Roll Call time, who's playing and under what name.

Clan Name

-WWG-

LordWormwood




Lord Abaddon of Wormwood

I won't be buying the game after the fiasco with the spyware installed with the game. I've heard all the arguements on it, but I don't want to support this practice, so I'll speak with my wallet.

I know lots of others are not concerned though, so you will no doubt find lots of people to play with.

Arabin

Fiasco? What fiasco? I've not heard of this.

GOD I wish I had time to play I tried out the demo when it first launched and I had a blast. Things are just too crazy right now but I promise you that if I ever get a spare moment I'll jump on and let you know.

It's technically spyware. It's installed on your system for monitoring in game ads. It's to see how long the person looks at the ad and for how long, etc.

I can't find the links to all the news articles discussing the problem, but it is mainly the way it is being done that is the problem. You don't find out until you open the box (after which you can't return it) but there is a little slip of paper telling you that you have to install the spyware to run the game.

Technically, it should be okay, and should only monitor how long you view different ads (not currently in game) and then deliver appropriate ads to you. However, the way they describe how they will use it is really open to problems.

Also, do you really want a sci-fi game to be full of real world ads?

Anyway, it's up to everyone individually. If I find the links later, I'll add them here.

Arabin

The ad problem in games is only going to get worse. What I resent is the use of my gaming $, my hardware and my bandwidth going to fuel the marketting engines that control the gaming industry, rather than the people who make the games.

Soon we will start to hear the argument that "we need the marketting revenue from ads to be able to bring you these great new games". Well, that's crap! Yes, the games publishers will need the revenue from the ads, not to bring us the games, but to meet their increased profit expectations - expectations that were raised by them selling the revenue potential of in-game-ads to their investors (spot the circular logic here).

Fortunately, the internet also means games business can successfully bypass the corporate marketting machines and do business directly with their cusomers - WWG is an obvious example - the rebirth of the on-line Myst game URU, after if was abandonned by Ubisoft, being another (and I can't see ads appearing in a Myst game in a hurry)

It's not really but it does pay for the games.

A chap at work is playing (we usually end up on opp. sides) and we are the same rank so it is a race to see whom will rank up next!



Lord Abaddon of Wormwood