1984, here we come...

[Swiftdraw]

Ripped this off of gamespot

RUMOR #1: SWAT 4 and World of Warcraft are spying on PC gamers.

 

 

 

 

Source: WoW forums and an expose by tech-savvy Nationalcheeseemporium.com.

 

The official story: Attempts to reach VU Games, Blizzard, and in-game ad company Massive Incorporated for comment went unanswered.

 

What we heard: When gamers are playing games, they're often not doing what true Americans are supposed to be doing--being subjected to an endless barrage of advertising and giving up personal information to corporations. It appears that a few PC games may be doing the old red, white, and blue some patriotic justice by taking a page out of 1984. Gamers who recently updated their versions of SWAT 4 to version 1.1 are finding a new enemy--in-game advertising (see screens). Now while brand-names work well in some games (the cities in Forza Motorsport come alive with real advertising on building facades), a poster hawking the Sci-Fi channel's Tripping the Rift in a run-down supply room in SWAT 4 hardly seems realistic--or effective. According to nationalcheeseemporium, strings of programming code deciphered also reveal that someone, somewhere, gets info on how long a gamer puts his reticule on specific ads. And over in Azeroth, WoW gamers have been complaining about privacy issues. The online role-player grabs information about hardware specs, IP addresses, and operating systems that gamers have "in order to assist Blizzard Entertainment to police users who may use 'hacks,' or 'cheats,'" according to the game's Terms of Use contract (yes, the very same contract that WoW players HAVE to agree to play the game). Are these cases of an impending Orwellian society, or just a case of some reclusive gamers not wanting companies to know anything about them? In this case, both. VU's sneaky inclusion of in-game advertising with a recommended patch is very Big Brother, but Blizzard is only aiming to make sure it's game runs smoothly.

 

Bogus or not bogus?: You are being watched, probably even by the FBI as you read this. Not Bogus.

 

I, for one, can believe it...

[TSKNF]

WTF

[Ghostly_Substance]

Even by the FBI ? I do thinks FBI thinks is wrong and I still haven't gotten the true American knock on my Canadian door

 

Well if this is true then i'll point a middle finger at them next time I play WoW Well I remember in Need For Speed Underground there was tons of McCrap advertisements and I think in Gran Turismo 3 also.

[Vader89]

The FBI is watching me? Wait let me go walk outside and start cursing and raising my middles finger and such. Unfortunately im not much of an online gamer yet. When i am ill make sure to sit and stare at an add for hours and hours while i type inappropriate words to the bastards listening in on me.

[Swiftdraw]

Meh, I dunna think its that bad. Well... Unless the FBI/NSA/CIA/whoever has you on their terrorist watch list, then they can do basicly whatever. With Swat4, its another simple case of the advertisement companies trying to worm their way into our brains. They've been doing that for decades.

In Blizzard's case, I think they're just trying to improve their game, but I'd like to know how secure the information they get is.

[Ghostly_Substance]

Well for WoW they might try and get the information to try and take peoples computers away for hacking many times and to upgrade their games

[Vader89]

Meh, I dunna think its that bad. Well... Unless the FBI/NSA/CIA/whoever has you on their terrorist watch list, then they can do basicly whatever.

 

I hope just cause i own 2 guns im not on the ewatch list, you never know these days!

[Swiftdraw]

Its not how many guns you own, its what you prupose to do with them that gets ya'. Well... It also depends on the type. the goverment frowns on people owning operational 16 inch re-coiless rifles and MGs.

[Foshjedi2004]

Neh. MI5 have been watching over us Brits since CCTV cameras popped up everywhere.

[Little.B]

In case of WoW it is not true. This rumor was brought up by players who don't know the tools they are running.

 

Yes, WoW does check system specs, files in the WoW and some other folders but it does not save or send them.

[The Saint]

Yes we all know the FBI is watching people who play WoW..honestly now

 

While I may not agree with the advertisements placed in videogames, and I think they're distasteful unless they can be put somewhere logical, I dont think the government is using this to watch the public. Unless al Quedia has suddenly decided that WoW makes the perfect place for a meeting. Blizzard is within their rights to request info such as OS, IP, and hardware specs. You've signed up for their service. They provide the online world, and they by all rights have a duty to protect it from hackers and the like.

 

Look at it like this, when you sign up for a magazine you have to give them your name, address, credit card. It doesnt mean the magazine industry is OMG big brother. Honestly now people need to be more reserved when they scream Next Stop 1984, now its becoming like Chicken Little

[Guest]

Its the little things that kill