SPAM Alert: Fight Night 3 PSP Costs Privacy

[wraggster]

Source Kotaku (http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/fight-night-round-3/spam-alert-fight-night-3-psp-costs-privacy-155716.php)

I was tinkering with the Playstation Portable version of Fight Night Round 3 tonight when I decided to check out the online play.

Imagine my shock when a message popped up telling me that I had to either pay $2 or give my privacy away to ESPN and whoever they feel like selling my details to, if I wanted to play online.

I shit you not, it’s a requirement for ALL online play in this game. How insane is that. Granted $2 is next to nothing, unless you don’t have a credit card. If you don’t have a credit card, it’s either give ESPN your info (including email) or don’t play.

I sure hope Sony doesn’t continue down this ugly path. Imagine having to give up your email and, in essence, signing up for spam, just to play SOCOM 4 online.

I don’t know if this is a Sony or an EA idea, but it stinks to high heaven. Although my version of this game is a retail final, it didn’t come with packaging, so I don’t know if they let buyers know ahead of time they have to pay an extra $2 or opt-in to email delivered advertising.

I’ll see what I can find out on Monday. In the meantime let me know what you think of this idea.

Well its a dirty trick in my book, thoughts anyone ?

[fozzy]

Just sign up for a free email account and give them the details for that.

[Voltron]

That pisses me off. PSP games are $39.99 - $49.99 in the states. To expect another $2.00 for online play is a spit in the face.

If Sony would take on the task of starting an XBOX LIVE type of service for the PSP and charged a resonable amount per year, I would probably go for it. It would have to support all games with online ability and provide universal gamertags, stats, and other features reminiscent of XBOX LIVE.

If anyone comes across any other games that pulls this sort of nonsense, please list them.

[slayer2psp]

its no big deal just give them fake info

[Kloe]

that is pretty low of them to do that, but like the others said, nothing much to complain about since you can just give them false info and make a new email account that you won't ever use... problem solved.

[gotmilk0112]

WHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!?!?! that's F***ED UP!!!!! :mad:
not that i like fight night round 3 but when UL2 comes out and it has online play i AM NOT going to pay 2$ or get spammed to hell.
basically what they are saying is: give us 2$ to get in or we beat you up :mad:

[bill00000]

90% of those stupid things will take [email protected] as an email address. Besides, shouldn't everyone have at least two email addresses by now? One for correspondence, and one for signing up for stuff. It's no big deal. They made you give your email address to sign up for the DCEmu forums... OMG!!! Wragg$ter ur gonna spam me lol!!!!

Edit: I'm not about to play the game, but was there a privacy policy you could look at? anyone got a copy of it?

[tommyistommy]

All EA games online do this. EA just sucks. Everything about them sucks.

[Voltron]

All EA games online do this. EA just sucks. Everything about them sucks.

I found this out when I bought LOTR: Tactics - Such a let down.

[shadowprophet]

This is the first I had ever heard of this.
Like a lot of people.
As long as the game doesnt ask me for credit card numbers, I assume its free and go on about my buisness playing. Never bothering to read the usualy linghty online agreement,
But I never knew that some place like that could retain the rights to give out your email address.
The internet is a big place. And theres nothing governing peoples rights like there should be.

That seems like a violation to me :(

[pakkman781]

Wow, EA has proved their shittiness for the nth time. I'd be wanting my money back on said game...

Time to go out and buy a GP2X, seeing as this is the way it looks like commercial gaming is going...

[donut.boy]

Not a big deal, all you have to do is give fake information. I mean you can't be so "straight-edged" that you wouldn't even lie about your info could you? It's nothing like the big NO-NO of playing isos and downloading mp3s.

anyways, back to the game, how does it look? Fight Nght owns on PS2, boxing on the go is what i always wanted. (next to basketball but live is trash).

[Wally]

What about using another gmail account or something specifically for spam. YOu dont need to check it.

$2 extra....... Thats just stupid. why not include that in the RRP.

Im considering trading my two EA Games in. Ea was good back in the ole days but now.. *Bleh*

[sephy23]

this is completely ridiculous. im just gonna make a yahoo account email that is... "EA_are_Cun*[email protected]" lets see how much they spam that account lol. but really, this is beyond ridiculous. id love to throw a beating there way. hell. just because of this ill either not buy the game and get is some OTHER way ;) ;) or just not even play online....i think ill go with my first choice hehe.

[aries2k4]

That´s totally lame. Sure you can lie about your info and 2 bucks isn´t that much but it´s the principle that sucks. Give us 2 bucks or we´ll release your info. unbelievably sad.

[Nige]

Well, with the games market the way it is it's not suprising that companies are having to resort to these sort of marketing tactics. Of course the solution is not to buy the game - this should eventually give the publishers the message that the consumer isn't going to put up with such rubbish.

[slayer2psp]

people its nothing to get mad at how hard is it to have a email you dont use. does this suprise anyone ea is the biggest losers in the industry they ruined the nfl video game market them and the nfl for letting it happen just dont buy ea stuff problem solved

[dman32]

stupid thread...they have been doing this since madden 06 released last year...and now people want to gripe about it. I didnt have a problem with it and I have not received any spam. This more stupid EA hater crap.

[Hidavi]

Who cares :nag:. I had to give my email address for Need for Speed Underground and Need for Speed Underground 2 to play online. I never got any extra spam. If you don't like it, don't complain, just don't use it :bleh:.