EA including spyware in it's games now?

inactionman · Oct 17, 2006

Guess there's another reason to avoid EA, and to not buy BF2142, it has bundled spyware (http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/action/battlefield2142/review.html?sid=6159893&page=2)

Isn't this taking things a bit far? Where next? I mean if you pay for a game, you don't expect spyware. Thankfully the only game I plan on buying from EA is Spore, and that's not out for a while yet.

BTW, posted in general as this is a little bit more than about BF2142, I mean if it works there I guarantee EA will use it in other games.

Tom · Oct 17, 2006

Probably just analyses your cookie folder.

WPKenny · Oct 17, 2006

What worries me the most is that a huge online gaming mag says something like this: "Still, this is an example of things to come, as we begin to see dynamic in-game ads appear in more and more games."
They just roll over and accept it. They should be making a stink about it. Why the hell should it be ok to flood our lives with adverts for something that's already paid for?

It's bad enough buying/renting DVD's and not being able to skip trailers, as well as ad breaks becoming increasingly longer, louder (wtf are they so damn loud? I just mute them these days and don't bother with the ads) and more frequent without having to have adverts thrust in our face when we're trying to play a game.

TdC · Oct 17, 2006

Adidas boots of running +3

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inactionman · Oct 17, 2006

Tom said:
Probably just analyses your cookie folder.

Nope it does a lot more than that; http://www.ssb5.net/users/17966/disclaimer.jpg. That's a link to a photo of the extra piece of paper just for the spyware in the US box.

So, from that, it looks like it does all the typical spyware stuff, bar the injection of it's own ads into the browser, instead it does so during the game.

As Kenny says, there should be uproar about this, after all it pretty much says 'if you don't want the spyware don't play this game on a computer connected to the internet' and what's the point then? I bet you'll find it really hard to return at a games store as well.

Wij · Oct 17, 2006

I'll be downloading a cracked version thx. For FREE !!!!!1

Dukat · Oct 17, 2006

EA are scum! join the revolution! down with the heathens!

I agree with WPKenny though tbh, I've hated EA for a long while but hearing this actually suprised me, I didnt think they would sink that low

uke:

And whats worse, the majority of people will probably either not read the disclaimer or not know that the "advertising technology" they are installing basically amounts to spyware.

DOOM!

nath · Oct 17, 2006

Whelp, they've just lost a customer because of that. Good one EA!

TdC · Oct 17, 2006

agree. EA can go suck a fat one.

Ch3tan · Oct 17, 2006

You knew it was coming eventually, and I would accept it if it meant the game was subsidised. Pay less for the software if you get the version with ads etc.

However I would avoid any game where there was no choice as to wether you had to suffer ads or not.

MYstIC G · Oct 17, 2006

Ch3tan said:
You knew it was coming eventually, and I would accept it if it meant the game was subsidised. Pay less for the software if you get the version with ads etc.

However I would avoid any game where there was no choice as to wether you had to suffer ads or not.

Fuck that, more like: pay £40 for the game, ads remove the need for the £75.00 pcm sub that lets you play for 20 mins a day if you can get on the server.... that'd be ok.

Skyler · Oct 17, 2006

Unfortunately adverts are going to take over many games soon.

It happened a few years ago in CS, certain servers had adverts on maps such as Dust 2. Completely destroying the atmosphere of the game having bright orange and red logos on desert arabian walls...

I want the gaming industry to thrive, but I am not prepared to accept adverts in games that have been purchased by me for the full price. If the developers want to subsidise game development by selling ad space, they should reduce the price of the games. I'm sure they'd get away with lowering the RRP by £10 even if they make far more than that off the adverts, most people would find it hard to argue this strategy. I don't agree with doing that either personally but who knows what will happen.

Like the rest of you I am tired of the way adverts are sometimes presented to us as they are becoming increasingly encroaching and disruptive. I accept advertising and it's a necessary revenue for TV especially, but do the adverts really need to be at a much higher volume? Do we really need programs that are 42minutes of actual programming taking up an hour long slot on our screens.

Those of us who have watched TV Rips of various shows from America will have noted just how much time we would be wasting watching programs like these on TV.

An episode of Lost is around the 42minute mark of actual footage, give or take credits. On TV this takes up 1hour of our time, that's 18 minutes of adverts. If we were to sit there and watch 10 episodes of lost on TV it would take us 10hours, a massive 180minutes, 3 hoursof adverts. Those who downloaded the episodes and watched them will have only spent 420minutes or 7 hours.

To me that is a huge amount of time wasted.

Jupitus · Oct 17, 2006

WPKenny said:
What worries me the most is that a huge online gaming mag says something like this: "Still, this is an example of things to come, as we begin to see dynamic in-game ads appear in more and more games."
They just roll over and accept it. *BUY LOU'S NEW BOOK!* They should be making a stink about it. Why the hell should it be ok to flood our lives with adverts for something that's already paid for?

It's bad enough buying/renting DVD's and not being able to skip trailers, as well as ad breaks becoming increasingly longer, louder (wtf are they so damn loud? *BUY LOU'S NEW BOOK!* I just mute them these days and don't bother with the ads) and more frequent without having to have adverts thrust in our face when we're trying to play a game.

:eek2:

Raven · Oct 17, 2006

will also be downloading it free thanks

nath · Oct 17, 2006

Adverts aren't all that bad in some respects - I've been playing Need for Speed Underground 2 recently, that's got loads of product placements, but it's all passive. BF2142 is taking an unpleasant direction :\

Jupitus · Oct 17, 2006

nath said:
Adverts aren't all that bad in some respects - I've been playing Need for Speed Underground 2 recently, that's got loads of product placements, but it's all passive. BF2142 is taking an unpleasant direction :\

Agreed - racing games have had static ads in for a long time, and being honest it makes it more realistic... ffs do we really see nothing but Namco ads when watching a GP? No - we see all sorts of ads....

Invading ads though... different matter and I don't like the sound of it

GReaper · Oct 17, 2006

I can accept adverts on things I don't pay for, such as certain TV channels, radio, websites, etc. Most of them have to either cover their costs or make a profit, so what can you expect?

However if I'm paying for a game then I won't tolerate adverts in it. I don't mind branding (the creators logos on startup), but 3rd party adverts is taking it too far.

Jupitus · Oct 18, 2006

GReaper said:
I can accept adverts on things I don't pay for, such as certain TV channels, radio, websites, etc. Most of them have to either cover their costs or make a profit, so what can you expect?

However if I'm paying for a game then I won't tolerate adverts in it. I don't mind branding (the creators logos on startup), but 3rd party adverts is taking it too far.

So static ads, even if they make the gameplay more realistic, are a no no to you, Ouro?

Louster · Oct 18, 2006

Trouble is this; ever-increasing development costs, profits decreasing comparitively due to increasingly saturated market full of crap. It seems like games companies these days resemble movie studios, in that they take chances on lots of little shitty things that they think might do well in the hope of getting a hit, and then that one hit funds the rest which they've invariably lost money on. Of course I'm making all this shit up and don't have the slightest clue if that's really what's going on but whoever said you needed to be qualified to make sweeping statements on the internet?

Point is, I'm not real surprised by people trying out this kind of thing to bring in more revenue. It's not the same market it used to be. On the other hand, it sucks, but what can you do? As for TV, thank fuck we have the BBC as a kind of advertisement-regulating agent, and that we don't live in America. I don't think I could stomach the sort of shit they have to put up with.

Penguin · Oct 18, 2006

I'd expect that if the ads were intruding enough they'd have to say on the side of the box?

If the ads affect the game enough people will take note and avoid games with ingame ads in the future. 2142 may not turn out too nice but it'll be the starting point for testing how willing gamers are to put up with ingame ads. Surely if users dislike them enough they'll be a failure, atleast in this type of game. We've still yet to see how exactly they'll be implemented remember.

Wij · Oct 18, 2006

It's not a major deal really but I'd still rather have the non-added free version thx. I pay for software I LIKE, anything else can suck my scabby helmet.

throdgrain · Oct 18, 2006

It wont effect me, I bought my last EA game in BF2, I shant buy another , I hope

TdC · Oct 18, 2006

you really hated BF2 din't you Throd

Ch3tan · Oct 18, 2006

Skyler said:
It happened a few years ago in CS, certain servers had adverts on maps such as Dust 2. Completely destroying the atmosphere of the game having bright orange and red logos on desert arabian walls...

Fucking uk2.net. Buy our servers printed on every wall texture, big flashing rcon messages every 5 seconds reminding you it was their server you were playing on. And it was n00b central. I recall seeing Throddy there regularly.

DaGaffer · Oct 18, 2006

They're doing this because there's a fair bet that BF3 will be a sort of pseudo-MMO (with attendant server, bandwidth and support costs), but rather than a straightforward subscription model, in-game ads may prove an acceptable alternative, or at least allow for a cheap sub.

I bet EA themselves would rather their first foray into this kind of thing (in Europe) was with another, more suitable game (and audience) like FIFA, but BF is their only really successful online franchise right now. Of course if they can make it work, expect a big push online for their sports franchises using the same model (Madden's already doing it).

throdgrain · Oct 18, 2006

TdC said:
you really hated BF2 din't you Throd

Only because it promised so much, and deilvered so little

Tom · Oct 18, 2006

haha I loved uk2.net, it was ace for owning noobs

MYstIC G · Oct 18, 2006

How did you shoot yourself?

Tom · Oct 18, 2006

ha! Nobody could get past my terrorist nadespam on Assault!

Chilly · Oct 18, 2006

If they include that disclaimer in a UK game, they cannot legally collect and store the data if you tell them to stop. All praise the DPA

Also, the more people write in and say "dont collect any info on me, tell me exactly what you did collect and then destroy it" the more pissed off they will be cos they *must* comply and that "disclaimer" is not legally binding.

EA including spyware in it's games now?

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