Much like PC players of Call of Duty typically get the short end of the stick, so will members of the PC faction of Call of Duty Elite be getting a somewhat stunted experience. Not stunted in the way that Call of Duty Elite’s breadth of features won’t be available to PC gamers, stunted in that the service will not be launching alongside Modern Warfare 3 next week.
Unfortunately, since the PC is inherently a platform prone to malfeasance (more on that later) Call of Duty Elite developer Beachhead Studio can’t give the service the green light just yet. For Beachhead, getting Call of Duty Elite’s launch right is of the utmost importance because it guarantees all the stat-tracking and competitions (which feature a set of enticing real world and in-game prizes) are all legitimate.
What is the biggest disappointment is the fact that those who purchased the Hardened Edition of Modern Warfare 3, which comes packaged with a one-year subscription to Call of Duty Elite, will not technically be getting what they paid for. At this moment, Beachhead isn’t even willing to give a time table for when gamers might expect the PC side of Call of Duty Elite to go live, but are instead just hoping that the work they are doing is for a greater good.
In keeping with that theme, Microsoft revealed today that those players who may have obtained their copy of Modern Warfare 3 by way of some sort of illegal means should be wary of the ban hammer visiting their doorstep. Copies of the game have leaked both online and have appeared on the shelves of stores that have broken street date, but only one should be too worried.
According to Microsoft and Activision if you obtained your copy of Modern Warfare 3 legitimately, meaning you bought it from a trusted retailer who simply made a mistake or came by a pre-release copy for review or what not, then go ahead and play to your hearts content. But, if you know the copy isn’t legit, then be warned.
The game is out Tuesday so those who are worried about their Xbox Live account being threatened could take the easiest path and wait until the game officially releases, and as far as Call of Duty Elite on the PC, stick tuned to Game Rant for an official announcement of when it might launch.
PC gamers, how do you feel about Call of Duty Elite not launching alongside Modern Warfare 3? Is there anyone out there who has an unofficial copy of Modern Warfare 3 who has felt Microsoft or Activision’s wrath?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launches November 8, 2011 for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.