Anyone with a PS3 version of the latest Call of Duty games has come face-to-face with a harsh truth: people cheat. But unfortunately, unlike the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the same games, the developer’s safeguards to keep the online servers free from these cheaters isn’t exactly working.
Infinity Ward, the developer behind the intensely popular Call of Duty franchise, just wrapped up a meeting on how to combat the increasingly difficult problem.
The company’s creative strategist Robert Bowling posted on its official forum, “I just left a security meeting with the coders here at Infinity Ward where we discussed a lot of solutions. I feel good about the meeting, but of course I can’t go into detail on the possible solutions we discussed as we don’t want to give out any information that could potentially hinder the security any further.”
Last week, the game’s publisher, Activision, said that shutting down the game’s PS3 servers entirely could be a viable option. Those comments set off a firestorm across the gaming community, and Activision quickly backtracked.
Nevertheless, it shows just how serious of an issue this is. Beyond the hackers, PS3 users have had to deal with a wide range of glitches and bugs in the game, as have PC players as well. In the UK, an advocacy group called Gamers’ Voice said it was going to file a report with a government agency about the issues with the game, and there has already been a class-action lawsuit filed for those wanting a refund of their purchase.
“The key factor I want you to know is, that while any update takes time, we are looking to make the process as quick as possible and nothing is being left unattended,” wrote Bowling.
While that’s little comfort to those who find themselves playing against a hacked-up invincible soldider online, it gives hope that a solution might be somewhere down the line. Eventually. Maybe.
