Half-Life 2 & Vivendi Game Ads?

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mayro

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Well according to http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041018/sfm092_1.html
Vivendi, ubisoft and other game companys are planing on not only makeing money off of you by chargeing you the 50 dollers for a game. Now they want you to have SPYWARE IN YOUR VIDEOGAMES!

They want to place ADS in your game that contact a server to update and change the ad every time you see it. It also stores how many times you have seen the ad and sends this information to the master server.

Number 1: This is low... a pepsi can here... a toyota there... thats ok. But when im seeing stuff like "Buy the craftsman power tools for 49.99 on ebum.com" thats takeing it a bit far.

Number 2: Thank god for firewalls and smart programers. I hope these companys relize they wont be getting information from most of the people that play these games. People that play these games are smart enough to find out how to get around this type of crap.

So the question becomes:

1: Does the price of games come down or quality increse when they are makeing even more money off the game?

2: Did half-life 2 get this spyware shiz put into it?
 
Hmm.. Interesting... I am having trouble understanding what exactly they mean though...
 
mayro said:
1: Does the price of games come down or quality increse when they are makeing even more money off the game?
Click to expand...
hahaha. no.
mayro said:
2: Did half-life 2 get this spyware shiz put into it?
Click to expand...
very doubtful, but we won't be sure until the game's released.
 
mayro said:
Well according to http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041018/sfm092_1.html
Vivendi, ubisoft and other game companys are planing on not only makeing money off of you by chargeing you the 50 dollers for a game. Now they want you to have SPYWARE IN YOUR VIDEOGAMES!

They want to place ADS in your game that contact a server to update and change the ad every time you see it. It also stores how many times you have seen the ad and sends this information to the master server.

Number 1: This is low... a pepsi can here... a toyota there... thats ok. But when im seeing stuff like "Buy the craftsman power tools for 49.99 on ebum.com" thats takeing it a bit far.

Number 2: Thank god for firewalls and smart programers. I hope these companys relize they wont be getting information from most of the people that play these games. People that play these games are smart enough to find out how to get around this type of crap.

So the question becomes:

1: Does the price of games come down or quality increse when they are makeing even more money off the game?

2: Did half-life 2 get this spyware shiz put into it?
Click to expand...

Spyware is a massive probem right now. I doubt very much that Valve with it's community reputation would do that. They don't need it.
 
in game advertising, sure thats alright for football or sport games, but paying for things in Dues Ex 3 with Coca-Cola Credits won't be too fun.
 
I would be extremely pissed if they did crap like that.
I would firewall the dam game if that was the case.
 
The only way I would find it somewhat okay is if they put it in the game but you didnt have to notice it. Like billboards or sh*t like that.
 
'Gordon, here's your gun, an MP7 PDW, the most high tech weaponary available to man, with enough power to smash through walls and go right through any body armour, while staying light as a feather! No for only $1299 at www.bigfckingguns.com. And by the way Gordon, don't forget to drink your Coca Cola, because that makes you a happy person!'

:x
 
mayro said:
Number 2: Thank god for firewalls and smart programers. I hope these companys relize they wont be getting information from most of the people that play these games. People that play these games are smart enough to find out how to get around this type of crap.
Click to expand...
Ah, no. The majority of people who buy computer games (at least 80%, probably close to 90-95%) have no idea that these sorts of programs exist, let alone how to get rid of them.

Having said that, generally people who play online FPS games are clueyer about how computers and the internet works, but you'd be surprised about the number of people who are simply completely ignorant that this sort of thing goes on.
 
Spyware is the devil. Luckily my gaming rig is pretty much totally free of it, since I've got it jacked up with firewalls, AVG virus scanner, registry cleaners, and popup blocker. Unfortunately my computer that shares the internet is full of spyware. It's got about 5 searchbars that are impossible to get rid of. Drives me nuts. I probably shouldnt let everyone and their mothers get on it, but whatever, I hardly ever use it. :p

The day developers commercialize games with spyware and shameless advertising is the day I stop gaming.
 
I'd kill someone for real. More than likely using my monitor as a blugeoning device.
 
The article goes to great lengths to explain the method they use, but doesent even brush over how exatly it is implemented in game. (Or did I miss something) If its done tastefully, billboards, tv screens etc I could deal, especially scince these items can add immersion. But the collecting of data and sending it back to the server wont go over. Screw spyware.
 
I'm pretty much in favor of the government keeping it's hands off. But I can't wait until they start nailing spyware makers and distributors to the wall. I think these companies should pay a dollar per person "infected". I think that would be a fair price for advertisement.

I don't think anyone should have the right to install something on my PC without my consent.
 
well, but would you accept the ads if it reduced the cost of the game?
 
alexkraemer said:
well, but would you accept the ads if it reduced the cost of the game?
Click to expand...
they won't. do ads before films reduce the ticket cost?
 
no, but the movie theaters are even bigger crooks than VUG. Also, the adds there only happen once. Ads in a game will happen many times, which I think is the crucial difference.
 
Yeah but why would they pass that revenue on to the consumer? We would like to think this would save them some overhead, and it will, but when it somes to accounting, thats negligable. Lets face it...its just more profit for them.
 
alexkraemer said:
no, but the movie theaters are even bigger crooks than VUG. Also, the adds there only happen once. Ads in a game will happen many times, which I think is the crucial difference.
Click to expand...
the publishers aren't in this to save the consumer money. costs will not be reduced. trust me.

and my point was that the same thing was said about ads before films. cost saving measures and all that. we'll never see a dime.
 
all i have to say is **** VUG and buy through steam because VUG is ****ing us over
 
I doubt valve would be stupid enough to allow Vivendi to do something like that. Chances are this system could only be used in future titles, and it would work by replacing in-game textures.

If Vivendi wants to spend my $50 on the game then they can have their stupid advertisments. Otherwise, they're shooting themselves in the foot with their greed.
 
Valve wouldnt let them do that. and even if they did I highly doubt it would make its way to the steam versions of the game.
 
epmode said:
the publishers aren't in this to save the consumer money. costs will not be reduced. trust me.

and my point was that the same thing was said about ads before films. cost saving measures and all that. we'll never see a dime.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm always pretty f***ing upset with 15 frikking minutes of commercials before we finally get to see the damn movie.
On TV, i'm like, oke, cool, the network kinda lets me watch the movie for free, and in exchange I watch some commercials.
But in the cinema, there is no appearant need for the commercials. Instead of the advertising companies, now I pay for the movie.

I have this same feeling about advertising in games. I paid top dollar for a game, and I would simply hate the fact that I'm still being used to make a profit. It just doesnt feel right.
 
Anyone played Need for Speed Underground...? It is littered with real advertising billboards for MacDonalds, Pringles etc... Obviously these companies payed big bucks to have these in-game and the cost of the game was definitely not off-set by this added commercial input.

Not to mention the hundreds of brand-name parts you could modify your car with. However - in the game, it worked because it added a level of realism to the game. You mod your car with brand name mods and race past real billboards and ads.

We all know that movies sold out long ago with paid product placement. I think the most recent movie that best springs to mind is Minority Report. That was just blatant advertising for the most part. But I guess that is what Hollywood has become. Lets hope it doesn't happen to the games industry anytime soon.

I can handle brand names and paid product placement in games as long as it is in the context of the game but when they actually become advertisments or commercials that detract from the gameplay I will go back to chess.
 
This is interesting:

Privacy

This privacy policy details the information that Massive Incorporated (SM) ("Massive") collects about a video game player that is playing a video game that has advertisements downloaded to it from Massive's servers ("Gamer") and what information Massive uses when delivering advertising to such video games. This Policy explains what information we collect and what we do with it. We reserve the right to modify this Policy at any time, and we will post any new policy here.

Massive does not collect any information from Gamers that personally identifies that Gamer, such as name, address, email address, or phone number ("Personally Identifiable Information"). Information we collect is stored and processed in the United States of America.

Massive logs the following Non-Personally Identifiable Information from Gamers:

1. IP Address: When a video game connects to Massive's servers, the IP Address is automatically reported by all TCP/IP transactions. Many IP Addresses are commonly associated with Internet service providers, universities, or major corporations in specific regions or localities.
2. Length of Game Session: The start time and stop time of the game session is measured.
3. Game Title: Massive can identify the video game that is being played and logs that information.
4. Advertising Delivered: Massive logs each advertisement that is delivered to a Gamer's video game and the metrics associated with its rendering (i.e. time and size on screen).


WE WILL NOT USE THE LOGGED INFORMATION TO DETERMINE ANY PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION ABOUT A GAMER. Massive uses the logged information to send the most appropriate advertising based on the information logged. Massive may aggregate the information (i.e. determine the percentage numbers of Gamers playing in a particular geographic region) and share such aggregate non-Personally Identifiable Information to advertisers, marketing partners or other third parties. We may also use information collected to evaluate and improve our services and may also use the information to develop and use anonymous aggregated consumer research.


We retain the raw file logs of all logged information in a database that is not accessed other than for auditing purposes and will be purged once such auditing requirements are fulfilled. Massive will not provide the raw log files to third parties for business purposes, although we may in special cases if required to do so by law, court order or other governmental authority or when we believe that disclosing this information is otherwise necessary or advisable. We may also share information we collect with third party service providers to manage certain aspects of the services we provide, such as trouble-shooting and maintaining our servers. We may retain aggregated information.


We do not currently utilize cookies and we do not place persistent data on Gamers' computers.


Massive takes the protection of Gamers' privacy seriously. Please contact us at [email protected] with questions or suggestions on how we could improve our privacy policy.
Click to expand...
 
Surely, you could just put the advertsing IP address or DNS into your hosts file though...then you'd just get loads of 'Page not displayed' adverst instead. COOL.
 
Yes I read that,
I don't want anyone logging information for how long I played a game or something. Certainly not my IP address tagged.
How the living hell do they think people will accept this?!
 
mayro said:
Well according to http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041018/sfm092_1.html
Vivendi, ubisoft and other game companys are planing on not only makeing money off of you by chargeing you the 50 dollers for a game. Now they want you to have SPYWARE IN YOUR VIDEOGAMES!

They want to place ADS in your game that contact a server to update and change the ad every time you see it. It also stores how many times you have seen the ad and sends this information to the master server.

Number 1: This is low... a pepsi can here... a toyota there... thats ok. But when im seeing stuff like "Buy the craftsman power tools for 49.99 on ebum.com" thats takeing it a bit far.

Number 2: Thank god for firewalls and smart programers. I hope these companys relize they wont be getting information from most of the people that play these games. People that play these games are smart enough to find out how to get around this type of crap.

So the question becomes:

1: Does the price of games come down or quality increse when they are makeing even more money off the game?

2: Did half-life 2 get this spyware shiz put into it?
Click to expand...

Oh by the way, what you says mean that submitting a reply to this thread is also spyware. Since it at submitting retrieves your IP adress, it also monitors every change you make to a thread.

Now i think we can all see that it has nothing to do with spyware that the administrators have the possibility to see your ip, and what and how many times you've changed your replies.

To be honest we already have spyware in Steam if that's what you're seriously suggesting. When you watch a banner it loads a html file on a remote server. If you use Internet Information Services(IIS(It's a webserver from microsoft)) Then you just go into your log directory and you just check for your particular html file.

There it will name time, your ip, it's destination(www.server.com/ad.html) and what code was returned(like 404, page not found, or 200 for get).

I would like if steam restricted the content in content server banners to other than ads though. Previously there's been links to competitions and stuff in the ads, i'd rather just have it's a link to the website where it can have their logo and perhaps a description in the logo.

Again no big deal.
 
reading the clause of the details they record, i'm not too worried :/
 
zer0kewl said:
ads sux bigtime.
i wont buy a game with ads
Click to expand...
Indeed, they want to make money with advertizing, they dont need my money anymore.
I see a glorious future for warez here :p
 
FISKER_Q said:
Oh by the way, what you says mean that submitting a reply to this thread is also spyware. Since it at submitting retrieves your IP adress, it also monitors every change you make to a thread.

Now i think we can all see that it has nothing to do with spyware that the administrators have the possibility to see your ip, and what and how many times you've changed your replies.

To be honest we already have spyware in Steam if that's what you're seriously suggesting. When you watch a banner it loads a html file on a remote server. If you use Internet Information Services(IIS(It's a webserver from microsoft)) Then you just go into your log directory and you just check for your particular html file.

There it will name time, your ip, it's destination(www.server.com/ad.html) and what code was returned(like 404, page not found, or 200 for get).

I would like if steam restricted the content in content server banners to other than ads though. Previously there's been links to competitions and stuff in the ads, i'd rather just have it's a link to the website where it can have their logo and perhaps a description in the logo.

Again no big deal.
Click to expand...

The difference? These are things that we are accepting to...
Having someone throw adds in a game that WILL eat resoucres and bandwidth and you presumably CANNOT stop it (without outside help) is Unacceptable!
Yes I submit words to this site, yes my ip is tracked. This is fine as I am engaged on something where this NEEDS to occur. Simply because things are acceptable in one circumstance does not automatically make them ok in others.
 
They'll put it in the EULA that you can't interfere with the adverts, then they can (try to) make it so that if you do you can't play.

I can see it now, no more "Loading..." screens. :(

Oh and there';s no way that the gamesd will reduce in price or increase in size/quality.
 
Tiddalick said:
The difference? These are things that we are accepting to...
Having someone throw adds in a game that WILL eat resoucres and bandwidth and you presumably CANNOT stop it (without outside help) is Unacceptable!
Yes I submit words to this site, yes my ip is tracked. This is fine as I am engaged on something where this NEEDS to occur. Simply because things are acceptable in one circumstance does not automatically make them ok in others.
Click to expand...
Yeah the update part is probably a thing i could agree to is not ok.

However i doubt there is any resource loss since there would've just've been a fake ad instead.

And disabling would for me be irrelevant since i do like ads how it is in games now, it's part of the enviroment, it adds depth.
 
Crash Happy said:
They'll put it in the EULA that you can't interfere with the adverts, then they can (try to) make it so that if you do you can't play.

I can see it now, no more "Loading..." screens. :(

Oh and there';s no way that the gamesd will reduce in price or increase in size/quality.
Click to expand...

Well if they do, then I will simply use cracks to get it out.
Im not going to stand for crap like that
 
I can more or less cope with the concept of advertisements in modern-themed games- but as said, I don't want to see the next JC Denton explain for a full three minutes why Coca-Cola is better than Pepsi (until they outbid them in the next patch).

I also don't want spyware of any sort anywhere on my computer. There's a difference between an official gaming site sporting advertisement banners and forcing the details on and out of you...
 
There is a small hope. Petition for laws that would prevent spyware being installed on your PC. Use things like Websites as an example and hopefully the wording will be such that it covers stuff like games. At least then while you might have adverts, they won't be spying.
There's one spyware company being sued at the moment isn't there? Must see if I can find that article again.
 
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