Rumors have been circulating about some spyware incorporated into the installation of Battlefield 2142. In the game,s manual, players will receive a small printout that explains the in-game advertising function, which monitors the user,s computer in order to customize advertising. Many gamers expressed outrage at the potentially intrusive feature.
Recent information provided by DICE helps explain exactly what the "spyware" does. According to the representative, there is no additional software installed that runs separately from Battlefield 2142. They will never access files not directly related to the game and no personal data is collected (cookies, account login details, gameplay behavior, surfing history, or otherwise). The advertisement function only runs while BF2142 is running.
The advertisements in the game are delivered by region. The problem with this is that all over the world people speak different languages. In order to ensure that the proper advertisements go to the proper locations, the program will monitor the user,s IP address to determine the location, helping to serve ads by region and language; for instance, a player in Paris will be presented with ads in French. The IP address is not stored on the advertisement server and is not repurposed for other uses.
A unique ID number is assigned the first time a player joins an online game, which is then stored locally on the PC and not linked to any personal details. The in-game advertisement gathers what DICE refers to as “impression data,” such as location of the billboard in the game or duration of advertisement impression. It allows the program to calculate how many people have seen the ad but not who has seen it.
All of this serves to clarify what exactly this ‘spyware, accomplishes, but will it appease the player population, or will people still see this as an invasion of their privacy? As far as game immersion goes, according to Dice, the ads are consciously placed so as not to disturb the player,s overall gaming experience. Ads fit the unique environment of each level in the game.
