Some various stuff to talk about today, not the least of which is that my copy of Splinter Cell: Double Agent has just arrived. Of course, I have to work right now, so it’s sitting quietly on my desk, staring at me, taunting me, mocking me. That’s fine. I’ll play you later, game.
Also Battlefield 2142 dropped yesterday, which I love. I had a blast with it during beta, I had a blast this past Saturday during the GameDay with fans, and I just enjoy the Battlefield series in general. My soldier name is Absath, if you want to send me a buddy request. It will make it easier for you to see when I’m online and what server I’m on. I put the [CAD] tag in front of my name, but there is no official clan or squad or anything. It’s just something I use for fun, and you’re welcome to do the same if you want to.
Yes, I know about the IGA software in the game. (I’d link to an article about it, but I can’t find any so-called news sites that aren’t being sensationalist about this, calling it spyware and “OMGZ EA is watching the porn I surf”, and I choose not to support that kind of crap).Frankly, I don’t care. I don’t care about in-game advertising, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I also don’t care about the software which delivers the ad content, which everyone is calling “spyware” and boycotting EA over, even though it doesn’t collect ANY personal or private information. It’s fine if you have a problem with it, but I don’t.
Personally I feel that the only people who have any right to bitch, are those who bought the game and weren’t informed that the IGA system was going to be in the game. Though they announced it over a month and a half ago, and I’ve known it was coming since the start, it’s unreasonable to expect that everyone follows the development of certain games as closely as I, or some other avid gamers do. So therein, by not making this particular feature of the game more visible to customers who may have a problem with the IGA or the way it’s delivered, I do find EA at fault, and my sympathies go out to people who bought the game unknowingly, and can’t return it.
But that’s all I find EA at fault for. The IGA itself is fine with me. I enjoy the game, and so what if there are some billboards in it. There are billboards outside. Am I supposed to say “Fuck you, outside world, and your constant stream of advertising! I’m staying indoors… FOREVER!!!”
No, I don’t think so.
The first Ctrl+Alt+Del book has now sold out completely. We’ll print it again, just probably not until next year. There is still some left of Volume Two, though.
Anyway, I’ve got this lecture thing down in New York tomorrow, so I’ve got some work to do. If you see me on Xbox Live playing Splinter Cell… I’m just doing… umm… research.
Yeah.