Reason not to buy Battlefield 2142

[Blind_Io]

From: http://www.shacknews.com/ja.zz?id=13049860

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.

Anyone who knows me knows that I have an aversion to advertisements that borders on the pathological. I hate ads, I hate how they belittle and infantilize their targets, and I hate feeling like I'm nothing more than a walking billfold waiting to be harvested. That aside this is just stupid - I mean put it in perspective, why the hell would there be ads for products from 2006 in a game that takes place in 2142?

I have to give EA the big finger on this one. They can sit on it and swivel until they squeal like pigs on a honeymoon. Why in the name of Eris would I allow someone to advertise to me using a game that I paid for?! If the game is paid for by advertising that's fine, but I'm not going to pay for a game and allow it to be another medium for advertisers just so EA can make a few extra bucks. Bollocks to that. I don't care how pretty BF2142 is going to be. I will NOT be buying it just on principle. I don't care if it's the all singing, all dancing light of the gaming world.

EA, you can kiss my ass.

/rant.

[jeffy777]

That blows. Atleast they're up front about it, but still. It's a crock....and a shame really. I think BF2 is among the best FPS games ever, so the series still has a lot of potential, but stuff like this can ruin it big time.

[Viper007Bond]

Supposedly, this is not true and it only keeps track of what ads you view in game.

[Blind_Io]

Can you get a source on that?

I don't see how it would keep track of ads you view in-game if they are integrated into the game play. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is that I am paying for the game and the advertising dollars are lining EA's already well-insulated pockets. If they are going to make money on the advertisements then I want the game for free. You can't have it both ways, you can't ask me to pay for a product and then use it to pimp me out to advertisers. It's one or the other.

[Viper007Bond]

http://forums.bf2s.com/viewtopic.php?pid=877909#p877909

[ryosuke]

i stopped buying anything from EA long ago...

[Firecat]

"If you do not want IGA to collect, use, store, or transmit the data described in this section, do not install or play the software on any platform that is used to connect to the internet"

I love how they have that notice on the slip inside the box. Good luck to the fellow that tries to return the game after reading that....

[Blind_Io]

Someone will have to find a way to disable it.

[jeffy777]

Originally Posted by Firecat

"If you do not want IGA to collect, use, store, or transmit the data described in this section, do not install or play the software on any platform that is used to connect to the internet"

I love how they have that notice on the slip inside the box. Good luck to the fellow that tries to return the game after reading that....

And it's a pain to try to play BF2 without an internet connection, as it will hang at the black screen for several minutes while it tries to detect a connection.

[Viper007Bond]

Originally Posted by Blind_Io

Someone will have to find a way to disable it.

If it's ingame, it'll be the same EXE and I won't care.

If it's not, my AV/Spyware will pick it up and my firewall will block it from accessing the net.

[Blind_Io]

Originally Posted by Viper007Bond

If it's ingame, it'll be the same EXE and I won't care.

If it's not, my AV/Spyware will pick it up and my firewall will block it from accessing the net.

Nope, if it uses the same exe file then your firewall will ask for permission to knock a hole for the game, that's how the information will be sent and received.

[Lilleput]

Originally Posted by ryosuke

i stopped buying anything from EA long ago...

They just pump out crap! they are the gaming equivalent public high schools (HURRR)

[Kip_6666]

I wouldn't mind this that much, it happens all the time with other products. Supermarket bonus cards, ect ect.
But it would be nice if they made the game cheaper because of it, but... ha, wait they won't

[Blind_Io]

Ok, let me explain something about those supermarket bonus cards. They raise the prices on everything first, then you need the card to get a fair price on half the store's items. It's not a savings card, it a "don't rape me in the ass for a loaf of bread" card.

There are a few things that I really hate in this world, always in the top two are spinner rims and those god dammed club cards. I'm tempted to make it just as hard for them as it is for me. I am going to make a key ring and turn it into a bloody rolodex of those cards. I'll just keep it in the glove box of my car; whenever I go to the store checkout I will just toss this wad of 100 or so clubcards for every possible pet store, grocery store, filling station and hardware store on the counter and say "it's in there somewhere, you find it."

I would seriously like to find the guy who came up with those things and hit him.... with a truck.

[jeffy777]

Originally Posted by Blind_Io

I would seriously like to find the guy who came up with those things and hit him.... with a truck.

Didn't take your pills today?

[Blind_Io]

I did mention that I hate ads with a passion that borders on the pathological, that goes for any form of business that is both insulting and exploitive of the very people that keep that business going.

I just don't understand why consumers let companies pull this shit. They just sit back and enjoy the violation and say, "well, what are you going to do?" - easy, shop somewhere else.

[Blind_Io]

Apparently Photobucket took the image down, so after following the trail of bread crumbs through the internet I found the original photo and re-hosted it.

[jeffy777]

I still see the photobucket image in Viper's post.

[Blind_Io]

Huh, it's not showing up for me. When I right-click and select "view image" it kicks me to a photobucket page that says the image is no longer available. It could be the file is still stored on your machine somewhere. I first saw it on my other desktop, and not on this one it's not displaying.

either way, we're covered.

[gtrietsc]

So, someone let me know when I can ad the IGA servers to my host list, or just block their IPs by default. I mean, a list of those should come up pretty soon, no?

I preordered BF2142, but I wont actually purchase this pile of shit the way it is. I am still having fun with BF2 anyway.