PC gamers have reacted with horror to Infinity Ward's decision to cut mod and private server support from Modern Warfare 2, and now DICE has entered the fray.

The executive producer for the Battlefield series has vowed on his Twitter that DICE will continue to back hard-core PC gamers to the hilt: "Dedicated servers FTW. What ever secures a better online experience is a given for us."

"Quick! Let's get to EB and cancel our pre-orders!"

And from Infinity Ward: silence.

Elsewhere, the fallout is still settling from IW's bombshell. Many have sworn to cancel their pre-orders of Modern Warfare 2; many more have called this fiasco the death of competitive gaming as we know it.

While unlikely to sway the Call of Duty developer, an online petition has started calling on IW management to reconsider their decision, and has already shot to over 36,000 signatures.

The case made by the petition is succinct: "Get Infinity Ward to review their decision not to allow fully dedicated servers for their forthcoming game release CoD:MW2. Remember that this Call of Duty was made popular by PC Gamers who have supported the series throughout."

To listen to the podcast where Rob Bowling broke the news, click here. Follow through to the end, and you'll witness a train wreck in slow motion. The sense of despair in the hosts' voices is unmistakeable, as they openly compare this perceived betrayal to both the assassination of JFK and the Hindenburg disaster: "Oh, the humanity!"

Yesterday's news story covering the downgrading of Modern Warfare 2 has sparked nigh on 300 comments -- you can join the discussion here.