Swat 4 Update 1 adds "Spyware"

[gsellis]

"Swat 4 in game adverts do more than advertise"

Summary, the game is reporting back to a server how long you look at an ad and from what angle. The report also includes the user id.

I had not really planned to buy this game, but I now know that I would not as a form of protest. The article and the full report linked from the article cover it and how to subvert it with modifications to the host file.

This just annoys me. You pay for a game and they then use it for marketing research that they should pay you for. My opinion is that the game should be free if they do not want to compensate you for doing it.

 

[stnicralisk]

Definately not getting my business. Who is the publisher of Swat 4 again?

 

[FlasHBurN]

Sierra

edit: Or Vivendi, since they own Sierra.

 

[Robor]

If they really put that crap in the game I hope they get major backlash and those responsible get their walking papers soon after. We as gamers are spending sick amounts of money on a system to play these games at the highest framerate possible. The last thing we need is for a game maker putting in something that does the gamer no good and is bound to affect performance.

I d/l'ed Swat4 to try it out a while back but never installed it. Since I'm not going to buy it I guess I will not even bother now.

 

[CalvinHobbes]

From the article it sounded like this was only when playing online. I certainly don't agree with it but having it affect playing online isn't as bad (to me) as doing it for standalone single player version.

It should definitely be disclosed to the end user and it should be TOTALLY anonymous if it was done.

 

[blurredvision]

Am I the only one that doesn't really care? As long as I do not receive any kind of annoyances such as spam, more ads tailored for me, and/or performance hits, I could care less.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Does this mean that game prices will drop that have adware/spyware in it?

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: blurredvision
Am I the only one that doesn't really care? As long as I do not receive any kind of annoyances such as spam, more ads tailored for me, and/or performance hits, I could care less.

Most ads are spam and if the game is wasting time performing analysis of those ads there is most likely going to be a performance hit to go along with it.

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
Does this mean that game prices will drop that have adware/spyware in it?

I think you know the answer to that question before you asked it.