EA's Origin may be glorified spyware, causes mass upset

2011-10-31 13:48:16

#1

HaiBai: Your thoughts, insights, and musings on this matter intrigue me; +304|5675|Bolingbrook, Illinois

http://www.destructoid.com/ea-s-origin- … 9745.phtml

In case you hadn't heard already, Electronic Arts' Origin is more than just a petty attempt to undermine Steam. It's an insidious petty attempt to undermine Steam. The service has upset gamers since it reserves the right to act like Spyware, allowing EA to dig around in your hard drive as explicitly stated in the terms of service.

The EULA says that EA can identify your computer, operating system, installed/uninstalled software/hardware, and use that information for marketing purposes while merrily sharing it with third party companies. It's all fairly disgusting, and there's no opt-out offer. If you don't want EA to know everything about you and pass the information along, your only recourse is to not install Origin -- which will mean you can't play Battlefield 3 on PC at all.

Reddit, known for its anger over everything, is naturally furious over this one, and is organizing the masses to complain. It's certainly a complaint I can get behind. Origin was already an annoying waste of time, but this nasty little parasitism takes it to a whole new level of sleaze. Origin really can slurp the interior of every anus in town.

2011-10-31 13:59:58

#2

Finray: Hup! Dos, Tres, Cuatro; +2,629|5980|Catherine Black

Oh no, Reddit is mad? Whatever shall we do?!

2011-10-31 14:00:07

#3

Spidery_Yoda: Member; +399|6461

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9563533/Pictures/limit%20origin.jpg

2011-10-31 15:05:32

#4

.:ronin:.|Patton: Respekct dad i love u always; +946|7001|Marathon, Florida Keys

wait hasn't something like this happened with EA software before

https://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g117/patton1337/stats.jpg

2011-10-31 15:08:58

#5

Brasso: member; +1,549|6822

i'm sure EA really cares about which porn sites you visit

"people in ny have a general idea of how to drive. one of the pedals goes forward the other one prevents you from dying"

2011-10-31 15:22:17

#6

BVC: Member; +325|6887

Chrome: Control-shift-N; incognito mode (AKA porn mode)

2011-11-01 02:07:42

#7

Sisco: grandmaster league revivalist; +493|6535

I think a much more pressing issue is that the EULA allows EA to scan for other EA products on your machine and check whether you own a "licence" to them, or so I read on eurogamer.

https://www.abload.de/img/bf3-bf2ssig0250wvn.jpg

2011-11-01 02:21:10

#8

Shem: sɥǝɯ; +152|6718|London (At Heart)

Sisco wrote:
I think a much more pressing issue is that the EULA allows EA to scan for other EA products on your machine and check whether you own a "licence" to them, or so I read on eurogamer.

Well don't pirate games then, if you pirate they risk going out of business and then we get no games from them

2011-11-01 02:24:44

#9

Sisco: grandmaster league revivalist; +493|6535

Shem wrote:
Sisco wrote:
I think a much more pressing issue is that the EULA allows EA to scan for other EA products on your machine and check whether you own a "licence" to them, or so I read on eurogamer.
Well don't pirate games then, if you pirate they risk going out of business and then we get no games from them

Good job missing the point. First of all, all my games nowadays are all legit, second, the point is that it´s a massive assault on your privacy, which as far as I understood it, is very gray from a legal perspective.

2011-11-01 02:30:06

#10

Shem: sɥǝɯ; +152|6718|London (At Heart)

It's not particuarly pleasant but hey we've all signed away our right by agreeing to the Eula, I personally don't give two shits if they are doing a check to make sure I'm not stealing their products

2011-11-01 02:32:11

#11

Sisco: grandmaster league revivalist; +493|6535

That´s a shame then. I think its very unsettling.

2011-11-01 02:41:56

#12

NooBesT: Pizzahitler; +873|6660

I doubt their EULA would hold up in court though.

2011-11-01 02:54:45

#13

Sisco: grandmaster league revivalist; +493|6535

Probably not, but how many single endusers would dare to go up against them? It´s actually a very smart move on their end, I have to admit.

2011-11-01 03:12:16

#14

DUnlimited: got any popo lolo intersting?; +1,160|6655|cuntshitlake

Reddit, known for its anger over everything

more like known for being full of retards.

I have no idea why EA would want to know what games I have pirated. It's not like they could do anything with that information

Last edited by DUnlimited (2011-11-01 03:12:26)

main battle tank karthus medikopter 117 megamegapowershot gg

2011-11-01 03:22:57

#15

Spark: liquid fluoride thorium reactor; +874|6866|Canberra, AUS

i could have sworn i heard something exactly like this with eadm when it was still around

The paradox is only a conflict between reality and your feeling what reality ought to be.
^{~ Richard Feynman}

2011-11-01 12:04:35

#16

Doctor Strangelove: Real Battlefield Veterinarian.; +1,758|6660

Remember the shit fest over the "spyware" for the in game ads for 2142? It's probably as much of a non-issue as that was.

2011-11-01 12:16:12

#17

FloppY_: +1,010|6477|Denmark aka Automotive Hell

Doctor Strangelove wrote:
Remember the shit fest over the "spyware" for the in game ads for 2142? It's probably as much of a non-issue as that was.

Difference being that all the "spyware" in 2142 did was monitor which in-game signs you looked at and for how long, where as the Origin EULA allows the program to scan every corner of your HDD if EA so desires...

(I can't say I was fond of in-game advertising in 2142 either though, unless it comes with a price-reduction on purchase of the game, that shit can gtfo and diaf)

Last edited by FloppY_ (2011-11-01 12:17:28)

Your thoughts, insights, and musings on this matter intrigue me

2011-11-01 12:27:03

#18

RTHKI: mmmf mmmf mmmf; +1,741|6928|Oxferd Ohire

2142 was fun

2011-11-01 12:34:14

#19

DUnlimited: got any popo lolo intersting?; +1,160|6655|cuntshitlake

no one ever complained about pb scanning your folders much. and it actually does scan your entire HD.

main battle tank karthus medikopter 117 megamegapowershot gg

2011-11-01 12:39:33

#20

FloppY_: +1,010|6477|Denmark aka Automotive Hell

DUnlimited wrote:
no one ever complained about pb scanning your folders much. and it actually does scan your entire HD.

I think the main issue is that the company doing the scanning is EA, who is notorious for fucking over their paying customers whenever they can...

Your thoughts, insights, and musings on this matter intrigue me

2011-11-01 13:41:07

#21

jmsprovan: Member; +18|6003|Alba

instead of just bitching about it on the internet, some enterprising people have actually tested to see what Origin does, and its very boring (ie not a massive conspiracy as everyone wanted):

http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments … ss/c2vbjty
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/960869-b … 3/60145714

2011-11-01 14:30:36

#22

eusgen: Nugget; +402|6984|Jupiter

Shem wrote:
if you pirate they risk going out of business

wut

2011-11-01 14:40:59

#23

Doctor Strangelove: Real Battlefield Veterinarian.; +1,758|6660

FloppY_ wrote:
DUnlimited wrote:
no one ever complained about pb scanning your folders much. and it actually does scan your entire HD.
I think the main issue is that the company doing the scanning is EA, who is notorious for fucking over their paying customers whenever they can...

I trust EA more than I trust PB.

2011-11-01 15:03:32

#24

Shem: sɥǝɯ; +152|6718|London (At Heart)

eusgen wrote:
Shem wrote:
if you pirate they risk going out of business
wut

Ive alot of friends working in the game industry, and I've known quite a few who have been laid off and worry about their jobs tbh

2011-11-01 15:11:11

#25

RTHKI: mmmf mmmf mmmf; +1,741|6928|Oxferd Ohire

lets not get into a piracy debate...again

BF2S Forums EA's Origin may be glorified spyware, causes mass upset

Sisco wrote:

Shem wrote:

Sisco wrote:

Doctor Strangelove wrote:

DUnlimited wrote:

Shem wrote:

FloppY_ wrote:

DUnlimited wrote:

eusgen wrote:

Shem wrote:

Board footer