Battlefield 2142 In-game Ads Use Spyware Tactics
by Funky Diver · 10/19/2006 (12:39 pm) · 32 comments
The advertising technology scans your computer, finds out where you live
Electronic Arts today announced that Battlefield 2142 has shipped to retailers in North America and Europe for the PC. After ripping open the box, but before putting the disc into their systems, gamers may notice a slip of paper with a disclaimer written on it. CGW Podcast read the disclaimer on air, which we have transcribed below:
"The software may incorporate technology developed by IGA Worldwide, the advertising technology. The purpose of the advertising technology is to deliver in-game ads when you use the software while connected to the Internet. When you use the software while connected to the Internet, the advertising technology may record your IP address and other anonymous information. That advertising data is temporarily used by IGA to enable the presentation and measurement of in-game ads and other in-game object which are uploaded temporarily to the your PC or game console, and change during online gameplay. The advertising technology does not collect personal or identifiable information about you."
Yeah, baby!
Install spyware, do it, please, on top of those $50 that we for the game...
Electronic Arts today announced that Battlefield 2142 has shipped to retailers in North America and Europe for the PC. After ripping open the box, but before putting the disc into their systems, gamers may notice a slip of paper with a disclaimer written on it. CGW Podcast read the disclaimer on air, which we have transcribed below:
"The software may incorporate technology developed by IGA Worldwide, the advertising technology. The purpose of the advertising technology is to deliver in-game ads when you use the software while connected to the Internet. When you use the software while connected to the Internet, the advertising technology may record your IP address and other anonymous information. That advertising data is temporarily used by IGA to enable the presentation and measurement of in-game ads and other in-game object which are uploaded temporarily to the your PC or game console, and change during online gameplay. The advertising technology does not collect personal or identifiable information about you."
Yeah, baby!
Install spyware, do it, please, on top of those $50 that we for the game...
About the author
#22
10/20/2006 (2:10 am)
I really could not care less if there are ad's in there. If it is a good game, I will buy it. 
#23
Profit = Revenue - Expenses.
It's obligation is not to the people who plays its games, it to make a CRAP load of cash for it's shareholders. What's more scary I just had a look at the NASDAQ, Electronic Arts floats at $55.84 a share, Microsoft at $28.29 a share.
Now imagine this, this is a company that has a policy to hire eager new talent and burn and churn them into the ground. A mechanism to reduce expenses and thereby boosting profit. Now if this is how EA thinks about it staff then imagine how they think of us. In the end, they are not going to give a rats bottom because they numbers will say 98% of the people who play 2142 didn't kick up enough of a fuss about the "advertising" to make it a problem. The sad part is similar companies seeing EA will do exactly the same thing.
The only way I can foresee EA removing this "advertising" is if they don't sell enough units to even break even. Putting the reason down to people strongly opposed to the advertising technique. But with such a popular franchise not likely to happen, so advertising is gonna stick.
Statistics are a wonderful thing, I'm a Business Analyst myself and I can tell you EA will be using the information they aquire to target where to distribute games, when to distribute, how long people play for (maybe not to the exact second but time possibly playing = time stamp right now - time stamp from last time you ran application) their collecting your IP address remember they don't need to know any personal details your IP tells them exacly what they need to know, what type of game a demographic prefers. You think it's just advetising but it's so much more.
In EA's quest for more profit it's milking us it's cows to the slaughter for every cent we are worth. You think we're people to them? hahaha we're number of sales, we're potential to repurchase for future games.
Now EA probably had a projected profit they were promising to it's shareholders. But as I recall this company with no moral conscience is currently being sued by employees for exploiting them to do outrageous numbers of hours at work. Look a level deeper and you can probably guess why this advertising strategy is only now appearing. If the class action is successful EA will lose ALOT of money and expenses will go up (because they will have to pay employee the money they deserve). Thereby reducing profit, and less profit = not very happy shareholders. and unhappy shareholders = selling of EA share, selling of EA shares = drop in price = drop in share price = bye bye EA. So to counter act this they need more revenue to reach the projected profit line. This making sense now?
10/20/2006 (3:07 am)
You think EA is in the game publishing or game development business or better yet do you think EA cares about individuals then I'm afraid your severly mistaken. EA is summed up by this one equationProfit = Revenue - Expenses.
It's obligation is not to the people who plays its games, it to make a CRAP load of cash for it's shareholders. What's more scary I just had a look at the NASDAQ, Electronic Arts floats at $55.84 a share, Microsoft at $28.29 a share.
Now imagine this, this is a company that has a policy to hire eager new talent and burn and churn them into the ground. A mechanism to reduce expenses and thereby boosting profit. Now if this is how EA thinks about it staff then imagine how they think of us. In the end, they are not going to give a rats bottom because they numbers will say 98% of the people who play 2142 didn't kick up enough of a fuss about the "advertising" to make it a problem. The sad part is similar companies seeing EA will do exactly the same thing.
The only way I can foresee EA removing this "advertising" is if they don't sell enough units to even break even. Putting the reason down to people strongly opposed to the advertising technique. But with such a popular franchise not likely to happen, so advertising is gonna stick.
Statistics are a wonderful thing, I'm a Business Analyst myself and I can tell you EA will be using the information they aquire to target where to distribute games, when to distribute, how long people play for (maybe not to the exact second but time possibly playing = time stamp right now - time stamp from last time you ran application) their collecting your IP address remember they don't need to know any personal details your IP tells them exacly what they need to know, what type of game a demographic prefers. You think it's just advetising but it's so much more.
In EA's quest for more profit it's milking us it's cows to the slaughter for every cent we are worth. You think we're people to them? hahaha we're number of sales, we're potential to repurchase for future games.
Now EA probably had a projected profit they were promising to it's shareholders. But as I recall this company with no moral conscience is currently being sued by employees for exploiting them to do outrageous numbers of hours at work. Look a level deeper and you can probably guess why this advertising strategy is only now appearing. If the class action is successful EA will lose ALOT of money and expenses will go up (because they will have to pay employee the money they deserve). Thereby reducing profit, and less profit = not very happy shareholders. and unhappy shareholders = selling of EA share, selling of EA shares = drop in price = drop in share price = bye bye EA. So to counter act this they need more revenue to reach the projected profit line. This making sense now?
#24
10/20/2006 (3:25 am)
Not really, but you explained everything alot better than the nerd rants everywhere else on the net. It's nice to hear some real-world info about the situation, thanks for that.
#25
10/20/2006 (4:10 am)
I suspect if their spyware is anything like the system used by SOE's Planetside, then blocking the ads would be a relatively simple task. IIRC, all that was required was to block a few hosts on your computer.
#26
EA should just show ads from Nike, Cola, etc without data mining on a computer - otherwise it's a felony, fraud and invasion into someone's property.
I bet EA's shares will sink down soon, the are loosing about 40% of Battlefield franchising fan base (that's what I've heard).
Just my 2 cents ;)
10/20/2006 (6:34 am)
Well, guys, some of you missed the point here: ads is ONE thing - you can show them, they are cool, _BUT_ using _spyware_ methods to data mine on a personal computer IS BAD.EA should just show ads from Nike, Cola, etc without data mining on a computer - otherwise it's a felony, fraud and invasion into someone's property.
I bet EA's shares will sink down soon, the are loosing about 40% of Battlefield franchising fan base (that's what I've heard).
Just my 2 cents ;)
#27
If, however, I spend a few minutes staring at a billboard of "The Simple Life", there's a good chance I'll see more TV show ads or Paris Hilton products. That's a scary thought. God help me if I go AFK to take the dogs out and my mouse is centered on an IGA for Valtrex or HPV treatment. I don't think I'd play if all my IGAs were displaying herpes and cancer treatments. I'd shoot myself with my virtual pistol and call it a day.
On a personal rant, does IGA break immersion? Depends on the game. For BF 2142, most likely IMHO. Will IGA stop? That also depends on something. . . more indie games flooding the market that don't contain it. Moral? Put your noses back to the grindstones and give them some competition!
10/20/2006 (7:04 am)
So, it's been confirmed that the "spyware" in question does not data mine your cookies or browser history. The game does post IGA on surfaces and what not, and depending on how long the player looks at it, when he looks at it, from what angle, and from what distance, that will send the information for further IGA. In other words, if I glance by an IGA for Subway while trying to pick off a sniper, there's a good chance that it will not register as a successful Ad. If, however, I spend a few minutes staring at a billboard of "The Simple Life", there's a good chance I'll see more TV show ads or Paris Hilton products. That's a scary thought. God help me if I go AFK to take the dogs out and my mouse is centered on an IGA for Valtrex or HPV treatment. I don't think I'd play if all my IGAs were displaying herpes and cancer treatments. I'd shoot myself with my virtual pistol and call it a day.
On a personal rant, does IGA break immersion? Depends on the game. For BF 2142, most likely IMHO. Will IGA stop? That also depends on something. . . more indie games flooding the market that don't contain it. Moral? Put your noses back to the grindstones and give them some competition!
#28
www.escapistmagazine.com, I'm quite enjoying this magazine well worth a read.
Anyway here's their take on EA and it's history if your interested
www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/14
Also not all game giants are monsters there are some articles about Ubisoft
I'm a bigger Ubisoft fan after reading this
www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/58
10/20/2006 (7:05 am)
Opps I forgot to mention this before.www.escapistmagazine.com, I'm quite enjoying this magazine well worth a read.
Anyway here's their take on EA and it's history if your interested
www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/14
Also not all game giants are monsters there are some articles about Ubisoft
I'm a bigger Ubisoft fan after reading this
www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/58
#29
The major difference here is that they can tell how long their ad is being looked at, and try to show ads more aligned to what the player responds to.
Now, while that's great for the advertisers it's also a little eerie to me.
10/20/2006 (8:09 am)
We pay for magazines and get ads. We pay for comics and get ads. We pay for cable/dish TV and get ads. We pay to see movies at the theater and see actual ads before the movie, and 'product placement' during. The major difference here is that they can tell how long their ad is being looked at, and try to show ads more aligned to what the player responds to.
Now, while that's great for the advertisers it's also a little eerie to me.
#30
After reading that remember that BF2142 is an online only game pretty much.
Good old corporate logic.
12/12/2006 (5:29 pm)
Anyone catch the last part of the EULA in the picture, the part in ALL CAPS.After reading that remember that BF2142 is an online only game pretty much.
Good old corporate logic.
#31
Did you know DoubleClick, the largest online broker for advertisements you see on websites know what you like, what sites you visit, tracks you using IP and unique identifiers and if they had their way, would have purchased databases to tell who you are by name, all from an image on a website! Guess you had better stop using Web browsers too now eh?
In my mind, advertising crosses into spyware when it receives personal information about you and as EA's little privacy policy states verbatim above, it is all anonymous data. So how is this spyware again?
02/24/2007 (6:50 pm)
Where does it say they are using spyware tactics? Because they track your IP address? Bit overly paranoid here are we not?Did you know DoubleClick, the largest online broker for advertisements you see on websites know what you like, what sites you visit, tracks you using IP and unique identifiers and if they had their way, would have purchased databases to tell who you are by name, all from an image on a website! Guess you had better stop using Web browsers too now eh?
In my mind, advertising crosses into spyware when it receives personal information about you and as EA's little privacy policy states verbatim above, it is all anonymous data. So how is this spyware again?
#32
12/07/2007 (9:37 pm)
sheesh, if a friend had not already bought this for me i would never play it, in protest. ingame advertising is fine if it's worked in cleverly, hell even crudely, but f'ing spyware?!? ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD will never be enough for these typical "corporate" goobers, and their mental condition is both sad and comical... but these types of people are seriously going to be the death of our world as we know it; we have been handing it to them on a golden platter and they are choking it down shamelessly. mark my words they will destroy our world.
Torque Owner Anton Bursch