Battlefield 2142 down as gamers continue complaints over alleged spyware

Gamers were greeted by an unexpected surprise as they opened their copies of Battlefield 2142 to find a disclaimer that the user's computer would be monitored for advertising data and that the user should "not install or play the software on any platform that is used to connect to the Internet" if they do not wish to be monitored. Of course, this is not possible since Battlefield 2142 is an online game.

EA has since responded to the public criticism:

"The advertising program in Battlefield 2142 does not access any files which are not directly related to the game. It does not capture personal data such as cookies, account login detail, or surfing history.

BF 2142 delivers ads by region. The advertising system uses a player's IP address to determine the region of the player, assisting to serve the appropriate ads by region and language. For instance, a player in Paris might be presented with ads in French. The information collected will not be repurposed for other uses.

Battlefield 2142 also tracks "impression data" related to in-game advertisements: location of a billboard in the game, brand advertised, duration of advertisement impression, etc. This information is used to help advertisers qualify the reach of a given advertisement."

However, many gamers remain upset, believing the game, set in the future, is tarnished by ads of today. Others decry the game as "adware" or "spyware." Shares of Battlefield 2142 declined -2.12 DKP (-3.93%).