Dedicated Modern Warfare 3 PC servers?

Modern Warfare 2 famously didn't have dedicated servers on PC - but Modern Warfare 3 might.

"I can't confirm anything yet, but right now we're having conversations about dedicated servers, mod tools and post launch support," Infinity Ward spokesperson Robert Bowling told GameFront at E3.

"In Modern Warfare 2 we added IWnet, which was all about matchmaking, with the plan to eventually add in dedicated servers.

"My ideal philosophy on the PC is to have matchmaking for the mass - have matchmaking for the guys who just want to jump in, hit play game and start enjoying that. But let's not lose that dedicated core audience that wants the dedicated server experience.

"We're looking at ways on how we can incorporate that into Modern Warfare 3," added Bowling. "We've been listening a lot to our PC guys who have been very vocal since Modern Warfare 2 about what they want to see come back to our versions of the franchise."

Infinity Ward and Activision came under heavy fire for axing dedicated servers from Modern Warfare 2.

But Activision at the time wasn't "overly concerned" and declared that IWnet was the way forward, and would "improve that consumer experience overall by a significant margin".

Bowling's E3 comments suggest a U-turn on that standpoint. Has perhaps a rival high shooter with a very strong PC following forced Activision and Infinity Ward's hand?

The big new toy in Modern Warfare 3 will be Call of Duty: Elite, a service two years in the making that expands online multiplaye. Call of Duty: Elite comes for free, but there's also the option to pay a premium for additional benefits.

Why just this morning Blacklight developer Zombie Studios was slagging COD Elite off.