Digital distribution retailers refuse to sell Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on November 06, 2009

News: All because the game requires Steam during the installation.

Three online retailers that specialize in the digital distribution of games have refused to sell Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 over what they say are monopolistic practices.

Kotaku is reporting that the boycott began when IGN-owned Direct2Drive announced that they will not offer Modern Warfare 2 because the game requires the use of Valve's Steamworks (and the Steam digital distribution client) as part of the installation. After installation, the game also requires the use of Steam for DRM and save-game management. According to a Direct2Drive spokesman, this is just unacceptable, "We don't believe games should force the user to install a Trojan Horse."

While calling Steam, the most successful digital distribution service by a huge margin, a "Trojan Horse" is a pretty gutsy move, Direct2Drive has been joined by two other services, Impulse and GamersGate.

Impulse shared the same concerns as Direct2Drive, while also subtly calling out Activision to reconsider their use of Steamworks in Modern Warfare 2:

Impulse will not be selling Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 either. We share some of the same concerns as Direct2Drive over the bundling of the Steam client with the game. The most obvious issue is the forced inclusion of a competitor's store that blocks us from carrying the game.

Our issues with the game are solely with the Steamworks bundling. We enjoy a great relationship with Activision and would love to sell the title, but not with Steam.

Finally, GamersGate announced that they would not be carrying Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for the exact same reasons as Direct2Drive and Impulse.

While I think it's great that these three companies are standing up for an issue they feel strongly about, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will still sell a million billion copies. And most PC gamers will happily buy it from Steam.