#1 Battlefield 2142 contains spyware
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 11:04 am
This is simply the most disgusting thing I've ever heard. 
Fuck EA.Tipper Nic directs our attention to this forum post, where we read of a disheartening little slip of paper that suggests some seriously gross spyware will be installed along with Battlefield 2142, all in the name of in-game advertising:
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.
Now, I can live with certain in-game ads (though apparently there will be Dodge truck and Neon ads in the bleak, futuristic world of 2142), but including a lengthy description - outside of even the Eula - seems to indicate even EA knows that this is some shady borderline spyware shit. I don't support it and won't be buying 2142 (for a host of other reasons, too).
Can you imagine how much the ad companies are paying for this information? Makes me feel a little ill.