Battlefield 2142 to Bundle Spyware?

[metadigital]

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?"

EA innovating spyware for your advertisemental benefit.

[Darque]

Yikes, that sucks.

[Sand]

Good thing I decided not to buy the game.

[Kaftan Barlast]

What was said by Johan Hargelid from DiCE was:

 

"det

Edited October 22, 2006 by Kaftan Barlast

[Hurlshort]

Although I wouldn't put it past EA to bundle spyware, the truth is they are just tracking statistics like how long players look at the advertisements. The whole "tailoring advertisements based on your internet cookies" thing was debunked rather quickly.

 

How do TV stations and radio track what people are watching?

[metadigital]

They sample a few people who fill in forms, then extrapolate from there. (Cable will soon allow companies to directly monitor viewing, though.)

[Sand]

They sample a few people who fill in forms, then extrapolate from there. (Cable will soon allow companies to directly monitor viewing, though.)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Which is one of the reasons why I will not have cable, beyond the price is prohibitive compare to the amount of actual television that I watch.

Edited October 22, 2006 by Sand

[@\NightandtheShape/@]

What was said by Johan Hargelid from DiCE was:

 

"det

[Sand]

Too close in my book.

[@\NightandtheShape/@]

Too close in my book.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

<_< No not really... Though it could be considered ethically dubious, it's simply a matter of market research which is only applied in the games ingame game browser.... Which makes it... Different to unknown spyware that install itself on your system, and monitors your actual browsing.

[Hurlshort]

They sample a few people who fill in forms, then extrapolate from there. (Cable will soon allow companies to directly monitor viewing, though.)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Really? Then how do they get the numbers like "10 million people tuned into Lost" and such? Questionnaires seem like they would be terribly unreliable. I know that the Neilson ratings system actually puts a box in homes that keeps track of viewing, and you have to volunteer for that.

[Dark_Raven]

Down with EA.

[Jorian Drake]

Too close in my book.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

<_< No not really... Though it could be considered ethically dubious, it's simply a matter of market research which is only applied in the games ingame game browser.... Which makes it... Different to unknown spyware that install itself on your system, and monitors your actual browsing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

noone can guarantee they ONLY look at THAT information :ph34r:

[Sand]

Exactly. That may be what they say they are looking at but how can we trust them in telling the truth?

[Colrom]

If the game maker or publisher is going to monitor events happening during the game, the least they could do is to monitor things useful for further development and refinement of the game - such as artificial intelligence parameter values and human intellegence parameter values and their apparent effect on in game success.

 

Also, they should tell you what they are doing.

 

We need some better politicians making better laws to curb or stop this kind of thing rather than enable it.

Edited October 22, 2006 by Colrom

[alanschu]

Not really sure what monitoring AI would really do in a game like Battlefield, nor am I sure wtf "human intelligence" parameter values would be.

 

 

We need some better politicians making better laws to curb or stop this kind of thing rather than enable it.

 

Why?

Edited October 22, 2006 by alanschu

[metadigital]

They sample a few people who fill in forms, then extrapolate from there. (Cable will soon allow companies to directly monitor viewing, though.)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Really? Then how do they get the numbers like "10 million people tuned into Lost" and such? Questionnaires seem like they would be terribly unreliable. I know that the Neilson ratings system actually puts a box in homes that keeps track of viewing, and you have to volunteer for that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, it's totally unreliable.

 

Sounds like the Neilson system is what they are building into the next gen of cable.

[Bokishi]

LOL screw that.

[Jorian Drake]

LOL screw that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

that=EA

[Hurlshort]

Advertising is an important step for the gaming industry to take. TV, Radio, and magazines sustain themselves almost solely on advertising dollars. The gaming industry needs tools in order to show that people actually pay attention to such advertisements.

 

If y'all want the quality of games to continue to improve without raising the costs to the consumer, y'all need to accept that advertising is the industry's best option.

[Colrom]

Not really sure what monitoring AI would really do in a game like Battlefield, nor am I sure wtf "human intelligence" parameter values would be.

 

 

We need some better politicians making better laws to curb or stop this kind of thing rather than enable it.

 

Why?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well for map specific info you can keep track of kills and fatalities at various locations, for example. This can be used to make the AI work better on that map - and maybe for other maps too if you can establish the relevant correlations with map features - if you prepare for that type of thing.

 

Regarding the why - the business of imbedding ads and monitoring views of those ads for games and other programs is an issue of commerce which needs to be regulated and monitored since it can slide into real spying quite easily and business folks are good at mischaracterizing what they are doing and how it can be applied. To tell the truth I was thinking of recent fooling around with true credit card rate structures by allowing modifications of the way payments effect the calculation of interest. which was enabled by laws.

 

I certainly seems innocuous but I don't know. My understanding is that some folks have actually looked over the packets exchanged and they say they haven't found any reporting of info outside the scope of the game. So maybe it is not an issue this time. Still, it would be good to keep an eye out. And Politicians would probably be the right ones to see that facilitated.

[Bokishi]

Advertising is an important step for the gaming industry to take.  TV, Radio, and magazines sustain themselves almost solely on advertising dollars.  The gaming industry needs tools in order to show that people actually pay attention to such advertisements.

 

If y'all want the quality of games to continue to improve without raising the costs to the consumer, y'all need to accept that advertising is the industry's best option.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Then make the game discounted. $50 game + loads of ads = bad deal.

[Hurlshort]

Games have been $50 for years, but the costs for game development and production have risen tremendously. Your statement is not economically viable.

[Darque]

I think the thing that bugs me the most about this isn't so much the ads, as the fact they're in the game.

 

I mean, the game is set after the fall of civilization... right?

 

Who would still be advertising?

[Fenghuang]

Microsoft.