Slashdot Mirror
Credit Card Required To View 'M' Rated Information
John Callaham writes "Gamecloud has a special feature article titled 'Going Through The Age Gate'. Why are some downloads of game trailers and demos are now requiring that a person declare their age before accessing them?" Not only are some sites requiring you declare your age, Activision is requiring a credit card to view "M" rated game information. From the article: "Asking for a credit card number, even if that the message says it will not be charged, brings up some very serious questions. Why is Activision asking for credit card numbers to access product pages that promote 'M' rated games when the ESRB and every other publisher only use the required 'age gate'?"
Aren't credit cards obtainable only at the age of 18 or greater? If so, this would satisfy the case of being 18 or older to view the content (granted not all 18 year olds or over have credit cards, but this is Activision's loss).
It's pretty obvious why they're doing this--this is classic Cover Your Ass.
Sure, nobody has sued a game publisher over the good ol' fashioned trust system yet--but Activision really doesn't relish the thought of being that lucky test case. Hence, they've decided to close this particular avenue of litigation.
A better question would be to ask whether or not Activision is overreacting to the percieved threat of a lawsuit.
Obliteracy: Words with explosions
And apparently that works.
So why should "violent content" producers be any different than "adult content" producers?
(not that I've ever used a credit card to verify my age)
perpetually dwelling in the -1 pits
Because you can't show them your driver's license or photo ID over the internet. The only way they can even try to check for age is to see if you have a credit card (you can only get your own if you're 18 in most states). I'm sure collecting the card lets them verify your ID, but it's useful marketing data for them, too. They can match you wherever you put in that card # and see what you're interested in.
I'm not thrilled about putting my credit card number in online when there's nothing to buy, but I don't think this is for them to charge it - imagine them treating the card like a doubleclick cookie and you see where they may be able to gather a little bit of data about their users. I'm not as paranoid about personal data as some, so it's not much of a concern to me, but if we had some other unique form of ID I'd be more comfortable with this.
-jpowers
People under 18 can get check card without a parent's permission, and the activision server cannot distinguish between a check card and a regular credit card.
Wouldn't this belong under YRO?
Microsoft passport requires this to access many first-party features, so it isn't somthing new. But the fact you do need to enter a credit card number is disturbing, not just detering people away from the game. Passport stores your number in a database after you enter it; would this?
Wonder what the public key field is for?
I live in California and I had my first Credit Card at 17. So just having a credit card doesn't make you an adult.
At the time it was guaranteed by my mother but I still had a number on it. So if they want to protect themselves it had better tie into a real database somewhere down the line which will tell them your age.
Because everyone knows that you just cannot have a credit card if you're under 18!
Unless you get a card on your parent's account.
Or get a credit card while 16 (I started getting massive solicitations about that age.)
Or find/loot/steal a credit card from someone.
Or get someone who has a credit card allow you to use their number.
There are some things I will give up credit card numbers for. Getting another credit card, for instance. Or buying something. But I'm not going to release my financial information to view a trailer for a video game. I'll just wait until some independent game site sticks it on their server, thanks.
Next thing you know, we'll be getting stories on Slashdot like "Activisions's New Game (first born and credit card required) is said to put the 'mat' in 'mature'."
That will be the next headline. They'll get hacked, the CC #'s will be stolen and ID theft will abound. Later it will come out that it was an ambitious VP who was in on it, made out like a bandit and is still at large.
Petyr
This thing isn't asking for name, billing address, CVC/CV2 number, experation date...
It's asking for a number and a DOB.
What this thing is doing is running the number against a check of Visa/Mastercard/AMEX's available card numbers to see if the algorithms check out. For example... 1111 1111 1111 1111 is not a valid card number. In fact, there are credit card number generators out on the net that do nothing but figure out bank information numbers and card holder numbers, throw it together, and give you a 16 digit account number.
Any credit card generator program could easily be used to bypass this if people are being uptight about the authorization.
The whole reason behind this is so that the parents realize that little Billy is digging in the wallet trying to figure out what a real credit card number looks like.
Is it so bad that, instead of really looking at the information, we dig out the pitchforks over any little thing?
Err... What are you guys talking about? http://www.quake4game.com/ http://www.truecrime.com/ Check them out yourself. I'm asked to input my birth date by those sites, not my credit card number.
First off, I can't remember the last time I for game information from a publisher's site. Does anyone seriuosly go to Activision.com to look up the features of Big Mutha Truka 2005? No thanks. I read off-site previews and reviews. Something like mediareviews, 1up, or gamerankings always has enough information on the games I find interesting.
Second, these guys are only hurting themselves. Let's say 10% of gamers actually go to a publisher's site to get something. How many will actually have a CC? How many will be willing to put that number in? I think not many. The traffic to what is, in effect, an advertisement will fall. And with the adverts not getting clicks, the game sales will fall sharply.
Finally, let's say they have an exclusive demo or make you register to get updates. Well, the demo will be out on eMule and ISOHunt within a few days. If not, the full game will be out no later than 2 weeks after the release. And if people can't access a demo, sales will fall and piracy will rise. Updates and patches will end up mirrored by tons of fan sites; they are rarely hosted back at the publisher's site anyway.
Look, I really understand that game publishers are scared. After all, they are in a position where screenshots and in-game videos will get you sued while Tubgirl and Rocco float around unmolested. It really is sick when selling a game to a kid will result in a bigger fine than selling him porn or alcohol. The pubs are scared. But taking this first step is really going to hurt them in the eyes of the precious few consumers that actually try and read their sites.
I'd rather you do it wrong, than for me to have to do it at all.
And the entire webpage will get 0 visits in .. 5,4,3,2,1...
Sorry but I seriously doubt someone could be naive enough to release a CC just for seing a website. (unless is a payment site or is Actually a KID doing the visit) specially when several websites have the material, I dont really see how this could work in anyway for anyone. (except for hackers to have a grand opportunity at CC farming)
Go ahead MOD my day!
More opinions here
Since I was 15 or younger if I needed a credit card for something all I had to do was ask my parents. As long as I gave them the money for the purchase they didn't mind. And if you take a parent like that, add to it the mentality of many parents today who don't pay much attention to what their children watch or surf on the net and it shouldn't be too hard to get a credit card number. Of course over all it's just a stupid idea. I realize it's CYA but still...
very bad idea......one more chance for someone to steal your credit card number and you aren't even BUYING anything from it....it's one thing if i at least was getting something out of the deal, but to just be getting a trailer when they steal it?? that's sad
this is like when companies use your SS number for verification or worse, for your employee ID...it wasn't designed for that and should not be used for that
I just checked out Activision's website ... that's just nuts. Requiring a credit card to access the content of Doom 3? They're only hurting themselves and their sales. I'd NEVER enter my credit card just to access content. Hell, I won't even register for many free websites just to read content that's blocked behind authentication.
Worse yet, they request your credit card number in this small popup with pretty much no supporting text that's helpful in identifying that it's a popup coming from Activision. For all you know, it's a popup from some advertiser phishing for credit card numbers. From the titlebar, you can see that the page uses https, but that's about it. Dumb, dumb move for a company trying to promote their product.
Anyone know if it actually verifies card info?
if not you could just change your own CC info just enough to get by. Maybe they are only doing a MOD10 check.
I guess you would only do this if you cared to see this stuff...
Well, the sample credit card numbers on the VeriSign page seem to work okay. I only tried a few, but they worked. And it only took a few seconds of googling to come up with those.
Be a real patriot: Question authority. Think for yourself. Formulate your own conclusions.
I thought Visa and other CC companies had policies regarding not identifying customers by CC information. As much as they'll bend you over themselves, they seem to be pretty strict with merchants, reserving the bend-you-over right for themselves. Anyone know the specific policies on this?
Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage
Back in the 80s and 90s, of course. The algorithm for verification of a CC is not hard to implement. It's trivial to generate millions of them.
How does Activision think that's going to stop anyone? Generate millions of fake CCs for getting past this, and continue. Hell, use fake CCs for all sites that won't charge your CC. Not charging it is the same as not checking, right?
--
Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
It's been stated that Activision doesn't even verify the cards, they're just checking the number, so any generator should work for this.
But for other purposes, like buying AdultCheck IDs, why not just get one of the little cash-reloadable cards? A few years back, 7-11 had AmEx "gift cards" that you could add value to just by handing cash to the clerk. There was no ID or age check to get one.
That pilot program ended, but I think recently there've been a few other cash-card systems that appear as a CC to the merchant. If there's no ID check to get the card, then any kid could plunk down $20 for one and "age-verify" to all sorts of sites, particularly the AdultCheck network.
We should all feel comfortable entering our credit card information at Activision. In fact, I'm going to do it right now on their super secure server.
I suggest you all follow me and just do it.
The ______ Agenda
A few years back, 7-11 had AmEx "gift cards" that you could add value to just by handing cash to the clerk. There was no ID or age check to get one. That pilot program ended
If it ended, then why is American Express still advertising its Travelers Cheque Card program?
Firefox seems to bypass the Activision window blocking access to the "mature" site. All you have to do is open the link in a new tab (middle-click or ctrl-click on the link).
Can't you get a debit card as soon as you open a bank account nowadays? Are these systems sophisticated enough to care whether it's a debit card or credit card, or are they pretty straight-forward (i.e. with that information I was able to put a one cent charge and reverse it)?
"It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education." -Albert Einstein
I will skip activision game data, I have seen the coding of their games, their is no way I trust the coding of their "secure" servers. Really anyone willing to give up credit card data to see a game trailer/preview is seriously confused about life priorities.
there was an article on the local news not too long ago about a woman who filled out a credit card application for her preschool daughter. It was accepted, and she was sent a card.
So I suppose it IS all about the money.
If you can read this, I forgot to post anonymously.
And an even better question is, "Will anyone ever look at this page versus a page that only has an age gate."
Hint: the answer is, "No."
For anyone who has done any CC validation testing, the test number of 4 followed by fifteen 1s works on the site- so you don't even need to enter in a valid CC number to see the information.
You don't see age verification over at Apple's Quicktime movie trailer site, do you? Even when trailers are rated R...
What about the people who are over 20 and don't have a credit card because they simply don't want one? Granted that segment of the population is fairly small, but isn't the goal of entertainment companies to entertain everyone they can?
Colin Dean Go a year without DRM
seconded, i just tested with a generated visa number and it works
Snowden and Manning are heroes.
...holding down the shift key when inserting a CD.
:)
Go to the Activision site and try to go to the page for an M-rated game. When the credit card activation page comes up, look at the link that the "submit" button takes you to. Get the url that it submits to the script, and go straight there. You'll be at the M-rated page without it stopping you
As one of the few people in the UK whos never bothered with credit cards, I guess this means I wont be viewing any of this oh so important information as I'm unable to prove my age. Oh well, Im sure I'll get over it.
To err is human. To forgive is not company policy.
Maybe Activision are smarter than they think. They know the only people to give out their credit card to view a trailer will be kids! So if you put in your credit card details maybe it then denies access to the trailer.
It is better than a simple age gate (any 8, 10, 14 etc -year old can figure out that simply entering a birthday before 1987 will make them appear to be 18)
... provided they don't steal daddy's gold card (and he may never know b/c no charge shows up... mabye they should charge you $1 and then credit you back $1 ... so somethign shows on the statement but there is no actual cost to the consumer)
You aren't being charged for anything either.
Yes, lots of people who are teens have credit/debit cards... society is moving away from that paper stuff called cash into electronic payments. Everyone 18+ should ahve a credit card and teens should at least have debit/check cards.
But the CC# thing will help keep younger kids out
I'm virtually 24, but not had much success with getting a credit card, guess no dirty games for me :(
Just copy and paste the link into your URL bar instead of clicking on it. Whoops, no card prompt, you're in.
I'll have to agree with many of the posters here: any company asking for a credit card number as proof of age is out of line for some combination of arrogance, presumption, and outright naivete. .02cr on this issue; and two, are any of you planning to write Activision (for instance) and share their displeasure over this 'idea'?
That said, I have two questions: one, has anyone from the security community put in their
- White Knight of the Order of Mihoshi Enthusiasts
I must admit, years of growing up playing Doom, Turok, Conkers and such, I cant help but to only get angry thinking back on all those years I spent appearently illegally rotting my brain with these pixelized portraials of blood and sex. Shit, why couldnt they have thought of this a few years back before all that violence caused this traumatizing damage. Lock up your daughters, blind fold your sons. No one is safe!!! Nobody look or you may be turned into a pillar of salt!
Have you seen muh baseball?