The end-user licence agreement (EULA) in Electronic Arts' new distribution platform Origin collects and transmits extensive data about your computer and your use of it.
A member of The Escapist's forums first raised concern over the terms, which have since been posted in full by Rock Paper Shotgun. One clause, headed "Consent to collection and use of data," stipulates that EA will gather huge amounts of information about the software installed on users' PCs and how they are used, and either use the data for its own marketing or pass it to thirdparties.
It reads: "You agree that EA may collect, use, store and transmit technical and related information that identifies your computer, operating system, application usage (including but not limited to successful installation and/or removal), software, software usage and peripheral hardware, that may be gathered periodically to facilitate the provision of software updates, dynamically served content, product support and other services to you, including online services.
"EA may also use this information combined with personal information for marketing purposes and to improve our products and services. We may also share that data with our thirdparty service providers in a form that does not personally identify you."
To put this in immediate context, Origin's principal rival Steam contains a similar clause, but one which only entitles Valve to collect data on applications directly related to Steam. Another clause looks further than that - as evidenced by this TorrentFreak article on the software Steam users have installed on their machines - but users can opt out from it. EA's advice to those who do not want to agree to its terms is simple.
"If you do not want EA to collect, use, store, transmit or display the data described in this section," it reads, "please do not install or use the application."
Which is all well and good for those of us reading it now, but buyers of the likes of Battlefield 3 - the PC version of which won't be available through Steam, and will require that Origin be installed before it can be played - will have little choice in the matter.
After pulling its games from Steam, making The Old Republic Origin-exclusive and now this, it appears consumer choice is the very last thing on EA's agenda as it seeks establish Origin as a driving force in its attempt to make its digital business worth a billion dollars a year. With this, and the ongoing war of words with Activision in the run-up to the releases of Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3, EA has come out fighting in 2011. But will it work? And how has your perception of the publisher changed as a result, if at all? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: Rock Paper Shotgun / The Escapist
Comments
4If EA keeps acting in such an irresponsible manner, then they are just going to keep taking losses quarter after quarter until there is no more EA.
I've always enjoyed games EA makes and publishes and their corporate activities I've always run hot and cold with. But I will not download and use Origin without an opt out clause. What is on my computer is my business. This is nothing short of malware.
No one really cares, it's that simple. Yes, you have a few tin foil hats screaming murder, but let's be honest - most people, and society as a whole just don't care.
If they did care, companies like Google and facebook would not exist, let alone be two of the most valuable companies in the world.
We're willing to sacrifice our personal information for a service. EA have just increased the price of their games by the value you place on your personal information. For most people out there, that value is zero.
Agree. EULAs are a nuisance. Everyone.... EVERYONE...clicks through without reading. There's not even a reasonable expectation that anyone would read through it. The last iTunes Terms of Service update was like 64 pages long. Who would read that? Nobody. Why? Because if you did you'd still accept because you want to use your iPod! Corporations have the upper hand on this issue by miles. You'd have to adopt the lifestyle of an Amish person to take a stand. And so nobody will.
Uninstalled Origin. I wasn't happy with enforced data-mining 12 years ago, and I'm not going to accept it now. Depending upon how it integrates into Battlefield 3, I may or may not buy that game, install Origin (since it's required) and then uninstall Origin. Otherwise, Hello Red Orchestra 2.
Whilst Hahanchen is right in that "most people... just don't care", I would argue that that only applies to the mainstream gamers. The people who complain about DRM and the people who actually look at what they're installing will see this and believe what has been apparent for a few months now - that EA are (to use the vulgar term) dicks, and that there's no real reason to give them money when there are games out there which are just as good, from publishers who care about their consumers.
A final point: Origin could have been a reasonably successful competitor to steam. I think this is rather more unlikely now.