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Adware Companies Buying Game Developers

Posted by Zonk on from the no!-anything-but-that! dept.

miller60 writes "At least one Adware company has purchased a game developer, hoping to use game downloads to install advertising software on gamers' computers. 180solutions, which recently received $40 million in venture capital funding, says its purchase of Full Armor Studios is the "first of many gaming relationships the company will forge over the coming months.""

4 of 68 comments (clear)

  1. I wouldn't worry too much... by sgant · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Very simple...any game that also installs adware on my system doesn't get installed on my system nor does it get bought to put on my system.

    Very easy...

    Their game will fail. No one will buy it. The reviews will be out there and they won't be able to sneak it past us. I mean, come on...do they REALLY think we'll let them get away with this?

    --

    "Leo Fender was in a 'state of grace' when he designed the Stratocaster." -- Paul Reed Smith
    1. Re:I wouldn't worry too much... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Actually, if the game is really good, the morons will still buy it. They are already getting away with this. Kids don't care, because parents don't teach them that ads are bad and the kids must make up their own minds when they buy products.

      Ads are bad because they try to tell you what to think and kids don't know how to think for themselves yet. You have to teach them to think for themselves. Children learn by mimicking others. You must teach them to learn on their own.

  2. The real question... by Chrontius · · Score: 4, Interesting

    is whether the game will still work when you strip out the spyware.

    Also, will using AdAware be enough to get these slimes to invoke the DMCA? "Circumventing access controls" and all that?

    And if they do, could they succeed?

  3. Geared to the gullible consumers... by jangobongo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Looking at the games listed at the Full Armor website, I'd have to say that the adware companies are taking advantage of the most gullible consumers: children. Granted, $20 is kinda steep for these games, but if the adware is bundled with the "free" demos...

    Kids are not so picky about whether or not sneaky programs slide into their computers via these "trojans". They won't read the user agreements, just click the buttons to get to the game faster. It's the same thing that happens with the free screensavers. The kids just go for the "fun" or the "cool" factor and don't realize that there is a price.

    --

    Sig cancelled due to lack of interest