Battlefield 2142 to Bundle Spyware?

An anonymous reader writes "Kotaku reports on a Shacknews Post. Battlefield 2142, the new Electronic Arts game, is expected to include mandatory spyware in the retail package. The software will apparently monitor web browser and other computer usage; this information will be used to deliver targeted in-game advertisements. Other popular game titles have included spyware in the past to aid anti-cheating measures. Is spyware acceptable to the public when it comes with a game, or has EA made a PR misstep?"

Great!

[badfrog (45310)]

I always love to have as many backround processes running as possible!

Re:Great!

[scuba_steve_1 (849912)]

Wow...I realize that we are on the slippery slope of losing any semblance of privacy, but I did not realize that gamers were headed toward a cliff.

Spyware to monitor your non-gaming behavior to better target advertising? Can you imagine the other uses for this information? The secondary market for this information may yield a revenue stream that eclipses their software license revenue...especially since this spyware will be, in some perverted sense, legitimate.

Count me out EA. This is one frog that is jumping out of the pot of water.

Re:Great!

[CDOS_CDOS run (669823)]

The community has already started to lash out at this: http://www.gamersradio.com/games/battlefield_2142/ top_13_reasons_why_i_am_not_buying_battlefield_214 2.html [gamersradio.com]

Re:Great!

[IcyNeko (891749)]

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.

Re:Great!

[PitaBred (632671)]

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...

Shouldn't it Be Free Then

[aplusjimages (939458)]

Spend $50

Hell if it has ads on it then I want the game for free. Why should I pay for the game when they will be generating money from ads geared towards me?

Re:mod up

[Kamots (321174)]

And neither do I...

However I do have an issue with information about what I use my computer for (even when I'm NOT playing the game!) being gathered!

If they want to serve me in-game ads... well... blizzard's been doing that for years with Diablo 2 (well when you're on battlenet in-between games at least) and you haven't seen any firestorm of complaints raised there.

It's not the in-game ad issue that ticks me off, it's the spyware.

Re:

[timeOday (582209)]

One step beyond what you said - spyware, Steam, etc. have pushed me away from PC gaming altogether, towards the console. I hesitate to say anything in favor of "trusted computing," but since cheating is such a problem in online games, and since open-source games seem to be practically a non-starter, I think it is best to simply have gaming on a separate, locked-down machine that has NOTHING to do with anything that matters - i.e. on a console.

no

[ZiakII (829432)]

no

Re:no

[by Anonymous Coward]

indeed, I'll never buy a game with spyware in it, hell, I turn down spyware when it's free.

They should be arrested for this in the same way we would do with a srcipt kiddie

Just great

[aadvancedGIR (959466)]

Now, it will have to be rated 18+

Re:Just great

[mcai8rw2 (923718)]

Ahh intersting point you make...if only I had moderator points to rate it so...

So what you are hinting at is that to knowingly put spyware on a game, the end user has to be above 18 years old, and therefore 'legally' able to make such a desicion?

That is a very intersting point...i wonder if it is true though...

if it IS true then EA are cutting out a huge portion of their market sector.

Re:Just great

[voice_of_all_reason (926702)]

+insightful.

Minors can't enter into contracts, right? So software EULAs should be unenforceable against them, much less this.

Re:Just great

[araemo (603185)]

+insightful.

Minors can't enter into contracts, right? So software EULAs should be unenforceable against them, much less this.

Minors can enter into any contracts they want. They're just unenforceable. ;) So, only idiots enter into contracts with Minors (Rather than their parents.)

Not a bad idea

[davidwr (791652)]

Companies will scream "free speech" if states try to outlaw "mandatory, up-front-in-your-face-we-told-you-its-here" spyware.

BUT if states use the "minors don't have full rights to engage in contracts" logic, they CAN restrict purchase of such software to people over the age of 18 and withstand court challenge.

THAT is one way to curb such evil.

Re:Just great

[VorpalRodent (964940)]

Furthermore, many households have multiple computer users on one account.

What happens when one person surfs porn all day, and then the younger teen goes to play the game? Suddenly, EA is distributing porn to minors.

Ol' Jack Thompson better get his guns out again.

So, it's free, right?

[steveo777 (183629)]

Because a game that does something I would never let a game do dang well better be free. Not to mention the computer I use to play it (or whatever system it's on). Because I sure as heck am not wasting good money on this. Yeah, it's a good idea, but I don't need another avenue for anyone to throw their products in my face. I get enough of that already.

Dualcore...

[Sidde (758228)]

So this is why they need dualcore for the new games.

I pre-ordered

[goldcd (587052)]

and paid for 2142 via EA's downloader - and the EULA made no mention of this.
Now either the kotaku is imagining bits of paper, the online purchased version is magically pure or EA are about to get themselves a huge class-action kicking.
I loved BF2, shelled out for the hit-or-miss expansion packs and already felt slightly narked off. I think this is the final straw - wish me luck on getting a refund.

Re:I pre-ordered

[sglider (648795)]

It's true [ssb5.net]. Unfortunately, those that have downloaded the game from EA Downloader are all but screwed, and I sincerely hope they are able to get their money back.

The real problem here is that EA isn't doing this to ease the burden for the consumer, it's doing it to make more profit -- you notice that whether or not you want ads, you've got them, and you still have to pay the full price for the game. It might not have been that bad if EA had reduced the price of the ad-supported game by 20 bucks or so.

GG EA, just another reason why I'm not buying BF2142.

Hmm

[LordPhantom (763327)]

Interesting to a point - I really could care less about in-game adds, but monitoring all of my internet traffic and placing in-game adds?
3 thoughts on this:

#1 - It probably won't be long before someone develops a web browser wrapper that 'fakes' site visits.

#2 - How explicitly does EA describe what they're collecting and how? If they're scanning my cookies, that's one thing. Directly monitoring packets is another level of bad.

#3 - How long do you think it will be before some adult site that daddy was visiting gets into Jr's game because everyone logs in on one account? I can see the laywers salivating......

Re:Hmm

[griffjon (14945)]

Really, though, if they need help in profiling people who bought Battlefield 2142, sell them short Right Now. Advertisements for:
*sci-fi movies, models, games, paraphrenalia
*anything related to the womens. hot pr0n, internet dating sites
*deoderant (more of a public service than an advert, really)
*guns
are good ideas, and will sell

Ads for:
*sporting equipment
*feminine goods/perfumes/etc.
*sunglasses or anything outside-related
*56k modems
are bad, and will not sell.

The preceeding ideas are copyrighted by me, and can be used freely by anyone except the gaming and advertisement industries, who must pay me royalty fees if they wish to take this BLINDINGLY OBVIOUS train of thought out of the station.

Likely BF2142 Ads

[Hoi Polloi (522990)]

"I see you've been 'pwned', would you be interested in Viagra(tm) so you can feel like a man again?"

"I see you've been playing for over 4 hours, would you be interested in a coupon for Preperation H?"

"Your browser is open in the background to 'www.HornyTeenSluts.com', could I interest you in singles available in your area?"

"I was scanning your email while you were playing and found a letter from what appears to be your girlfriend who is breaking up with you. Could I interest you in a special at 1-800-FLOWERS? No? How about those available singles I mentioned before?"

Re:Hmm

[PitaBred (632671)]

I hate to be a pedant, but it bugs me all to hell when people type "adds" when they really mean "ads".

Adds are what you do to two numbers. Ads is the correct abbreviation for "advertisements".
And to keep my post from flying completely OT:

#1 - Why a browser wrapper? Why not replace their database with one of your choosing?

#2 - Doesn't sound like the describe it well, but if it's running as a service, I'd bet they're not after just cookies. They could do that easily enough from within the game.

#3 - I'd love to see EA lose tons of money on that. They make their money off of frat boys who have to have the latest version of Madden and Tiger Woods, and buy other franchises and run them into the ground.

Fuck EA.

Pathetic!

[paulius_g (808556)]

What? You can't be serious! Oh wait.... You are?

Now really, who will get all this money for advertising? The consummer still needs to buy the game, right? So what, all this spyware and ads revenue is a "bonus" to the game developer? If the game would be offered for free upon installation of this spyware, I would then accept it. I would get myself another HDD with another Windows installation just for that game.

My fellow /.ers, is this the starting of the end of privacy? Whatever happened too good old gaming.

Re:Pathetic!

[paulius_g (808556)]

Who said that I'm going to pay?
By the time that Vista is going to be released, ReactOS will be stable!

Yay for background processes...

[GeekDork (194851)]

So EA/Dice has a really unstable, memory- and processor time-hogging bastard of an engine that'd barely run well even if it had exclusive hardware access, now they want to run more and really nasty stuff too? They just could have made a new game instead of an overhyped, overpriced and unnecessary mod. That's one more copany I won't be buying from anymore.

This crash was brought to you by Dodge. Buy bigger cars.

Why only pay once?

[by Anonymous Coward]

Firstly, I hate spyware, but don't we all.

It seems to me that this is a bit of a double dip on their end. I could see putting up with this if it was actully financing "free" content that I could receive down the road. Professional caliber add-ons for example.

Some Questions remain

1. Can you turn off the spyware?
2. If so will it still be feature complete with the spyware turned off?
3. Will it uninstall when the game uninstalls?
4. What new security holes does this open?
5. Will the upfront purchase price be subsidized by this spyware?

-Lemur

Re:Why only pay once?

[MMaestro (585010)]

1. Yeah, unplug your computer from the internet. (I'm not kidding)
2. No, single player is limited to 16 bots. (Again, not kidding)
3. Probably not.
4. The kind of security holes that everyone will blame on Microsoft for no good reason.
5. No.

Boycott

[CosmicDan (934381)]

I stopped buying EA games a few years ago after bizarre experience interviewing with Maxis. I was going for a high end programming job and everyone I interviewed with posed a question that was clearly straight out of their current task list. I gave good answers to everything and everyone seemed happy and impressed. I even exchanged some followup emails with one developer about a particularly odd math algorithm he had been working on. They seemed eager to have me onboard. Then the HR dept stepped in. Clearly they were still chained to EA and disconnected from Maxis. She determined that I was a low level system admin and even though we had discussed salary in the 120-140 range she said because I was just a system admin they could only offer me 40k. Cue twilight-zone music. I tried to explain to her that I was a senior developer and had just spent two days interviewing with all of the other deveopers there. Apparently this pissed her off something awful. I tried to contact some of the people I had interviewed with and she had forbidden them to speak with me. Real nice. So I figured that if HR runs the shop, it must be hell to work for. I have never heard anything positive from any EA owned shop's employee. I joined the developer's boycott of EA at that point and chalked it up as a lesson learned. Despite the fact that the Battlefield series of games looks really pretty, I still won't support EA. They do dirty business and destroy small studios. I wish there were some way to support the developers who bleed for them without contributing the the hateful machine that the conglomerate has become. Just my $0.02

Not exactly

[Wind_Walker (83965)]

The representatives of DICE (the developers, EA is the publisher) have now clarified on the forums that it only records what ads you look at and for how long you look at them - it does not monitor your browsing habits, your cookies, or your hard drive.

Or so they say...

But even if it's not spying on my pr0n, I still have problems with paying full price for a game and having it be supported by ads. If they want to knock off $10 and give me in-game ads, that's fine by me. I consider it a fair trade. But the recent ad craze in the video game industry is not lowering prices, it's just creating more revenue for the game publisher.

And since EA is not only charging for cheat codes [next-gen.biz] and adopting **AA tactics on torrents [destructoid.com] I've decided to stop buying EA products - even Spore.

Re:Not exactly

[revery (456516)]

I've decided to stop buying EA products - even Spore.

Now you've gone too far!! We're talking about Spore, here. Will Wright? The Sims? You're joking right? You were probably thinking, "I'll get people's attention if I make some outlandish claim." Well you jumped the shark with this one, my friend. Next time, try something believable, like "I eat babies" or "George Bush is my favorite public speaker".

Not even spore... you got me... oh, that's funny.

Re:Not exactly

[Wind_Walker (83965)]

I love me some Gmail too - but the key detail is that Gmail is 100% free to me, and is supported by advertising. So is Slashdot, Gamespot, Kotaku, and just about every other website out there. I have no problem with advertising. I have problems with paying the same price for a video game supported by advertising as a game not supported by advertising.

As for the rising costs to develop and publish games, that's not my problem. That's EA's problem. Multi-million dollar budgets and FMVs do not a good game make. Look at Geometry Wars on the Xbox 360, or look at any of the plethora of AAA-quality Nintendo DS games. You do not need huge budgets and FMVs to make a good game which sells well in the market. Thus I have no compassion for EA when they tell me that their prices are skyrocketing.

Make a good game and I'll buy it. That's the only revenue you should need if you're running your business well. And if you're running it poorly, the Free Market will make short work of you.

Fuck You, EA

[HaloZero (610207)]

I just called GameStop and cancelled my preorder.

I was all excited to pick it up and play, too. Just itching to order a new video card (over instead of buying a new Mac) to play this and a handful of other gems on. Guess I'll be sticking with the 360.

The line must be drawn here. Not even this far, certainly not any farther!

Business practices such as these really are an insult to the community. 'You're going to take our crap and like it!' - and the shitty part is that people do, over and over again. Stop cramming advertisements up my ass - I don't care about your shitty product. If I get my arm blown off in 2142, I don't want to see an advert for Bandaids. I certainly am not interested in a Dodge Neon.

I hope the lack of my sale takes money out of your pocket twice. I'll be encouraging all of my friends to cancel their preorders, now, and some of them are significantly more paranoid about Crapware than I am.

Re:Fuck You, EA

[Buran (150348)]

I sure hope you're joking.

Kind of funny you think someone is overreacting over the loss of privacy and actually DOING something about it the day after Slashdot runs an article over hypocritical "say one thing, do another" actions?

Slashdot | Who Cares If Privacy Is Slipping Away? [slashdot.org]

If you're actually serious, you're part of the problem -- Slashdot is violently pro-privacy, and yet then you get gems like this one that poke fun at people who actually act to do something about it.

Nice.

The text

[Spiked_Three (626260)]

The Software may incorporate technology developed by IGA Worldwide Inc. ("IGA") (the "Advertising Technology"). The purpose of the Advertising Technology is to deliver in-game advertisements to you when you use the Software while connected to the Internet. When you use the Software while connected ot the Internet, the Advertising Technlogy may record your IP address and other anonymouse information ("Advertising Data"). The Advertising Data is temporarily used by IGA to enable the presentation and measurement of in-game advertisements and other in-game objects which are uploaded temporarily to your personal computer or game console and changed during online game play. The Advertising Technology does not collect any personally identifiable information about you, and EA will ont provide IGA with any of your personally identifiable information. The servers used by the Advertising Technology may, from time to time, be located outside your country of residence. If you are located within the European Union, the servers may be located outside the EU.

By installing and using the Software, you agree to: (i) the transfer of the Advertising Data to servers located outside your country of residence and, if applicable, outside the European Union; (ii)the collection and use of the Advertising Data as described in this Section; and (iii) the delivery of advertising and marketing content by the Advertising Technology. IF YOU DO NOT WANT IGA TO COLLECT, USE, STORE, OR TRANSMIT THE DATA DESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION, DO NOT INSTALL OR PLAY THE SOFTWARE ON ANY PLATFORM THAT IS USED TO CONNECT TO THE INTERNET."

Re:The text

[malsdavis (542216)]

How can they justify calling information like your IP Address, website cookies etc. "anonymous data". Unless your at an internet café and enter false info into any websites you visit, obviously IP address and some cookies can be used to personally identify exactly who you are.

Also, they'll need to do a lot more than just bury this disclaimer deep in the EULA to get around Data protection laws in many EU countries. The article states a piece of paper included in the game. Not sure how this works for people who download it though.

Re:The text

[Kjella (173770)]

Now here's one of the reasons I'd like proper security controls and compartmentalization in computers... Wanna access my web traffic? Yeah right, screw you. You're running as a nobody-user with no rights to nothing outside your little program files dir, and you don't come close to any of my data unless I permit it. There's so many applications that do things I don't want them to or never asked them to do, there really should be a way to sandbox "hostile" apps. You might ask why you'd want to run those in the first place, but I really feel that's another discussion. I want to be able to run the apps I want with assurances they won't hose my computer or do anything else I don't want them to. Not too much to ask, if you ask me.

But I already *bought* the game...

[endemoniada (744727)]

Seriously, what the hell?

If i buy BF2142, which I won't, then I've already given my share to the developers and anyone else that deserves to get paid. It would be a whole other matter if the game was free, or significantly cheaper, but it's not.

Basically, I PAY lots of money to GET ads, and there's not even a way to pay MORE to get RID of them!

Questions, questions

[phorm (591458)]

From the actual box disclaimer (linked in another's post) it appears that the software is used to monitor and/or distribute how often the in-game ads are viewed, not the browser etc. This bring a few questions:

a) Does said software run when the game isn't running
b) Does it connect on a specific port or to a specific IP (can I block it)
c) Where is this info located besides in-box. If a user has opened the box, most outlets will not accept a return
d) Can somebody give a working link/email for EA's complaints department

Ben Franklin said it best:

[merc (115854)]

"Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a MMORPG deserve neither Liberty nor a MMORPG."

Here is a scan of the actual paper

[Divine_Madcat (1014607)]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v402/ojibewa/214 2ads.jpg [photobucket.com]
Scanned straight from the paper in the box.
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/7315/igavy2.jpg [imageshack.us]
Another good shot with the box.. Way to go EA....

Solution for TK'ing

[mrroot (543673)]

Maybe they could change the TK punish system so instead of subtracting 6 points, it makes you watch a 30 second advertisement. Now that would be a punishment.

Re:Unacceptable

[voice_of_all_reason (926702)]

Heck, will the game stop functioning if the spyware server is shut down sometime in the future? What a great way to stop secondhand sales, just remote-disable all copies of the software from your end by not allowing it to authenticate.

Re:Illegal?

[From A Far Away Land (930780)]

I think a company should release a "game" where the point of the software is to monitor how the computer user, uses their computer. At the end of the day the "game" reports the results to the maker of the software, and gives the user points, based on how much porn, violence, and YouTube the user consumed. Sending emails to family decreases the score, while sending emails to people you meet online increases your score. The user's score could be displayed in the corner of the screen at all times, and the rules of the game wouldn't be made known to them, they could only see the result of the score after they take an action, and thus act how they think the game is supposed to be played.

That wouldn't be spyware, that would be "fun".

Re:

[Some_Llama (763766)]

I believe this software already exists, it's called AOL, comes on a CD.. maybe you've seen it?

Re:

[Mister Whirly (964219)]

No, what will be illegal is all the people who don't buy it, then download the torrent with the spyware removed/disabled. Way to go EA, encourage people to illegally obtain your product because the legal version sucks...This is like the online music/DRM argument all over again. When are companies going to learn - people will not pay extra (or anything) for software that comes with undesireable features, if they can get the same software elsewhere without said features.

Re:The software is optional!!

[by Anonymous Coward]

And the software is only activated when you are not playing the game and only while surfing the web.

Phew! What a relief! It sounded like spyware for a moment there.

Dont lump us all in together

[cliffski (65094)]

Yes Starforce is EVIL, yes unskippable cutscenes are EVIL, yes doctored screenshots are EVIL, yes Ads in agmes are totally EVIL, but this the bullshit you get from what I laughable call the 'triple A' industry.

Most indie games have none of that crap. I am very loud and blatant about not pulling any stunts like those for my games. Plus theres no console approval board between me and my customers, and no console licence fee either.
Dont lump in the good old indie dev with the scum who pull stunts like this.

Re:journalistic integrity

[Edgewize (262271)]

Oh, you mean in this post, where he refutes this entire story, directly and succinctly ?

http://www.totalbf2142.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6 6802&postcount=27 [totalbf2142.com]

I hereby call on the /. editors to add an Update to this story with a link to this post.