OS: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 (Windows 95/98/ME/2000 are unsupported)
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 3.2 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 3200+ processor or better supported
Memory: 1 GB RAM
Graphics: 256 MB NVIDIA GeForce 6600GT or better or ATI Radeon 1600XT or better
DirectX®: Microsoft DirectX(R) 9.0c
Hard Drive: 12GB of free hard drive space
Sound: 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
Internet: Broadband connection and service required for Multiplayer Connectivity. Internet Connection required for activation.
Co-op/Multiplayer Hosting: To host Co-op or MP matches, a 2Ghz dual-core or better processor is recommended.

I know you have seen and heard all the details related to the massive multiplayer event that happened in LA but here’s the details you really want to know in all their glory. Courtesy of weplayCOD.net.

Misc. Info.
-Max Rank- 70
-Each perk has a “Pro” level that is unlocked by completing perk-specific challenges
-Ranking and Points distribution has been revamped
-100 experience per kill is the new baseline
-Specific actions dole rewards (i.e. headshot, sniping, downing chopper, etc)
-Prestige has been changed. Completing Prestige will be rewarded
-Modded controllers have been addressed
-Akimbo is an attachment for certain weapons (i.e. PP2000)

New Perks and Death Streaks

Marathon- Unlimited Sprint
Lightweight-Faster sprint
Commando- Increased melee disance
Hardline- 1 less kill required for killstreak
Hardline Pro- 1 less death required for deathstreak
Scavenger- Full resupply from dead bodies
Coldblooded- Undetectable by UAV, air support, sentries and thermal.
Scrambler- Scrambles enemy’s UAV
Bling- 2 Primary Weapon Attachments
(DS) Copycat- Steal your killer’s class in killcam..4 deaths without kill. Keep class only 1 life.
(DS) Painkiller- 10 second health boost when you spawn

Killstreak Rewards (3 active per class)

3- UAV
4- Care Package- Random killstreak.
4- Counter UAV
5- Sentry Gun (automated machine gun)
5- Predator Missile
6- Precision Airstrike
7- Attack Helicopter
9- Pave Low – Link
11- AC-130

Confirmed Weapons

M4A1 Assault Rifle AR
L86 LSW AR
Colt .44 Magnum Sidearm

Equipment

Frag
Semtex (sticky grenade)
Throwing Knife
Tactical Insertion- Allows you to choose respawn point. Lose mini-map.
Blast Shield- Increased explosive resistance
(Snipers and Shotguns CAN have suppressors/silencers)

Accolades

None Spared – Killed entire enemy team.
Switchblade – Most knife kills.
Grudge Match – Most kills of same player.
Pathfinder – Most UAV’s.
Sprayer – Most hip-fire kills.
Vengeful – Most paybacks.

Secondary Weapons

Secondary weapons are no longer just pistols – they include machine pistols, shotguns (standard and automatic), and various rocket and missile launchers. This is great news for snipers, who will no longer be helpless in close-quarters (an automatic shotgun is a sniper’s best friend). And with a well-fired missile, you can take down helicopters, AC130s, UAVs and other nuisances. -GR

Attachments
CoD4’s red dot sight, grenade launcher, and suppressor are still here, but there’s so much more. Attachments no longer refer to just physical objects and properties, they can refer to skills too. Akimbo (dual wielding) and Rapid Fire are a whole lot cooler than “Digital Camo.” Other new attachments include a heartbeat sensor, thermal scope, and tactical knife.

In other news, sniper rifles can now be fitted with suppressors. “Run and gun” players may not like the change, but sneaky bastards like myself are all over it. Shotguns are now suppressible too. -GR

Riot Shields

If you need a change from the usual strategy, try replacing your primary weapon with a riot shield. It’s bullet proof up to a point, and makes you a pretty damn menacing opponent. You can’t shoot and hold the shield at the same time, but you can bash people’s heads in, and when you’re using your secondary weapon, the shield is stowed on your back, giving your quantum singularity a little extra protection. Combine this with a blast shield, and your enemies will have a hell of a time knocking you down.

Game Modes

Demolition- A new and improved version of Call of Duty 4’s Sabotage mode. Everyone on the attacking team has a set of explosives and these can be set on two bomb points simultaneously. The attacking team tries to bomb both points before the round ends. Successfully blowing up one point extends the time limit. The countdown timer on the explosives is around 45 seconds to give the defense a chance. -G4

Capture the Flag- Standard CTF, but capturing the enemy flag requires your flag to be at home. Picking up a flag is done automatically by standing over it for around a second. Returning a downed flag is just as fast. Flag carriers will appear on your HUD as periodically updating waypoints, showing the carrier’s position as of a few seconds ago.

Multiplayer Maps
Afghan – Afghan is a rocky desert map, the centerpiece of which is the ruins of a downed jumbo jet. The open central area, which contains the aeronautic set piece, is great for snipers as it’s overlooked by several high cliffs and bunkers. At the northern and southern ends, the passages become more confined in caves and on ledges, and the fighting gets more intense.

Favela – Afghan is a rocky desert map, the centerpiece of which is the ruins of a downed jumbo jet. The open central area, which contains the aeronautic set piece, is great for snipers as it’s overlooked by several high cliffs and bunkers. At the northern and southern ends, the passages become more confined in caves and on ledges, and the fighting gets more intense.

Highrise – This map’s uncharacteristic modern urban setting is very welcome. The map is comprised of the roof of an unfinished skyscraper (complete with helipad), two interior office spaces at the northern and southern ends, and a passageway which connects the two sides

Accolades

None Spared – Killed entire enemy team.
Switchblade – Most knife kills.
Grudge Match – Most kills of same player.
Pathfinder – Most UAV’s.
Sprayer – Most hip-fire kills.
Vengeful – Most paybacks.

Aha! That’s why we have callsigns, which are essentially big customizable plaques which pop up when you score a kill or perform a commendable action. Callsigns include a title, which is a string of letters (in this case “My name is”), an insignia (that ghostly fellow), a background, and, of course, your gamertag and rank. The titles, insignia, and backgrounds are all unlockable, and there are hundreds of them unlock. You can unlock them by leveling up, or by completing certain prerequisites. For example, we unlocked the “Accident Prone” insignia, presumably from falling off too many ledges.

Giant Bomb Interview with Robert Bowling

If you want to see how he made the thing, check out his blog. Its one hell of a read!

We have parachutes in Liberty City!

All good things have to come to an end, and so we’re sad to say this is the last part of our exclusive interview with Modern Warfare 2 community manager Robert Bowling. In the conclusion to our fascinating dialogue, we discuss perks, online cheats and how MW2′s multiplayer side won’t be like World at War…

Modern Warfare 2′s multiplayer is set for an overhaulGamerZines: Are there any new additions to the perk system? Will there be more custom class slots than in Modern Warfare, and will you use the World at War idea of unlocking an extra class slot each time you go prestige?

Modern Warfare 2′s multiplayer is set for an overhaulRobert Bowling: We’ve made extensive additions to the perk system and create-a-class system as a whole. As I’ve stated, you can now customize killstreak rewards, so your reward for multiple kills without a death can be customized to how you like to play. For example, I forego any 3 Killstreak or 5 killstreak and focus on the bigger payoffs for longer killstreaks. This new addition along with the ability to rank up Perks from their base benefit to an upgraded Pro version with additional bonuses allows you to really customize your Classes to your preferred play style per gametype. For example, for objective gametypes I like to focus on upgrading perks and customizing killstreaks, which allow me a lot of speed, mobility, and ability to get to objectives quickly and hold off enemies from defusing, planting or securing objectives, where my TDM / Free for All classes are focused purely on staying alive longer and taking enemies down quicker.

GZ: How will you deal with online glitchers and cheaters – for example, those with autofire joypads, or the hip-firing snipers you often find?

RB: We stay extremely connected to our community on a real-time basis. I credit a lot of that to our presence on Social Media sites like Twitter and Facebook where we can get instant reports from our players. Recently Call of Duty 4 had an outbreak of hackers who determined how to enable UFO mode (which allows players to fly freely through the air). Immediately upon receiving reports of it happening from a community member on Twitter Friday night, I had him invite me to his lobby, check it out for myself, text the programmers, and have an updated playlist which prevented it from happening by Monday morning. Whether it’s an issue or suggestion, we’ve got our ear to the ground for what’s coming. Modded Controllers with a Rapid Fire ability have been addressed, a fix that is already in Modern Warfare 2 and one that is being snuck into Call of Duty 4.

GZ: Treyarch raised the level cap to 65 for World at War’s multiplayer, over CoD 4′s 55. Are you looking to raise the level cap further for MW2?

RB: We’re not taking any pages out of World at War’s book. We’re crafting a special and unique experience for Modern Warfare 2 players that I don’t want to spoil too much. Definitive numbers like max level cap, complete weapon lists, and number of new perks is something I don’t want to ruin and save for when the player ranks up and sees they’re constantly receiving new rewards for it, whether that’s a new weapon, perk, killstreak unlock, or item for their callsign.

GZ: Finally, what are your hopes for Modern Warfare 2? Can you see it surpassing GTA IV as the biggest entertainment launch in history?

RB: We never set such expectations on ourselves on the developer side. Our only goal is to make a fun game that our community will love and we are proud of. We’re confident we will achieve that, anything beyond that is always humbling.

The full, uncut interview – including further details about killstreak rewards and additional information about experience points – will appear in the next issue of P3Zine, published online on September 17th.