Online Play Is (Apparently) Hard To Get Right

I don't yet own a copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, though I might, come Christmas morning! Therefore I haven't yet experienced what is, it seems, a somewhat screwed up online environment. Here's one article on the sad current state of affairs there. (And by the way, if you read the line "I was literally a prisoner of Modern Warfare 2" and laughed out loud, join the club. Why is it so difficult for people to understand what the word "literally" means, I wonder?)

Anyway, reading that article, I got thinking about how rare it is that you find a game whose online setup is so well done that you just take it for granted. Both Resistance games scored pretty well, in that regard, even though we diehards complained a bit each time (Insomniac was fairly good at responding to many of those gripes). The Halo franchise on the 360 has usually been first-rate. Neither of those examples can really hold a candle to what I used to experience on the PC, however, in games like Aliens vs Predator or Unreal Tournament (the original)... or am I simply seeing those days through rose-coloured glasses? I seem to recall less frustration with finding the kind of games I wanted to play, compared to nowadays, but maybe that's because our expectations were so much lower back then.

I'd say that my own ordered priorities for online play would be:

1. High availability - it's really annoying when you're ready to play but can't get online
2. Fun factor - this is obviously somewhat subjective, but c'mon: designing an online game where anyone new to it is likely to be killed immediately upon spawning just isn't smart; the best game designers can put enough thought into what they deliver that the results can be fun for noob and pro alike
   
3. Reliable matchmaking algorithms - whether it's by type of game, type of map, skill level or some other criteria... just make sure your code actually finds the best-suited game based on what I selected, would ya?
4. Balanced play - I'm not fond of games where players who've spent more time in the game have artificial advantages (level ups, better weapons, better perks); being better at the game in terms of skill level is fine (and expected), but don't also make them better-equipped
5. Variety - The more maps, the better; the more game types, the better; and if you really want us to keep playing this game, deliver new content - free of charge - on a regular basis

As you can see, it doesn't take all that much to make me happy where online play is concerned.