thought games cost $60 if they had a Microsoft or Sony Seal of A-Totally-Worth-10-More-Dollars-pproval on it... Or if they only worked in a Monopoly Station Box 363...

I see neither is the case...

wiregr @ Nov 10th 2009 2:29PM

Why, because PC gamers need to pay IW for all the new features they added into the game, of course!

Or, as is probably more likely, because they figured "Hey, if console players are willing to pay $60 for it, why not charge the same for the PC version?"