I hate EA

New Member
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Messages
1,285
Best answers
0
Location
Finland
yup, now its confirmed http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/06/10/17/1319235.shtml


"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?"
 
New Member
★ Black Lounger ★
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Apr 15, 2003
Messages
4,628
Best answers
0
Demonic Spoon said:
The government's job is to protect the RIGHTS of the people. Noone's rights are being infringed because someone was a dumbass and couldn't read the card that came inside the box. Granted, it could be grounds for fraud IF EA refused to refund the purchase once you found out about the spyware, but that's about it.

It's printed clearly what it will do. Even if this DID require being computer literate (which it does not), it would STILL be your fault for reading something, KNOWING YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS, and still using it. If you don't know, find out.


And I find it disturbing that you seem to think "the government should have the same values as its people". You are advocating pure democracy-Tyranny of the Majority.

It's just as wrong for a group of people to userp the rights of the few than it is for one person to userp the rights of everyone.

One of your basic human rights is privacy, thats why police need warrents to search your home - thats what i was refering to about values, there's nothing wrong/non democratic with protecting peoples privacy unless you're the extreme right wing and believe we should live in some kind of ****ing regime. Secondly, you dont know its in the box when you buy it, like Magus said. 3rdly, the way the card is worded is so bias, it would make anybody computer illiterate think that they are actually doing them a favor as somebody pointed out earlier, and if you dont know **** about something like that and they're saying "we do this for your convienice" you're gonna be like "ah cheers mate" and shove in the CD.
 
New Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2006
Messages
125
Best answers
0
One of your basic human rights is privacy, thats why police need warrents to search your home - thats what i was refering to about values, there's nothing wrong/non democratic with protecting peoples privacy unless you're the extreme right wing and believe we should live in some kind of ****ing regime.
Unless you choose to give up your privacy, such as whe nyou play BF2142 even knowing about the ads.

econdly, you dont know its in the box when you buy it, like Magus said
Hence why I said they better be prepared to give a refund.
3rdly, the way the card is worded is so bias, it would make anybody computer illiterate think that they are actually doing them a favor as somebody pointed out earlier, and if you dont know **** about something like that and they're saying "we do this for your convienice" you're gonna be like "ah cheers mate" and shove in the CD.
Bull****. Anyone who cannot decipher what's going on with that message should not own a computer. It clearly states about the ads.
 
New Member
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Messages
4,022
Best answers
0
Some people may read it and understand that there's software in the game sending information 'somewhere', but they may not understand the underlying implications of this.
 
Live free or die by the sword
Retired Forum Staff
✔️ HL Verified
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Dec 1, 2001
Messages
7,416
Best answers
0
Location
North East Pennsylvania
You know what's funny, they aren't including the disclaimer sheet in the US box from what I've heard, the only reason it's in the Euro one is because of Europe's privacy laws.
 
Lost in space
Banned
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Dec 21, 2003
Messages
3,608
Best answers
0
Cucumba said:
You know what's funny, they aren't including the disclaimer sheet in the US box from what I've heard, the only reason it's in the Euro one is because of Europe's privacy laws.
BF2142 came out here yesterday in retail. The disclaimer hasn't appeared in any copies sold here as well reportedly.
 
New Member
★ Black Lounger ★
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Apr 15, 2003
Messages
4,628
Best answers
0
Demonic Spoon said:
Unless you choose to give up your privacy, such as whe nyou play BF2142 even knowing about the ads.



Hence why I said they better be prepared to give a refund.


Bull****. Anyone who cannot decipher what's going on with that message should not own a computer. It clearly states about the ads.
So in order to play games we must now accept any kinda **** they want us to have? Bull****, its not there for the game, its there to make money, and seeming as you dont quite understand what kinda implications this has on the games market, you're not thinking ahead enough. If EA start shoving this in their games, imagine the kind of money they're going to get from advertisements, they'll rake it in. Sooner or later other games companies will probably do it to, just to compete. Yeah, i'd understand if it was just this one game, and everybody knew what the **** spyware was and what it does to your computer and how it infringes on privacy, but like i said - Many people do not know, and making it compulsary to play the games they want is going to screw people over. It's like you dont understand how many people think "whatever" about **** like this, I've tried to explain spyware to numerous people I know, and some of them really do have a hard time grasping what it means. You're "well they should know better" arguement shouldn't even come into this, who are you to say who should and shouldnt know better? its bad enough the ammount of popup and ads there already is on the internet, people get scamed all the time, and all you can say is "well they should have known better" yeah thats the kinda attitude that lets **** like this continue and aggrivate everyone and waist their money.

For **** sake, you could sign somebody's life away in a disclaimer, it doesnt mean its right.
 
New Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2002
Messages
676
Best answers
0
got some new info from the EA devs


Posting on behalf of the Dev Team
--------------------------------
Greetings,

We would like to provide more information on in-game advertising in Battlefield 2142. To try and help everyone better understand it, here is how it works.

The in- game advertisement is respectful of players' privacy: it never accesses files not directly related to the game, and it does not capture personal data such as cookies, account login detail, gameplay behaviour or surfing history. As it is an integrated part of Battlefield 2142 and not a separate program, it only runs when the game is running.

Because BF2142 delivers ads by region, the IP address of the player is used to determine the region of the player and helps serve ads by region and language; for instance, a player in Paris will be presented with ads in French. Note that this IP address is not stored on the advertisement server and is not repurposed for other uses.

A unique ID number is anonymously assigned the first time the player joins a Battlefield 2142 online game. It is stored locally on the PC but is not linked to any personal details.

The in-game advertisement gathers what we call “impression data”, such as location of the billboard in the game or duration of advertisement impression. It
helps see how many people have seen an ad – but not who has seen it.

We are also conscious that the advertisement shouldn’t distract the player from the overall gaming experience, so all ads fit in the unique environment of each level in the game. The content of the ads is also controlled to ensure that no offensive content is displayed in Battlefield 2142.

We all hope that this explanation will address recent concerns on the advertisement in Battlefield 2142.

See you on the Battlefield.

Your Dice Live Team
 
New Member
★ Black Lounger ★
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Apr 15, 2003
Messages
4,628
Best answers
0
Ah, makes a lot more sense, thats nothing new, if im right, steam does that too.
 
Live free or die by the sword
Retired Forum Staff
✔️ HL Verified
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Dec 1, 2001
Messages
7,416
Best answers
0
Location
North East Pennsylvania
Now that is much more explanitory than the sheet, which makes it sound like it is doing all of the thnigs it claims it wont do.
 
New Member
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Oct 2, 2002
Messages
1,043
Best answers
0
Futurama said:
Leela: Didn't you have ads in the 21st century?

Fry: Well sure, but not in our dreams. Only on TV and radio, and in magazines, and movies, and at ball games... and on buses and milk cartons and t-shirts, and bananas and written on the sky. But not in dreams, no siree.
Ah well. Doesn't sound that bad this time, at least. We can only hope they never cross the line...
 
New Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2006
Messages
125
Best answers
0
Some people may read it and understand that there's software in the game sending information 'somewhere', but they may not understand the underlying implications of this.
It says right on the sheet it will display ads in game.

So in order to play games we must now accept any kinda **** they want us to have? Bull****, its not there for the game, its there to make money, and seeming as you dont quite understand what kinda implications this has on the games market, you're not thinking ahead enough. If EA start shoving this in their games, imagine the kind of money they're going to get from advertisements, they'll rake it in. Sooner or later other games companies will probably do it to, just to compete. Yeah, i'd understand if it was just this one game, and everybody knew what the **** spyware was and what it does to your computer and how it infringes on privacy, but like i said - Many people do not know, and making it compulsary to play the games they want is going to screw people over. It's like you dont understand how many people think "whatever" about **** like this, I've tried to explain spyware to numerous people I know, and some of them really do have a hard time grasping what it means. You're "well they should know better" arguement shouldn't even come into this, who are you to say who should and shouldnt know better? its bad enough the ammount of popup and ads there already is on the internet, people get scamed all the time, and all you can say is "well they should have known better" yeah thats the kinda attitude that lets **** like this continue and aggrivate everyone and waist their money.
Right. So one of two things will happen.

1) People will be so pissed off at EA over this, that they will not buy BF2142. They lose $.

2) People don't give a **** about the spyware, and decide to play anyway. It means it really doesn't matter.


They are not FORCING you to accept spyware. You accept when you purchase it (Although perhaps the info should be on the box to avoid people having to return it) the product as-is. Now, if they don't tell you about it, then it's false advertising/fraud, so yes it is criminal. If they DO tell you ,like EA did, then they are doing nothing wrong. Don't like it? Return the game.

, I've tried to explain spyware to numerous people I know, and some of them really do have a hard time grasping what it means. You're "well they should know better" arguement shouldn't even come into this, who are you to say who should and shouldnt know better? its bad enough the ammount of popup and ads there already is on the internet, people get scamed all the time, and all you can say is "well they should have known better" yeah thats the kinda attitude that lets **** like this continue and aggrivate everyone and waist their money.
By reading the sheet and still playing the game, they accept whatever terms are printed on the sheet. If they do not understand those terms, then they should seek out someone to explain it to them. It's not an issue of what people should/should not know, it's the fact that when you buy it and do not return it, you AGREE to it.

This is far from a scam. Scams usually use false advertising and/or fraud, which is illegal. They mislead the consumer. Samething with spyware that auto-downloads without your permission. EA does neither of these. While it's a ****ty thing to put into a game, it is NOT criminal.

For **** sake, you could sign somebody's life away in a disclaimer, it doesnt mean its right.
What moron signs a disclaimer that would sign their life away?
 
New Member
★ Black Lounger ★
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Apr 15, 2003
Messages
4,628
Best answers
0
You completely missed my point again -_-' Instead of trying to repeat the same retoric to every point i make or quoting me out of context, think of what im trying to say. Think.

Turns out the disclaimers even more bull**** anyway, if u read the quote in tsunami's post. I was going by what other people had said in this thread, turns out it was pointless.
 
New Member
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Nov 14, 2003
Messages
1,659
Best answers
0
opened up a box today at work when a friend said he was gonna buy it, he changed his mind when i showed him the little card.

its not illegal though, since they clearly say "if you dont want to install it, then dont. if you install it, thats your own choice".

=/

im not agreeing with them, what they are doing is ***. but its not illegal.
 
New Member
★ Black Lounger ★
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Apr 15, 2003
Messages
4,628
Best answers
0
I never said it was, I said it should be.
 
New Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2006
Messages
125
Best answers
0
You completely missed my point again -_-' Instead of trying to repeat the same retoric to every point i make or quoting me out of context, think of what im trying to say. Think.
So instead of responding to my point, you claim that I did not touch it. Nice.

I quoted your whole post, how could I quote it out of context? I know what you're trying to say.
 
New Member
★ Black Lounger ★
💻 Oldtimer
Joined
Apr 15, 2003
Messages
4,628
Best answers
0
So you understand that what they were supposedly doing is moraly wrong? You just keep repeating the same point - "disclaimer, disclaimer", what part of how much of an miscarrage of justice that kind of disclaimer is, have I not covered already? I not gonna repeat my arguements for the sake of it.

My Point - Companies shouldnt force you to install needless spyware which potentially damages your computer and infringes on your privacy when they arent nessecary for the game, there should be some kinda law for this to protect those who dont fully understand the implications. Disclaimers should be void when it comes down to infringements of human rights.

Your Point - As long as there's a disclaimer (within sealed bought package) which describes the information needed it's all good. People who dont understand what it means or what the risks are can go **** 'emselves.

Well, thats what i've gathered, shoot me though this isnt even about this topic anymore.
 
New Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2006
Messages
125
Best answers
0
So you understand that what they were supposedly doing is moraly wrong? You just keep repeating the same point - "disclaimer, disclaimer", what part of how much of an miscarrage of justice that kind of disclaimer is, have I not covered already? I not gonna repeat my arguements for the sake of it.

My Point - Companies shouldnt force you to install needless spyware which potentially damages your computer and infringes on your privacy when they arent nessecary for the game, there should be some kinda law for this to protect those who dont fully understand the implications. Disclaimers should be void when it comes down to infringements of human rights.

Your Point - As long as there's a disclaimer (within sealed bought package) which describes the information needed it's all good. People who dont understand what it means or what the risks are can go **** 'emselves.

Well, thats what i've gathered, shoot me though this isnt even about this topic anymore.
You're right, companies SHOULDN'T do it, but that does not mean it should be illegal. When you agree to a disclaimer, you AGREE that you may lose your privacy. It's the same thing when you give your name and information to, say, a credit card company. ZOMG SUE THE CREDIT CARD COMPANIES FOR INFRINGING ON OUR PRIVACY.

When you agree to it, you voluntarily forfeit the right for that specific thing. Case in point, when you install BF2 and play it online, you forfeit privacy rights regarding the stuff that they said they would gather.


And yes, people who don't understand the implicaitons can go **** themselves. It's not rocket science. The disclaimer prints clearly that you will see ads in the game when you play online. If EA starts doing stuff other than what's listed on the disclaimer, THEN they can be prosecuted...until then, though, what they are doing is fine.
 
New Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2006
Messages
125
Best answers
0
And? That doesn't mean it should be illegal. Morality is not government...or at the very least, it shouldn't be.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top Bottom