Battlefield 2142

[Kipple Master]

Some of you who are saying "I can live with this in-game advertising..." are, I think, missing a key point that seems to be lost in the whole 'spyware' uproar: EA are most likely making a packet off of this in-game advertising, yet they are charging a PREMIUM price for this game (at least in Australia).

The normal retail price for most new release PC games in Australia is $89.95. Some games go for less and some for more. Usually it's the collectors editions that are more and go for $99.95 and sometimes over $100. The most I have ever paid for a game was $149 and that was for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 Professional Edition on the day it was released.

EA has set a Recommended Retail Price of $109.95 for BF2142. It's not a collectors edition or anything special it's just the game on a DVD in a box with no additional features like some Collectors Editions have.

If the game did not have in-game ads that price would still be excessive, but tolerable in my opinion. But the inclusion of advertising, which gives no benefit to us but plenty to EA, should have resulted in a significantly reduced price. Say lower than $69.95. I believe Koroush made a similar point in this thread and I've said as much in the NFS: Carbon thread, since Carbon will include a similar (if not the same) advertising mechanism yet the RRP remains the same as previous NFS titles.

That is why I will not be purchasing this title, among other reasons.

EDIT: I just had a look at Amazon.com and it appears the US version in being sold at $49.99 RRP, which from what I understand is the normal, non-discounted, price for PC Games in the US. I agree with what Koroush has posted below, it is up to you whether you purchase and I won't attack you for it if you decide to do so.

[Koroush Ghazi]

In the end it is up to each individual - I must stress this. I'm not trying to guilt people into not buying the game. If you honestly don't mind, then buy the game. Noone is allowed to ridicule or harass anyone else here if they decide to buy BF2142. In fact I personally have to buy the game tomorrow to update my BF2142 guide, so I can't say I'm enforcing a boycott or anything.

I apologize for the confusion over the 'spyware' issue, at the time I first wrote that news post it appeared it was generic spyware that the game installed, but upon further analysis I provided more technical details in this thread and corrected the front page post. To me it is still adware/spyware, since most adware/spyware does indeed sit in the background and monitor your behavior, which is what the BF2142 software does - it just does it only when the game is running. It's not essential to the game at all, in fact to me it seems out of place in a futuristic post-apocalyptic world, and I have yet to investigate whether it increases stuttering or lag for example.

Again, make your own minds up about this issue based on the facts and discussions in this thread. My main point has always been that we are steadily getting more impositions in our games with no additional benefit whatsoever. EA Games is not an 'evil' corporation, no corporation is evil. However many companies take actions which are against the best interests of customers, and I believe this to be one of them. Only time will tell how bad it gets.

[sadlydefiant]

more info here about this hole spyware thing, if thats what people are calling it?
http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/739/739...0&RSSid=739991

A short reaad but it seems to explaine a few things

[Koroush Ghazi]

Most of those things have already been explained in this thread, and I already pointed out in this post how exactly the software works including links to technical details yesterday.

Noone has addressed yet whether this additional data stream will have a negative impact on ping or stutter for example. Nor of course has anyone explained satisfactorily why it's necessary for us to tolerate ads in specific full-price EA Games titles when other games manufacturers do not have to do this. So while I agree there was an overreaction from some us about it being spyware, it is definitely not a normal and desirable part of gaming as Ve3d seems to make out it is.

[Mork]

to be honest, I don't mind ads in games, as long as they don't ruin the atmosphere.

For example, if I'm playing something that's set in modern day and driving down a stretch of highway, I wouldn't really mind seing a McDonalds billboard off to the side of the highway. It kind of makes sense.

What I don't want to see is a big Pepsi can spraypainted on the side of a castle wall in a game like Rome:Total War.

[sadlydefiant]

Originally Posted by Koroush Ghazi

it is definitely not a normal and desirable part of gaming as Ve3d seems to make out it is.

I did'nt get that impression. ohwell no big deal. I do agree that it has been blown out of perportion.

[framaris]

IGA Worldwide CEO Justin Townsend has explained his company's work with EA on Battlefield 2142's in-game ads.
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=11300

It is from 17-10-06 so I hope this wasn't posted before.

[Nabelon]

Well for me this looks kinda interesting..well as you may know that some of us welcome ads as long as its not intrusive or privacy stealing.Well this may be a step towards the future where they are in game shops that may sell directly to you in real life..say while playing a game..then you notice that ur fps aint nice..got some cash,look up at the big ad floating overhead in the game..run to the in game newegg and get a new piece of hardware(purchase in game if thats feasible). .But thats off topic..:P

p/s : from what i learn in marketing course last year,most of marketing experts view that gen-x/y are more open and welcome ads in their life coz they like to be targeted by adverts.Maybe thats the main inspiration behind this move coz we're labeled as the target.

[Koroush Ghazi]

I agree that ads or product placements if appropriate are not a problem. Look at James Bond movies for example, they have dozens of expensive products like Aston Martin and BMW cars, Omega watches and whatnot prominently displayed through the film, but they're appropriate.

The ads in Need for Speed: Carbon may also be appropriate, since in a modern city there are billboards and ads everywhere. But in a futuristic ice-age in the year 2142 where most things are destroyed, this just seems silly.

Furthermore, advertising only works if people pay attention to it. Advertisers aren't stupid, they don't like placing ads which people soon learn to ignore, so they find more and more ways to integrate an ad or message directly into the person's field of view or into the story.

BF2142's adware software measures how long you have a particular ad in your field of view and from what angle you're viewing it (among other things). If the ad agency discovers that people are ignoring these ads, guess what - they will become more prominent and more distracting to get your attention. Ads which blend in or are easily ignored will be dropped for those which get more attention. That's the entire point of measuring your behavior in BF2142, to serve advertising which gets noticed.

This isn't a life or death issue, but I think it's wise for people to consider where this is leading to, that's been my biggest concern. A couple of ads on a billboard or a wall by themselves are no big deal, but ad agencies only pay for advertising which works (i.e. is seen, noticed and translates into sales), not just for stuff which blends into the background. The ads are likely to become more intrusive, more attention-grabbing and more direct.

I remember years ago websites had nice static banners with plain colors and plain messages. Well pretty soon advertisers worked out that people ignored these, so what happened? Flashing ads, large annoying gaudy colors which are next to impossible to ignore. Larger ads and more of them too. Fortunately you can block these on websites, but we may not be so lucky in games. Plus of course the ads are what keep websites free, so we tolerate them.

With BF2142 we're paying full price (and then some) for the privilege of being served ads.

[Nabelon]

IF ADS would make a game free so be it,but charging a heftier price for a game (in Kipple's case)that includes interactive ads furthermore collecting individual data is just unacceptable.