Infinity Ward: "lots of misconceptions" about Modern Warfare 3 lag

If you're anything like us, the thing that frustrates you most about multiplayer latency is that you've no idea what's causing it. Is your connection to blame? Your host's connection? The game's server? Global warming? The Daedra? That measly five-bar indicator next to your Gamertag isn't much help.

Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling agrees that it's an oft-misunderstood topic. "Lag is an extremely sensitive subject in an FPS because every second counts when it comes to being in the firefight. There are definitely a lot of misconceptions about how the game works and how lag is taken into account.

"There's stuff we're doing at the back end at all times to tweak and optimise and improve the gameplay so it is a better experience, but I think regardless whether it's misinformed or not, that feedback is extremely important so we know that the tweaks and changes we are making an impact."

Infinity Ward can make smaller updates to its latest shooter, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, on a daily basis, but still has to prepare and submit patches to Microsoft for major fixes.

Bowling didn't discuss how developers might explain latency to afflicted players, but evidently, social media is an important line of communication. "I like to keep track of what people are saying. I pulled stats recently and I just the last month O received 240,000 Tweets about Modern Warfare 3, and we keep track of all of that to try to keep a gauge.

"Are the changes we are making having a positive impact? What are people saying? And that allows us to continue to make our priorities in the future."

What are your thoughts on MW3 multiplayer right now? Snappy enough for your liking? For more from the lovely Robert, pick up a copy of our new issue when it goes on sale 22nd February. Subscribers are getting theirs now, the cunning rogues. While you're waiting, check out the inside story on how Activision survived Modern Warfare 3's mega-leak last May.