BF2142 Spyware

[Rebel=UK=]

So. In the latest CGW podcast, they received retail boxed copies of BF 2142.

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.

Now, I can live with certain in-game ads (though apparently there will be Dodge truck and Neon ads in the bleak, futuristic world of 2142), but including a lengthy description - outside of even the Eula - seems to indicate even EA knows that this is some shady borderline spyware ****. I don't support it and won't be buying 2142 (for a host of other reasons, too).

Not a chance im buying this now, it was 50/50 but this has swung it

{EDIT}

Update:

An EA reprEsentative had this to say:

The issue of in-game advertising was always going to be unpopular, however it represents the opportunity to fund the teams supporting a title beyond its traditional window.

All advertising, no matter where it is, has a means of being tracked to some extent in order to demonstrate its effectiveness to those who are advertising using the medium. In game advertising is no exception.

The paragraph quoted above is a case of covering all interpretations of how the tracking element of the advertising works for legal reasons.

The fact that your IP, which is anonymous - it does not identify you beyond your ISP - is tracked should come as no surprise. When you use this forum, your IP is tracked in server logs, when you join a game server your IP is tracked in the server logs, this is not some new and sinister method of seeing what you're up to.

The in game advertising system has been put in place in such a way that you will notice no difference in game performance, with all ads in the game having to be approved by the DiCE art director before being allowed into the game. After all it does us no favours in the slightest if the introduction of a technology such as this, or jarring advertising effectively wrecks the game, so it was created in such a way to ensure that the game has no loss in performance, or mood as a result.

Right now there is a great deal of speculation about in game advertising, and a great deal of doom-mongering and speculation about what it does and why it's there, however I suggest reserving judgement in the short term. If you are suspicious, ask players (once the game is released) for their opinions on whether it interferes or not before jumping to conclusions.

EA are not the first games company to introduce in game advertising, and it will become more and more commonplace over time, however we are taking great steps to ensure that it is not intrusive to the game itself.

He also replied with this when asked how the ad's worked and how legal it all was:

The ads do not "pop up", they are part of the game I understand, on billboards in the background.

And yes, there is absolutely no way we'll have contravened any laws in the creation of this system.

[Tankus]

Its a banner ad in the pre load up screen at the games start ...... They are mostly clan server related , so quite possibly useful .... I would not have realised had it not been for this thread ....!

As for cookies ...I burn all on startup and closedown ...... not really all that arsed .......!

according to the game leaderboard stats ...Ive died 1479 times ...... bullet bait or what ...!

[Rebel=UK=]

What it is is ingame ads on billboards positioned around the map and this bit of so called "Spyware" just takes note of how long you look at the billboard ad and what ad it is etc... It doesnt do anything outside of the game....so its not really spyware as such. I think that banner ad your referring to is just a server sponsor graphic nothing to worry about.