EA Spyware?

[Hawk]

I found this comment on another thread.

On the subject of EA who are, of course, publishing the new Kuju Rail Simulator, there is a thread over at UK Trainsim pointing out their installer jacket, notably for BF2142, is now placing what amounts to spyware on the user's PC and even, in some cases, not working until the user rolls back a Windows security update.

Anyone have any info or knowledge on this?

[Andy J]

Would NOT, be surprised...Sony got caught installing spyware on some of their music CD's a while back..

I understand the need for copy protection, be this is overboard.

[stresstool]

It's my understanding the problem was caused by MS having issued a security patch which broke BF1242 but has since issued yet another path to fix that patch. Neverthless, I believe EA was not wise in advising someone to disable a security patch. As for EA installing spyware, this might be somewhat of an overstatement. I cannot testify to the accuracy or wisdom (??) of any of it, but I found the following. Digest for what it's worth and at your own risk:

Dice released the following statement concerning the "Spyware"

==========================
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
=====================

[Hawk]

Thanks for the info Dave.
I wonder if this kind of 'advertising' is going to be a part of KRS?
Personally I can't stand advertising. I rarely get to watch a whole TV show because when the commercials come on I change channels, well-what little bit I watch TV. :-)
If KUJU and/or EA opt for this, I know I won't be buying KRS.

[Gecko]

Agreed, I pay for something I don't need to pay another Co's ad costs!

[NW_611]

I suppose their argument would be that since 2142 isn't a pay-for-play service, they have to cover the costs of continuing support somehow. If I understand the business model properly, that's usually done out of the revenue from the sale of the game or from ads that are included with the game.

2142 may be an experiment of sorts to see if the users will allow them to fund further development without having to bite into the sales revenue. I do not advocate any particular position; I'm just guessing what EA or someone in their position might offer as justification for their actions.

[Vern]

The main thread discussing this *possible* issue is over at UKTS, here.

http://forums.uktrainsim.com/viewtopic.php?t=60262

[Hawk]

Interesting thread.
Thanks for the link Vern.

[lateagain]

Only just caught up on this thread on UKTS and Vern beat me to it flagging it up.

Worth pointing out that it's EA doing this. Kuju has responded briefly on the UKTS thread and will report back.

I've posted some links to other threads on this issue over at UKTS.

As I understand it Sony were forced to back down on this. Maybe EA will be forced to reconsider?

IMHO any spyware is an infringement of your rights.

[GT Dan]

After reading though the five pages of comments at the UK train sim site, I can't help but wonder if we are ever going to get the game developers, distriubutors, and manufactures to realize that underhanded tactics like these are wrong.

I just hope that we will get some answers from Kuju and EA before this game goes to marked. Given my problems with COD2, I can say that I won't DONATE another $1 to a game developer for a piece of junk game.