NationStates Jolt Archive


Just what is EA thinking?

LazyOtaku
19-10-2006, 16:09
It seems it's not enough for Electronic Arts to put spyware in their newest game (http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/centipedes/battlefield-2142-with-a-dash-of-spyware-207955.php), Battlefield 2142.

A just released patch for the game obviously requires you to uninstall a critical windows update (http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/ea/battlefield-2142-patch-asks-you-to-leave-system-open-to-hackers-208695.php), leaving your system open for hacker attacks.

WTF?
Poitter
19-10-2006, 16:11
looks like there taking the fight against piracy into there own hands
UpwardThrust
19-10-2006, 16:13
Looks like I WONT be getting the new BF

I was actualy planning on it I am a big BF2 fan
Compulsive Depression
19-10-2006, 16:15
They are thinking "$CHA-CHING$".
Allied teams
19-10-2006, 16:17
man, this does blow. ive heard it was nothing more than a reskined BF2 anyways, but i was still planning on getting it. lets all go out and spend our money on something EA hates, counter strike.
Not bad
19-10-2006, 16:20
In Soviet Russia EA plays you.
LazyOtaku
19-10-2006, 16:24
They are thinking "$CHA-CHING$".

Sure, they might be making some money from the ingame advertising - but I would guess that this money is equaled out by the people who won't buy the game, because they don't like spyware on their systems.

But that doesn't explain the patch. No one even expects patches or support from EA!

I think they're taking the whole "even bad press is good press" a bit little bit too far.
Compulsive Depression
19-10-2006, 16:37
Sure, they might be making some money from the ingame advertising - but I would guess that this money is equaled out by the people who won't buy the game, because they don't like spyware on their systems.
I think they're hoping that the number of ill-informed gamers who'll buy the Latest and Greatest game in a series like Battlefield will mean advertising revenues outweigh the loss made by informed and "paranoid" ones, who know about and dislike EA's behaviour, not buying the game.
Probably not too much to hope for, really.

But that doesn't explain the patch. No one even expects patches or support from EA!

I think they're taking the whole "even bad press is good press" a bit little bit too far.
The patch is more puzzling. My only explanation: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity".

Or, if you were a conspiracy-theorist you might think they were deliberately making customers' PCs vulnerable so they could use that vulnerability to install even more spyware.
LazyOtaku
20-10-2006, 16:42
Here's an update on how the supposed 'spyware' is going to work. It seems that it does not read anything from your harddrive (like browser history or cookies), but simply records if and for how long you look at ingame ads.

So, it's not that bad as Kotaku made it seem to be.

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=11300

Still, I think it would only be fair to state this on the game packaging.
Demented Hamsters
20-10-2006, 16:53
It seems it's not enough for Electronic Arts to put spyware in their newest game (http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/centipedes/battlefield-2142-with-a-dash-of-spyware-207955.php), Battlefield 2142.
A little off-topic but I found a bit of mirth in the advert on the page you linked to:
http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/resources/2006/10/pornography_on_my_computer-thumb.png
OMG! really!?!! Porn on MY computer?
I'm shocked, I telts ya! Shocked. I've no idea how it got there. No idea at all.
Kryozerkia
20-10-2006, 17:30
EA thinks?
Posi
20-10-2006, 22:48
In Soviet America EA plays you.
Edited for accuracy.
Posi
20-10-2006, 22:52
A little off-topic but I found a bit of mirth in the advert on the page you linked to:
http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/resources/2006/10/pornography_on_my_computer-thumb.png
OMG! really!?!! Porn on MY computer?
I'm shocked, I telts ya! Shocked. I've no idea how it got there. No idea at all.
I can guarantee that you will not find anf porn on my computer.
Zandoman
20-10-2006, 22:54
In Soviet Russia EA plays you.

haha, In regular America, EA plays you.
Ifreann
20-10-2006, 22:55
A little off-topic but I found a bit of mirth in the advert on the page you linked to:
http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/resources/2006/10/pornography_on_my_computer-thumb.png
OMG! really!?!! Porn on MY computer?
I'm shocked, I telts ya! Shocked. I've no idea how it got there. No idea at all.

You win the thread.
Hotdogs2
20-10-2006, 22:58
lol

Well first you had WoW monotoring background apps, now EA with this...its just the world becoming less and less private and lossening us up so the governments of our western nations can put an even bigger stranglehold on our lives...:P

can't say i believe that but oh well lol
Ifreann
20-10-2006, 23:01
lol

Well first you had WoW monotoring background apps, now EA with this...its just the world becoming less and less private and lossening us up so the governments of our western nations can put an even bigger stranglehold on our lives...:P

can't say i believe that but oh well lol

Yay for not playing WoW or battlefield.
Llewdor
20-10-2006, 23:05
It seems it's not enough for Electronic Arts to put spyware in their newest game (http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/centipedes/battlefield-2142-with-a-dash-of-spyware-207955.php), Battlefield 2142.

A just released patch for the game obviously requires you to uninstall a critical windows update (http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/ea/battlefield-2142-patch-asks-you-to-leave-system-open-to-hackers-208695.php), leaving your system open for hacker attacks.

WTF?
As it happens, that critical windows update breaks many applications, and Microsoft has already patched it.

This isn't a question of undoing something good MS haas done, but undoing something bad.