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Activision has suggested that stat-tracking service Call of Duty Elite may never come to the PC.
In a tweet posted in response to a fan’s question about Elite for PC, an Activision spokesperson said:
“We are working towards a universal Elite experience but we cannot guarantee if or when a version will be available for the PC.”
A few weeks ago Activision studio Beachhead revealed that when the PC version of Elite launches it will lack the premium features of the console version.
“We’re as committed as ever to the PC, but the need to ensure a safe PC environment is greater than ever,” Beachhead Studio head Chacko Sonny told Activision’s Dan Amrich. “It’s really extensive. We need more time to get there, so Elite on PC will not launch on Day 1. We’re working our butts off to make it happen, but we won’t release it until we know that PC gamers can enjoy Elite as it’s meant to be.
“The issue here is that the PC is an insecure platform. Without a central, trusted resource for stats, a lot of our competition features become unfair. We can’t give away prizes when people can easily cheat their stats. Leaderboards are less fun when a lot of the users are there unfairly.”
Product director Noah Heller added that the problem was to do with being able to trust stats gathered on the PC.
“As Chacko mentioned, not being able to trust stats is a big problem for our design. Because of this, we had to re-imagine Elite for PC. Elite for PC will be about access to your own stats, or those of your friends. Basically establishing a circle of trust. And because it will have some reduced functionality, it will be free for everyone,” said Heller.
Asked when and in what form Elite would eventually appear on PC, Chacko Sonny concluded: “We’re working on it, but it is not going to come out until we’ve done a lot more work. At this point I need to say, ‘It will be ready when it is ready.’ I’m a PC gamer myself and I don’t want to ship something to this community that doesn’t have the polish that they deserve.”
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launched November 8 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. The console versions were meant to be supported by a fully functioning Elite service, but the service has been almost completely inaccessible.
Those of you wanting to know our verdict on the game, should click straight onto our Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 review. If you’re a little rusty on what’s happened so far in the Modern Warfare franchise, check out our comprehensive story so far feature.
