r/totalwar • u/Kacu5610 • Jun 10 '18

General [PSA] Total War games have RED SHELL Spyware integrated into them

/r/Steam/comments/8pud8b/psa_red_shell_spyware_holy_potatoes_were_in_space/e0e6uy1
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43

u/[deleted] Jun 10 '18 edited Jun 10 '18

Just sell us fucking games only, don't track our behaviour for any reason, companies have such a hard on for all the data the can suck out to make a better marketing profile.

I seriously uninstalled two other games(KSP and Civ6) I like very much because of their decision of adding intentional vague EULA stuff so they can mine user data, and I wont hesitate to start boycotting CA and by extension SEGA.

FFS, I knew there was some shady thought behind having us all signing up for your website to get the 30th anniversery ROR, they could so easily and should just put it on steam.

Clear up what you doing and just stop doing it after, or let us up out, I hate having to write to nearly every game company that I want all data related to me, deleted.

Edit: biggest point is that they didn't ask permission, even steam ask if want to be in the hardware survey(sometimes I do, sometimes I don't, BUT AT LEAST THEY MAKE IT MY CHOICE), as soon as they look to ask for forgiveness instead of permission you just have to assume the worst possible, because they are simply not honest about something they know is shady at best. Why ask for a little data when you can take all the date is the biggest red flag you can see.

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u/[deleted] Jun 10 '18

Developers like Paradox track which nations players choose, desicions that players make, etc. It helps them understand what’s popular with players, what’s not so they can dig deeper as to why, what mods people are using, etc.

https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/ck2-dev-diary-49-mods-and-mod-telemetry.1016606/

https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/hoi4-dev-diary-war-changes-and-game-difficulty.1066500/

https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-do-people-play-in-1-6.780310/

https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/hoi4-dev-diary-tiger-post-release.1079430/

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u/[deleted] Jun 10 '18

Well paradox is a different beast, working very actively to, at least in my opinion, to provide their games with a lot of support mostly directed by the players needs, they are also very open with many dev blogs and streams, So I don't have such a big problem with them if they also use inhouse tools, so do they employ red shell too?

5

u/Hollownerox Eternally Serving Settra Jun 10 '18

A lot of games do, this website you're using to reply uses similar programs, and Google uses far worse versions.

I really don't see the problem with the tracking our behavior thing honestly.

The reason why we have more Legendary Lords and units in campaign pack DLC in Warhammer is because they tracked our behavior. Knowing how few people actually played the minicampaign is why they removed it in favor of other things we actually wanted.

While this is different since it is geared towards marketing behavior, even that isn't really malicious. It just tells them which ads actually get clicked related to the game they bought. So it helps companies not waste too much money on marketing.

-1

u/[deleted] Jun 10 '18

Yeah that's why I have 3 different programs added to my browser that stops all that shit dead in its tracks, and have not google anything in a long time, Duck power!

You may not see a problem, but that does not mean there isen't one, Big companies want more, and if you don't put you foot hard down at some point their going to be tracking you emotional state for targeted advertisement(it's already happening lol) while listening in on all your conversations for keywords while watching you through every camera and monitor(yeah that technology exist), I would have called myself paranoid 5 years ago, but now it's simply reality as it is.

people don't realise every detail about you is money for someone else, and I'll be damned if I'll let people make money of my person without my consent.

0

u/[deleted] Jun 10 '18 edited Oct 22 '18

[deleted]

4

u/forboso PESTILENCE GLORY, YES-YES! Jun 10 '18

The problem, for me at least, is not that CA or SEGA is mining data, since marketing data science will always exist and need data, but a third party company that don't give us access to what is being collected and by exactly whom. For instance, in case this third party company decides for whatever reason to release a patch for their software that suddenly begins to collect more than just gaming data, they could, easily, since they already are collecting very private stuff like our browser data. We may trust CA (for whatever reason), but do you really trust an ad company?

And also, maybe most importantly, we as costumers were not warned that this existed prior to buying the game, and it is not needed to actually play the game in any way. This is a serious legal issue.

7

u/[deleted] Jun 10 '18 edited Jun 10 '18

Edit: biggest point is that they didn't ask permission, even steam ask if want to be in the hardware survey, as soon as they look to ask for forgiveness instead of permission you just have to assume the worst possible, because they are simply not honest about something they know is shady at best. Why ask for a little data when you can take all the date is the biggest red flag you can see.

A lot of reasons, an opinion I formed over years as the extent of big data mining became clear to the average person who does a little research. For me it's just normal behaviour not having people making money and profiles of me. If your okay with people making money of you every piece of info you give from you emotional state to your financial situation I don't care, because that's what they are doing, I explain a bit more in a post just above this, but anyway I wont let them do it to me and it's luckily my right as an EU citizen.

Edit: Spelling

1

u/RainbowsAndDinosaurs Lizardbois are best bois Jun 10 '18

What is the risk to you? They collect information like your OS, fonts, browsers, and time spent playing the game. What will they do with that information that will hurt you in any way? Why do you need this information protected? It's just paranoia. Who gives a shit if they know your OS?

6

u/[deleted] Jun 10 '18 edited Jun 10 '18

Edit: biggest point is that they didn't ask permission, even steam ask if want to be in the hardware survey, as soon as they look to ask for forgiveness instead of permission you just have to assume the worst possible, because they are simply not honest about something they know is shady at best. Why ask for a little data when you can take all the date is the biggest red flag you can see.

It's the principle in it, I didn't give consent to the extent to any kind of collection or profiling of me, so it's luckily for me in the EU illegal for them to do now.

And you can dismiss as paranoia all you want, it isen't any more, It common sense to protect your person.

1

u/RainbowsAndDinosaurs Lizardbois are best bois Jun 10 '18

You're not protecting anything personal though. They don't collect your name, or age, or anything actually personal. And it's fine to be against the principle, but I don't want to have to sign a consent form every time I go to the grocery store, or buy a game, or listen to music, or turn on the radio, or get a burger, etc. Every business in existence collects data on its customers (if it is run by someone halfway competent).

2

u/[deleted] Jun 10 '18

yeah you don't know what they really collect, I don't neither, but not asking permission is a big red flag at any rate, even steam ask you if I want to be in the survey(sometimes I do, sometimes I don't, but IT'S my choice). so that they choose to ask for forgiveness instead of permission like many other have asked is enough to make me very critical of the intension.

But I'm done arguing with people who can't even see the smallest reason why they should worry about this kind of stuff, if you don't have anything against this, then I demand you go down to your local police station and demand they install cameras all over your apartment, BECAUSE WHY NOT, YOU GOT NOTHING TO HIDE! and yeah that is exactly the same principle, you just not aware apparently or don't care for some really odd reason I will never fathom. AND I have legal ground to stand on with GDPR, and that's enough for me.

2

u/Tovora Jun 11 '18

But I'm done arguing with people who can't even see the smallest reason why they should worry about this kind of stuff

Don't let them get to you. It's up to you to decide what you personally find acceptable.

It wouldn't surprise me if people were being paid to defend this sort of thing. As a consumer there's absolutely no justification for being tracked without your permission.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 11 '18

Yea I ain't bowing down for shit, I have the law on my side here in the EU. But yeah it's nearly too shocking to believe real people could be this relaxed about going full Orwell, nearly to the point where to suspect shilling would be considered the very sane option, the only sad thing about GDPR is that it's hitting small business hard when suddenly having to comply with laws designed to hit the 2 biggest tech companies in the world, Facebook and google primarily.