It seems the corporate greed of EA has no limits. They had Dice, developer of the Battlefield series, make a new game called Battlefield 2142. That game finally came out today, and includes a nice surprise inside the box in the form of an ad software notice. Basically, the game includes software to deliver in game ads like this and report back how often you view those ads, along with your IP that can be used for location based demographics. Now I'm not completely opposed to ads in games. However, BF2142 still costs $50, and development costs for the game were way lower then the previous title Battlefield 2 since 2142 uses the BF2 engine. So the excuse of "we need the ad revenue for next generation game development" doesn't cut it. Add to that the fact that EA absorbed Dice and promptly shut down one of their offices, and well it seems the Battlefield franchise is headed to it's deathbed.

To help voice my concern about this, I am doing something similar to when copy protected CDs first shipped to stores. I will buy the game at various stores, then open the product and return it, forcing that retailer to send it back to EA. Since the notice is nowhere on the outside of the box, it makes it easy to get them to agree with it. I just came back from a Best Buy where I returned my opened copy. At first the two reps at the customer service desk refused to return it, but I pushed and eventually got them to summon the store manager. He came over, and actually read the notice. After that, he expressed his own disgust over this, refunded my money, then grabbed a plastic frame to put the notice in along with the front of the game manual. That plastic display is now at eye level right where all their boxed copies of the game are, so that other people will be made aware of this. It's a similar reaction when I returned the copy protected CDs and really helps to raise awareness with the retailers. They end up being the ones who have a voice with companies like EA, and really is one of the few ways to try and get EA to take notice.