Battlefield 2142 to include spyware?

O

octave

Adept
Kotaku
When you open the box, a big slip of paper falls out first, preceeding any discs or manuals. The slip of paper says, essentially, that 2142 includes monitoring software which runs while your computer is online, and records "anonymous" information like your IP address, surfing habits (probably via cookie scans), and other "computing habits" in order to report this information back to ad companies and ad servers, which generates in-game ads.

Now, I can live with certain in-game ads (though apparently there will be Dodge truck and Neon ads in the bleak, futuristic world of 2142), but including a lengthy description - outside of even the Eula - seems to indicate even EA knows that this is some shady borderline spyware shit. I don't support it and won't be buying 2142 (for a host of other reasons, too).
Can you imagine how much the ad companies are paying for this information? Makes me feel a little ill.
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Battlefield 2142 to include spyware?
I was pretty skeptical at first, since it's easy to discredit a company on unreleased software. The more I look into it though, the more it seems true. Trying to push in-game advertising to greater heights, EA is looking to force invasive spyware onto your system should you decide to install Battlefield 2142.
While unconfirmed, and with no official statement from EA as of yet, it has been circulating that EA plans to include some form of monitoring utility that will watch your browsing and computing habits even while you aren't playing the game.
Needless to say, many are outraged.

I'd be outraged even if this occurred only while the game was running, let alone 24/7. Every once in a while, a company tries to push the limit as to what a user will take.
It wasn't too long ago that Sony hit a huge fiasco when bundled spyware intended to prevent “unauthorized copying†was rendering people's machines useless. Is such an event in EA's future? When you throw down $50 for a game, you expect to get exactly that, and nothing more. Especially not this. I hope to hear some official word from EA to find it if this can be substantiated in full. I hope this is not true, as it would be very disappointing to miss out on a game just because a company wanted to play big brother.
Techspot
 
lol already bf2142 has a poor response from the community and now this should prolly kill any chances of success for it. I still regret my decision of purchasing bf2.
 
have the game installed since 3 days. dint find any spyware or anything unusual running. have played it only in offline mode though
 
Blade_Runner said:
lol already bf2142 has a poor response from the community and now this should prolly kill any chances of success for it. I still regret my decision of purchasing bf2.
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Agree with you there,they f***d my game with their 1.3 patch..constant CTD's and then they release 1.4 after a long time..by then it was all bye bye bf2 frm my system.I swear never to buy another EA game not even d'load it either...Hope Quake wars squashes this like a bug.

As for the spyware,good job EA..you are on the road to hell :hap2: .

These 2 comments made my day..

Hey man, if EA Games wants to advertise for reality porn and hentai anime in their video games, by all means please install spyware on my system. For extra points, include free 7-day trial on each site advertised.
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This is even better..

Even better: Dad looks at pr0n late at night, gets his surfing habits logged, and then Junior plays the games and sees billboards for "Titties Galore!". At least porn will be treated at the same level as violence in this country, rather than the current standard of Junior being able to kill people in full gore with no reprisal, but a seeing an unclad breast will cause him irreparable harm...
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@Stormblast-You gotta play online to notice those @#$@ advertisements and tht's when you get monitored,atleast tht's wht my frnd is telling me right now.It's funny how he used to complain tht steam is spyware and all tht crap but if you talk to him now..he worships it like a divine goddess :p
 
Allright,just checked it out at gamespot..if you wanna view the ads,you gotta play online..

there is a printed disclaimer that comes with the game telling you that Battlefield 2142 will analyze certain "advertising data" on your machine to determine what ads to display to you. Ironically, EA says that if you don't want your data shared with its advertising partner then "do not install or play the software on any platform that is used to connect to the Internet." But that would pretty much defeat the purpose of playing Battlefield 2142, wouldn't it?
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I hope someone sues EA :D
 
I feel your pain monkey. I really hope someone sues EA..........

@stormy: Don't play online or atleast don't give the game firewall access and you should be safe until you decide to uninstall that piece of crap.

Edit: Oh btw this is going to be bundled with NFS Carbon as well. :|
 
Look what the company i.e. IGA tht made the software is saying about this..

Regarding today's online controversy, Townsend noted that "you are always going have that hardcore vocal minority" who don't want in-game ads. But he suggested that if those same people "knew the kind of painful transition that most publishers are going through right now", they might approve of in-game ads as an important financial support function for next-gen titles.

He particularly commented: "If gamers still want to have a high amount of good quality titles year in and year out, there needs to be alternate revenue streams" for next-gen gaming - IGA clearly sees in-game advertising as a notable example of this.
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Source..

Gamasutra - Q&A: IGA's Townsend On BF2142 In-Game Ads

EA is poor:rofl: ..I hope Valve doesn't promote in-game advertising even though their publishers are EA.
People who have pre-ordered the game are cancelling it,while some others can't return the game since they already opened the package.They are pissed since this information was not printed on the box..

EDIT: Don't know about this..but it seems this bit of info is frm IGA,there will be a 30 sec forced watched commercials between game rounds.

Even if you block the ad so wht-just having a 30 sec blank screen would be just as bad
 
doesnt really make any difference unless u play the game online.

i doubt many ppl are going to play carbon or crysis online.

2ndly i dint find bf2142 that good. i prefer bf2 to this anyday. its the same engine but somehow bf2 still looks better cause its got better levels.
 
^^ I was planning to play crysis online, hopefully this spyware crap won't be a part of that game. And there is really no point in playing bf2142 offline.........so i'll just save my cash for quake wars or something better.
 
whateve_r said:
Eh what Advertisement will Crysis have ? Hawaiian Tropical Paradise Ad on a Island being raided by Aliens ?

akS !
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When a game set in post-apocalyptic earth torn by wars, which is rapidly becoming a frozen wasteland can have in-game ads why not a Hawaiian Tropical Paradise Ad on a Island being raided by Aliens ? With EA you can never be too sure.........
 
EA Clarifies...

The advertising program in Battlefield 2142 does not access any files which are not directly related to the game. It does not capture personal data such as cookies, account login detail, or surfing history.
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Nope... still not buying it.
 
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