Battlefield 2142 to Bundle Spyware?

[Nartwak]

Taco Bell.

[Pop]

Fire!

 

Most of the blatant advertising I've seen in EA games (and man, there's a lot) seems to have been for other EA games, namely the sports ones. Then again, I haven't played any of their recent titles.

[Bokishi]

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

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

A quick cash-in BF2 spinoff with the exact same graphics engine does not sound pricey at all.

[alanschu]

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.

 

Unless BF2142 is completely different than the other ones (which were online multiplayer games, that contained no AI agents in the game), I suspect putting in a whole bunch of AI analysis when the only AI that exists is for a singleplayer, offline mode, would be a really large waste of resources. The question I asked was more rhetorical, because the BF games are games that don't really contain AI agents.

 

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.

 

You didn't really answer why at all. You just said it needs to be regulated because it "can slide into real spying quite easily." Provide something to substantiate your claims. An example about credit cards doesn't exactly clarify the point. And besides, your point was that politicians were needed to curb or stop the type of stuff that EA is doing, nothing mentioned about how it should be "regulated and monitored." I'm thinking that the laws should be created to stop the "real spying," rather than what EA is attempting to do.

[metadigital]

I'm thinking that the laws should be created to stop the "real spying," rather than what EA is attempting to do.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That sounds like a winner.

[Walsingham]

I didn't mind the ads in Syndicate Wars, mainly because I already liked the companies they were advertising, but also because it fit in with the theme. But I won't stand for bloody live monitoring via spyware.

 

Wow, yet another company loses my dollar by behaving like bastards. I was intending to buy 2142, and now I won't.

[Ummi]

When i first heard the news i decided not to buy this game on principle. Then i read that this "spyware" actually just monitors how much people view the ads and well that's something i couldn't care less about. Game's been a load of fun so far

 

I doubt EA actualy needed these advertising dollars to develop BF2142, but if this eventually leads to higher budget games then i really don't mind. Something tells me that companies whos games i like won't put in ads that ruin the setting, cause despite all the fears some people have that simply wouldn't make sense. People are gonna have to buy and play the game to get exposed to these ads, but if the ads ruin immersion then well they might not get enough people to buy the game in the first place.

[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.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The first comment relates to AI. If there is no AI there is no reason for them to research it. I was actually thinking more of games which have significant single player use. For those games collecting data on player behaviors and results can be useful.

 

I'm sorry I can't provide any more evidence of the risks associated with spyware than the evidence of unwanted trojans which is already widely known. It is not unusual for spys to ask permission or offer something in return - like say a game.

 

That's enough.

Edited October 23, 2006 by Colrom

[Darque]

I didn't mind the ads in Syndicate Wars, mainly because I already liked the companies they were advertising, but also because it fit in with the theme. But I won't stand for bloody live monitoring via spyware.

 

Wow, yet another company loses my dollar by behaving like bastards. I was intending to buy 2142, and now I won't.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

[Sofaking]

What kind of ads are they talking about anyway? Are there going to be commercials in my video games now?

[Bokishi]

Yes, scantily clad women will interrupt your game session every five minutes to advertise the latest aftershave for men. And they're like real women too.. and they some out of your monitor.

[metadigital]

Well, if it was a game of Duke Nukem: Forever, that would be expected as part of the gameplay. )

[CoM_Solaufein]

Or Tombraider. "

[Bokishi]

Whoops I meant come.. sorry.