Valve apologizes for accidentally dropping ban hammer on 12,000 Modern Warfare 2 users

By on Jul 27, 2010 at 6:30 PM
Gaming July 27, 2010

Oh DRM, how we love thee. Valve, the company responsible for the lifestyle game Modern Warfare 2, recently issued an apology to over 12,000 legitimate MW2 users who were accidentally banned from getting their first-person shooter on by the company’s DRM implementation. Valve’s president, Gabe Newell, wrote an email stating the the snafu occurred when an issue  with “a signature check between the disk version of a DLL and a latent memory version” occurred. We’re just going to go ahead and take Mr. Newell’s word for it. The email also promised affected users two copies of Left 4 Dead 2, one for them and one for a friend. Anyone out there get accidentally hammer banned by Valve over the last few weeks?

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  • StevenHamburg

    Take note Apple…That’s how you apologize!

    • Android

      Yeah, Apple! Also, more free stuff from Apple for not apologizing!

      • Android

        Apple, where’s the apology? What do you mean you only apologize to the consumers and not the shareholders? Where are your priorities? I want free stuff as a shareholder who got no apology. You never give away stuff for free.

      • Android

        Woops, just read that Apple gave away a free bumper. What’s up with that, Apple? One? Valve is giving away two! I want 2 bumpers, one for me and one for my friend, Apple.

      • Android

        Lastly, I want a free Droid X or Samsung Epic 4G. 2 of each, or one of both, either way, Apple, your call.

    • Neuhaus

      Apologize for what? Have I missed something?

  • Mitch

    Yeah, if only…2 free iPhones.

  • sirpaul

    Do those banned get their accounts back?

    • Greg

      Yes. When a ban is made in error, it gets reversed and the account is put back in “Good Standing” (assuming the account was already in “Good Standing”).

      Need to remember that MW2 is NOT a VALVe game, its Infinity Ward. VALVe just supplies the electronic distribution and anti-cheat technology. The DLL check is a common way to see if people are cheating (modifying whats in memory) by injecting different files on the fly.

      very rarely does this sytem fail. In fact in VAC’s (VALVe Anti Cheat) history there were only two errors made previously and withing hours they were reversed and the bans removed. I’d say thats pretty solid performance and Gabe response is more than appropriate.

      VALVe values its community more than anything, so this response is not surprising.

  • Akash M

    I would love a copy of L4D2 if anyone has that sitting around :D , (specially if your NOT in australia, so this way i can get the full gore version)

    STEAM: MISTERKASH

    please and thank you

  • david

    I love how this post about a game turns into an iPhone thread…

    Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone).

  • Bla1ze

    DRM strikes again!

    I’m guessing the “cracked” version works great, lol!

  • bob

    Technically Infinity Ward and Activision are responsible for Modern Warfare, Valve is only responsible for Steam (which is what the accounts were banned from). Just a minor nitpick at the way the article is written.

    • http://www.myspace.com/tdotkingoftheblock T-Dot

      i’m glad i’m not the only person that noticed that too. i was like “wtf??? valve???”

  • http://halo3.com p.mcgee

    MoDErn WarFAre iS KEwL bUT i liKe hAlO 3 bESt SIncE mY m0m bOUgHt It FOr mE w00t w00t

  • SOUTHERN MISS ELITE

    Double win for Valve

    1) They look like the type of company that cares for their customers

    2) They push L4D2 on more customers

    Now….here’s the fail….

    ….More crappy people potentially with no mics and a lack of team concept playing with me now!

  • Jason

    Haha, yeah as a MW2 and TF2 player I can say from experience that most MW2 players have no clue how to work with a team.

    .. Why didn’t I get banned too :(

  • Dan Diemer

    Valve actually just sells it. Activision/Infinity Ward were the ones responsible for it.

  • wild homes

    Yeah, the story, as written, is hard to understand. Valve just runs Steam, which just happens to be one of a huge number of outlets through which one can buy MW2. So I’m guessing what Gabe is saying is that Steam copies failed the authentication check?

    Valve did, however, create L4D2. And it’s awesome.

    • m.e.n.

      you are correct. Steam is distribution mechanism and also a way to keep checking that games are not pirated…So if authentication fails – it is Valves responsibility.

  • Rain Man

    Those who got banned should consider themselves lucky for receiving two free copies of one of the best team concept video games of all time. If you do not own it you need too, if you have the ability to play as a team that is.

  • Jayrodathome

    I love valve. If I got two free copies I would give one to good ol gabe. For always being there for me until 5am the next day when I have to be at work at 7. “The sentry is a spy!”

  • http://gilismunny.com/ Shaun

    Awesome. It makes it 100x better that it was Valve who did it.

  • Josh Sagnella

    I love Valve and I love Steam.

    This is a company going above and beyond just an apology, and they deserve much more attention than what they will get for this.

    I don’t understand why anyone would dislike the Steam platform, except the obvious pirates and cheaters.

    I can log into Steam on any computer and have access to my 40+ Steam-purchased games.
    Fantastic

  • Travis S

    i dont get why they cant just unban everyone…

  • neal b

    I dont believe for a moment all the people was innocent. But what bad press it would be for news to get out that cheating was rife in there game to the extent of 12000 players getting banned. Infinity should have apologized for not doing something about the cheeting sooner tbh

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