Reminder review bombing is just the way corporate media describes legitimate consumer complaints
The thing of it is, Steam reviews are entirely subjective. They don’t ask if the game is good or worth playing, they ask if you’d recommend it to others. And whether or not you recommend a game can depend on things other than the way the game plays. I changed my recommendation on Borderlands 2 because I don’t recommend anyone gives a single cent to Gearbox for any reason.
“I cannot recommend Borderlands 2 despite it being a great game, because by giving it a ‘not recommended’ I can make Randy Pitchford cry.”
Buuuuuuuuuut they changed the EULA and now it has root level access to your system. As in its literally spyware.
Fuck free. You couldn’t pay me to install this shit. Do so at your own risk. I want less massive corporations rooting around in my stuff. Not more.
You mean like you don’t play Civilization because of having the same problematic 2K EULAs or watch YouTube because of its Terms of Service?
Free spyware! LOL What a way to spin things, devs. Well played! /s
The actual game files for Borderlands 2 haven’t been updated in several years. Sure, you could argue that the new TOS is just setting things up to quietly slip the spyware in later after the attention has waned. But as it currently stands, all of the new TOS stuff was just bringing their older games up to match their newer releases that are still being actively supported. Chances are very good that they never actually update Borderlands 2, and simply use the new TOS for future releases; It’s simply an indicator that their future releases will have some gnarly anti cheat bullshit bolted on.
But that doesn’t make headlines, nor does it fuel gamers’ nebulous rage. And yes, the “chances are good” part means the chance is a non-zero number. If I told you “there’s a poisoned skittle in this gigantic bowl, but the chances are good that any single skittle won’t kill you,” how many skittles would you be inclined to eat?
Can’t you just grab it and then restrict its internet access?
So you can’t play with friends? Isn’t that like half of the fun of Bonerlands?
…where are you guys finding friends?
the article says the EULA is “typical”
That clause reads as follows: “You will not use exploits or illegal or unauthorised means to interfere with or adversely impact any other user’s ability to use the services as intended; to gain unfair gameplay advantage; or to gain access to virtual items or other content to which you do not have valid entitlement. This includes the use of cheats or so-called ‘mod menus’, unauthorised mods, hacks, glitches, or any other technical exploits, and phishing, scamming, or social engineering.”
So, something that could maybe affect modders generally - not that prominent Borderlands modders seem concerned - but sounds to me more like fairly typical EULA stuff designed specifically to discourage the use of mods or cheats online, where they could affect the experience had by other players. You know, like the checks fellow Take-Two-owned GTA Online developers Rockstar have tried to institute to stop your session being ambushed by invincible gods who fly around magically giving everyone vast sums of free money.
i still haven’t seen anyone credibly demonstrate that BL2 is now more “spyware” than any other game, let alone that it hijacks root access-- anyone?
It’s because it isn’t spyware. There is no kernel level anticheat or admin requirements as people keep suggesting . And the only things it sends back to gearbox is related to game functions:
- your steam friends list so it can check if they have a gearbox account
- in game chat
- which level in the game you’re currently on
I literally went to the point of packet inspection and found nothing to be concerned about.
EDIT: clarified reply was about it being called spyware.
You will not use exploits or illegal or unauthorised means to interfere with or adversely impact any other user’s ability to use the services as intended; to gain unfair gameplay advantage; or to gain access to virtual items or other content to which you do not have valid entitlement. This includes the use of cheats or so-called ‘mod menus’, unauthorised mods, hacks, glitches, or any other technical exploits, and phishing, scamming, or social engineering.
In legalese, does ‘this includes’ mean ‘additionally’ or ‘specifically’?
Additionally.
It’s outlaying the parameters and then it goes on to give some common examples so a rational actor can get a good idea behind the meaning of the parameters. It’s not an exhaustive list of all activities that could violate their parameters.
Does it blanket forbid those even if individual examples of those things don’t violate the parameters in the beginning or does it forbid them only if a particular instance under those categories violates the first part?
Can you give an example? Purely for academic intrigue… Not advisement purposes.
Any mod or glitch you use in a singleplayer game. Reshade could be considered a ‘mod menu’
That’s a grey area, that you may win if this hypothetical were litigated. Their parameters are broad and vague, so I could easily see a claim that it is unfairly giving you a better game play than others. Nothing about their parameters mentions multiplayer, so one would assume it apply’s to all play styles.
In the extremely unlikely scenario this came to some kind of litigation the determining factor would probably be the question of whether there is anyway for players to compare single player gameplay at all in a reasonable way? If they have a leader board for single player or anything like that, including even social media tracking single player stats then I think it’s possible it is determined to be giving an unfair advantage.
absolutely worth it to get, btw. still play it to this day.
and Borderlands 3 I think is like 2 dollars on steam at the moment. absolutely grab that.
edit: here
I suppose you didn’t hear about the new EULA for Take-Two/2K/Rockstar games eh?
Long story short they have explicit permission to install a root kit on your system which is a popular type of malware. If the developers knowingly install a root kit on your system and someone who is savvy enough decides to abuse it, well… let’s just say the outcome isn’t pretty for the end-user.
I love BL1 & BL2 but this is justification to put those games to rest or run them offline or in LAN, having a back door to people’s systems on any online game will backfire.
i know about that. i also know its quite overblown. their EULA is no different than all of them.
but no malware has been installed.
i know about that. i also know its quite overblown. their EULA is no different than all of them.
That’s quite an ignorant statement to make, just because you don’t care about what you sign up for doesn’t mean other’s don’t as well.
but no malware has been installed.
a root kit is quite literally a type of malware, you agreed to malware being installed to your machine at any point in time and if not when it does bite you in the ass you can’t sue for damages.
With your current mindset you might as well be on Reddit like all the other sheeple.
check my edit thanks and have a pleasant evening.
