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Battlefield 2142 to Bundle Spyware?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the not-cool-ea-not-cool dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Kotaku reports on a Shacknews Post. Battlefield 2142, the new Electronic Arts game, is expected to include mandatory spyware in the retail package. The software will apparently monitor web browser and other computer usage; this information will be used to deliver targeted in-game advertisements. Other popular game titles have included spyware in the past to aid anti-cheating measures. Is spyware acceptable to the public when it comes with a game, or has EA made a PR misstep?"

2 of 439 comments (clear)

  1. Not exactly by Wind_Walker · · Score: 5, Informative

    The representatives of DICE (the developers, EA is the publisher) have now clarified on the forums that it only records what ads you look at and for how long you look at them - it does not monitor your browsing habits, your cookies, or your hard drive.

    Or so they say...

    But even if it's not spying on my pr0n, I still have problems with paying full price for a game and having it be supported by ads. If they want to knock off $10 and give me in-game ads, that's fine by me. I consider it a fair trade. But the recent ad craze in the video game industry is not lowering prices, it's just creating more revenue for the game publisher.

    And since EA is not only charging for cheat codes and adopting **AA tactics on torrents I've decided to stop buying EA products - even Spore.

  2. Here is a scan of the actual paper by Divine_Madcat · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v402/ojibewa/214 2ads.jpg
    Scanned straight from the paper in the box.
    http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/7315/igavy2.jpg
    Another good shot with the box.. Way to go EA....