Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Poor Mythic
lomiller
Member Posts: 1,810
Now owned by a company that does things like this
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=33&threadid=1944736&frmKeyword=&STARTPAGE=1&FTVAR_FORUMVIEWTMP=Linear
"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. "
Comments
EA has gone the way of SoE down the path of excessive greed.
Paying $50 for spyware is a business practice that is despicable.
SoE started a trend in EQ2 for players being able to buy and
sell items for real life money in exchange for Sony getting a cut of
the action. Then Archlord tried a similar system to be hammered
by players. Luckily as much as I think Codemasters are a bunch of
scooter store retards when it comes to MMOs, at least they had the
common sense to derail the idea.
As much as I wanted to like this game, and encourage my guild to buy
it, I simply can't. I refuse to pay money to a company that is
trying to pioneer a trend to sell us spyware and advertisements with
our games that already cost a premium price. Anarchy online
has in game advertisements, and Im ok with that. The revenue for
those ads keep the basic game free to play. But by giving money
to a company to sell us glorified spyware is something that I want no
parts of. Let's ignore the fact that the game is basically a BF2
mod in a new box with a high price tag on it. Looks like EA will
join SoE on the list of companies whose games I will no longer purchase
because they would prefer to sell out the players for a bigger bottom
line. I hope players are smart enough to vote with their wallet
to stop this trend before it starts.
And yes, poor Mythic, will we see spyware with Warhammer?
TwitchTV Partnered Streamer
MMORPG.com Spotlight Blog Writer
Co-Leader of Inquisition
Youtube Channel
Their annual releases of sport games, and the loose of support for online play with last years version, didn't tip you off?
Heck, even BF vietnam was an sellout..
But i still have faith in Mythic. And you have to consider the position GW is sitting in, too - They could pull the license, anytime they want.
I have no problem with companies charging for their wares, if they charge more then Im willing to pay then I get something else, thats the way any product works. I also dont have a problem with SOEs exchange servers. I view them as a tool to keep some of the farmers and their customers off the real servers.
Installing software to track what I do with my computer is WHOLE different story. When Sony Music was putting root kits on their CDs I refused to buy any of their music until I could be 100% sure their CDs were clean. If EA is building spyware into their games then I will take much the same policy with them.
Its just sad that a good group like Mythic gets caught in the crossfire.
I have no problem with companies charging for their wares, if they charge more then Im willing to pay then I get something else, thats the way any product works. I also dont have a problem with SOEs exchange servers. I view them as a tool to keep some of the farmers and their customers off the real servers.
Installing software to track what I do with my computer is WHOLE different story. When Sony Music was putting root kits on their CDs I refused to buy any of their music until I could be 100% sure their CDs were clean. If EA is building spyware into their games then I will take much the same policy with them.
Its just sad that a good group like Mythic gets caught in the crossfire.
What the spyware in BF really does, is just tracking down your location. This way, they can deliver advertises based on your geopgraphical location. Nothing els. They don't check what your doing, what kind of midget porn your watching, or what your prerfered shop is.
TwitchTV Partnered Streamer
MMORPG.com Spotlight Blog Writer
Co-Leader of Inquisition
Youtube Channel
Ever been to the cinema? At least here in Denmark, they'll show commercials before the movie start. These commercials are based on my geographical location, which is Denmark.
Ever paid with a credit card before? They'll take way more information about you, there.
Besides, if you install the software on a PC with internet connection, you've already agreed with the terms.
The data collection you agree to by installing the game is non-specific as to what they will actually collect.
There is no need to track IP addresses on the client since any server you communicate with already knows it. If they send something to a server it goes with a return address, so if they just want you IP address to determine your region (not always accurate) they dont need to collect or send any information *at all* all they have to do is ask it what your region is.
In fact if you are like most people and have a firewall/router this is far more accurate then anything they collect from your PC. If you are set up this way, the IP address you are using inside your firewall has no regional information at all.
Another thing to take note of is that they specify they can send the information the collect to a *foreign* server. Any local privacy laws you may have to protect you are null and void on a foreign server.
oh comon thats the biggest Bsht i'v heard today (and i don't meen this in an agresive way towards you) but comon of all the thousands of people playing these games u realy think they mind a few 100 players moving ? and the whole tracking is a bit to much CIA for me i aint buying anymore EA games neither from mythic
Besides, if you install the software on a PC with internet connection, you've already agreed with the terms.
I just find it amusing that you support this. First of all it's place on a piece of paper in side the box. Meaning you've already bought the software and opened it. Only to find out that if you install it, they are automatically assuming you agree to it. What about the people that don't? Can they take their box back to their store? If they don't ever install it, can they mail it to EA, and have them reimburse them? I don't care how harmless you try to make it sound. It's very shady, and a dirty tactic on EA's part.
Charging people full price for a glorified BF2 mod. If you are going to put spyware in your game. The very least you could do is lower the price, but not good old greedy EA. I'm sure that nice little warning they put on that paper. Give all the people stuck with their glorified BF2 mod that cost them 50 bucks in some area, that is now a coaster. Because they don't want any spyware placed on their PC in any form, a very nice warm feeling inside about EA.
Cyan is right it should be illegal. Informing people of something that significant only after they've already purchased, and opened it. Is down right fraudulant.
In War - Victory.
In Peace - Vigilance.
In Death - Sacrifice.
find it amusing that you support this. First of all it's place on
a piece of paper in side the box. Meaning you've already bought
the software and opened it. Only to find out that if you
install it, they are automatically assuming you agree to it. What
about the people that don't? Can they take their box back to
their store? If they don't ever install it, can they mail it to
EA, and have them reimburse them? I don't care how harmless
you try to make it sound. It's very shady, and a dirty tactic on
EA's part.
Charging people full price for a glorified BF2
mod. If you are going to put spyware in your game. The very
least you could do is lower the price, but not good old greedy
EA. I'm sure that nice little warning they put on that
paper. Give all the people stuck with their glorified BF2 mod
that cost them 50 bucks in some area, that is now a coaster.
Because they don't want any spyware placed on their PC in any form, a
very nice warm feeling inside about EA.
Exactly! Most game retailers have a policy with computer games
now that states the game is unable to be returned once the box has been
opened. Placing this warning inside the box is a total load of
bullshit. By the time you have realized that the game contains
spyware, it is impossible to take it back and be refunded.
There is a big difference between websites showing ads and this, so
don't even attempt to work that angle here. Many websites and
services are free or drastically reduced because the ad revenue frays
the operation costs. This is you paying $50 and getting
commercials and some asshat data mining on your hard drive. Think
of it this way, you watch TV and see commericals because the TV channel
is not a premium channel. The ad revenue the network gets from
commercials enables you to watch regular TV station at no cost to the
viewer. You can buy HBO, a premium channel and get no
commercials other then programming notes about upcoming
shows. There is no way you can say this is justifiable
behavior, and you have to be foolish to give them your money for
spyware and to endorse this sort of behavior. All that
aside, the game is a POS. It's a glorified BF2 mod that
costs $50.
TwitchTV Partnered Streamer
MMORPG.com Spotlight Blog Writer
Co-Leader of Inquisition
Youtube Channel
"There's no star system Slave I can't reach, and there's no planet I can't find. There's nowhere in the Galaxy for you to run. Might as well give up now."
Boba Fett
Eek this is pure evil and should be illegial, unless the game can be returned to the store (most stores wont). Ive got 5 programs to fight off spyware, why would anyone want to install this malware??
When this news spreads WAR hype popularity could take a harsh numbers hit.
In America I have bad teeth. If I lived in England my teeth would be perfect.
+-+-+-+-+-+
"MMOs, for people that like think chatting is like a skill or something, rotflol"
http://purepwnage.com
-+-+-+-+-+-+
"Far away across the field, the tolling of the iron bell, calls the faithful to their knees. To hear the softly spoken magic spell" Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon
I thought EA made that path anyway and Sony just made a lot more noise following them around because they're bigger and those robot dogs keep waking up and barking...
If you can manage to bootleg a console game without waiting 2 years after the console release, and paying $500 for some mod chip, then getting burned japanese games from your local dealer, then get back to me ASAP.
Meanwhile back in reality, I can go buy BF 2143 or wtf ever, make a copy of it, and take it back to the store within an hour.
The companies cracking down like this on their PC software will be the end of PC gaming. Half the gamers out there cant even play these games that are released at some decent settings/playablity because they cant afford 2 gigs of ram and a 7900GTX, both of those combined is over $500. Thats why they go to consoles.
"There's no star system Slave I can't reach, and there's no planet I can't find. There's nowhere in the Galaxy for you to run. Might as well give up now."
Boba Fett
Whilst I think WAR is safe (purely down to the fact it is licenced from GW), what about Spore?
"Now owned by a company that does things like this"
You may want to explore the history of Mythic once the "anti radar" campaign finally began.
This would be rather a step or two down from what they were pulling off. I have no problem with a company banning cheaters.. However, I don't condone privacy violations for the people who don't cheat.
Real life legal comparisons aside... its just bad business.
As to monitoring my surfing habits? web sites try to do that to me every day.
In fact if you really want to make a post about "poor Mythic"... perhaps you should look at what they've managed to do to their server population... before EA even came into the picture.
Honestly .. I've played DAoC from release until now... and EA could do nothing to screw the game up more than Mythic did. I can't really even stand to play now and think my accounts are finally going to be shut off for good.
I'd venture to say... WAR would have never seen light of day without EA or another companies money.
So while I may agree I don't need anyone else intruding into my computer habits...
Mythic is not exactly what I'd try to use as a victim... or an example for anything except how to ruin a game with less press than SOE got with SWG.
They don't hide game population there... having a "average high" of 12,000 to 14,000 players world wide is not exactly what I'd call good.
Sorry for the rant... I just don't agree .. trying to use Mythic being a victim owned by a company .. EA included. Especially with the crap they were using to monitor systems during the radar bannings.
Like I said its not an issue that cheats get banned from games. Its an issue of privacy invasion for "honest players" especially when that invasion is on a fine line.. of being illegal.
It gets worse
"Players who have the Windows security update KB917422 installed may suffer from an application error when running Battlefield 2142. This error can be solved by uninstalling the KB917422 update."
So you need to remove a Windows security patch to make BF2142 work, what does KB917422 do? Well from Microsofts site:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en
"A security issue has been identified in the Windows Kernel that could allow an attacker to compromise your Windows-based system and gain control over it."
KB917422 is a fix for a root level exploit. Why would that make BF2142 not work? hmmm