SPAM Alert: Fight Night 3 PSP Costs Privacy

***wraggster*** · February 19th, 2006, 11:47

Source Kotaku

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 $#@! 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** · February 19th, 2006, 12:00

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

**Voltron** · February 19th, 2006, 12:16

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** · February 19th, 2006, 12:28

its no big deal just give them fake info

**Kloe** · February 19th, 2006, 13:39

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** · February 19th, 2006, 14:11

WHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!?!?! that's F***ED UP!!!!!

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

**bill00000** · February 19th, 2006, 14:17

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** · February 19th, 2006, 14:28

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

**Voltron** · February 19th, 2006, 15:10

Originally Posted by tommyistommy

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** · February 19th, 2006, 16:45

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