Activision Hunts Down Modern Warfare 3 Leaks

[Andy Chalk]

Activision Hunts Down Modern Warfare 3 Leaks

In the least-shocking news of the day, the PC version of Modern Warfare 3 is out in the wild.

Modern Warfare 3 [http://www.amazon.com/Call-Duty-Modern-Warfare-3-Pc/dp/B00503EAG2/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1319827424&sr=8-5], which we can probably already declare the biggest game of the year, doesn't come out until November 8. The observant among you will notice that today is not November 8. Yet the PC version of the game is already making the file-sharing rounds - or at least part of it is.

An employee at a shipping warehouse in California was able to make off with the second disc of the two-disc game and although it's not clear what can be done with it, if anything, it has apparently spread quickly since the theft. Activision is responding to the situation with great vengeance and furious anger, "knocking on doors around the country" and giving people the opportunity to turn over and delete the game before something bad happens.

Something bad like, say, a $5000 fine, according to one Craigslist poster who warned people meddling with the pirated version of the game that "they will come get you." The poster claimed that Activision is leveling the fine as well as a permanent ban from online playing, adding, "I already went through it."

Source: VentureBeat [http://venturebeat.com/2011/10/27/pirated-modern-warfare-3-discs-are-already-spreading-exclusive/]


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[Kopikatsu]

What about those guys who stole the full game from an expo? Activision might want to hunt them down, too. They even made a video of it for christsakes. Can't be too hard.

 

[Zhukov]

Hang on, are we talking about a video game publisher or the mafia here?

Because that wording made it kind of difficult to tell.

 

[Kielgasten]

Whatever else people may think of Activision, it´s pretty hard to cast them in the villain role on this one.
Dude, I would be pissed if that was my game!

Also, how is it that he only got away with one of the disc, are they not in the same cover?
(unless he was the one packaging them ofc, it´s not quite clear)

 

[Beryl77]

Can't say that this really surprises me much.
I assume the poster on Craigslist is an Activision employee, trying to scare the people from downloading it.

 

[PeePantz]

Hang on, are we talking about a video game publisher or the mafia here?

Because that wording made it kind of difficult to tell.

It's also hard to tell from their practices.

Just remember when they went all mafioso in the Infinity Ward studio with the lock down and interrogations.

 

[Treblaine]

but it's only the second disc!

That's like:

"AHH HA! I stole the ingredients for a cake... well half the ingredients, i have no flour or eggs, but I got sugar and cream... can you make a cake with that!?!?"

They ain't got shit. The second disc normally contains just overflow data, the most useless stuff, you probably couldn't do ANYTHING with that.

Anyway, the data for this game is worthless, what IS VALUABLE is access to SteamWorks that you get with every copy of the game you buy. THAT is what you need to play this game online with the largest group of other players and that is a gate jealously guarded and to attempt to bypass it you jeopardise every other steam purchase you might have made.

Activision have nothing to worry about here but precedent.

 

[Veloxe]

Hang on, are we talking about a video game publisher or the mafia here?

Because that wording made it kind of difficult to tell.

It would be a real shame if something were to happen to your gaming PC. I mean, it seems like a really nice piece of equipment. Seems expensive too...

Anyways, seems a little questionable to me. I would think if Activision were going to go after you, they would come out and straight up say they were going to do it. Not let it come out through some random craigslist posting. Of course it could be true, just seems strange the way the information came out is all.

 

[Tireseas_v1legacy]

On a positive note, the real uploader of the file is probably going to see what a real breach and clear looks like. Pity it will be in his house.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Something bad like, say, a $5000 fine, according to one Craigslist poster who warned people meddling with the pirated version of the game that "they will come get you." The poster claimed that Activision is leveling the fine as well as a permanent ban from online playing, adding, "I already went through it."

Do they have any legal right to do that? Even assuming they can get F.A.S.T. involved, the very worst they can do is unlimited fines and ten years in prison... [http://www.fastiis.org/our_services/enforcement/anti_piracy_faq/]

WAITAMINUTE?

What's the maximum charge for manslaughter? 4 - 9 Years, do you say?

Attempted murder? 15 years?

Do we think that we're giving people just a LITTLE too much power here?

 

[ckam]

Hang on, are we talking about a video game publisher or the mafia here?

Because that wording made it kind of difficult to tell.

That's really not how I want a publisher to be, but whatever.

I'm not sure what you can do with a second disk, but congratulations to you, I suppose.

 

[Ne1butme]

What are the piracy levels for games released exclusively on Steam, GOG, Origin or other online stores? The weak link is always retail.

A better question - could you pirate TF2 before it went F2P?

 

[RA92]

Yet the PC version of the game is already making the file-sharing rounds - or at least part of it is.

Oooh! I feel sooo sorry for Activision! Them dirty pirates are going to enjoy all those CoD single-player goodness!

Oh wait, they can't do that either, because they just got the second disc. Oooh! All those tasty overflow data! Break down some doors Kotick!

 

[RA92]

A better question - could you pirate TF2 before it went F2P?

It's pretty much impossible to play MP with pirated copies on the PC. Cracks can only do so much.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Fun fact: Most PC gamers don't even care about CoD anymore. And it's not even the full game. It's one of 2 disks. You can't do anything with that, right?
But at least they are politely asking people to delete it instead of suing them immediately.

 

[NLS]

Activision should hire Liam Neeson to get those stolen copies back.

 

[Delusibeta]

Ehh... The problem is that it's Steamworks game, and so the disc doesn't include the encryption key to unlock the .exe. Therefore, even if it leaked fully, it'll probably still be largely useless until launch day.

The console versions, on the other hand...