msgid "Malware in Games - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><a> msgid "<a id=\"side-menu-button\" class=\"switch\" href=\"#navlinks\">" msgstr "" #. type: Attribute 'title' of: <div><a><img> msgid "Section contents" msgstr "" #. type: Attribute 'alt' of: <div><a><img> msgid " [Section contents] " msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div> msgid "</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p><a> msgid "<a href=\"/\">" msgstr "" #. type: Attribute 'title' of: <div><p><a><img> msgid "GNU Home" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "</a> / <a href=\"/proprietary/proprietary.html\">Malware</a> / By " "product /" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><h2> msgid "Malware in Games" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Nonfree (proprietary) software is very often malware (designed to mistreat " "the user). Nonfree software is controlled by its developers, which puts them " "in a position of power over the users; <a " "href=\"/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html\">that is the " "basic injustice</a>. The developers and manufacturers often exercise that " "power to the detriment of the users they ought to serve." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "This typically takes the form of malicious functionalities." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Among the numerous malicious functionalities that are found in games, " "<strong><a href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#addictiveness\"> " "addictiveness</a></strong> may be the worst, because it doesn't only affect " "users materially, but also psychologically." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><div><p> msgid "" "If you know of an example that ought to be in this page but isn't here, " "please write to <a " "href=\"mailto:webmasters@gnu.org\"><webmasters@gnu.org></a> to inform " "us. Please include the URL of a trustworthy reference or two to serve as " "specific substantiation." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Ubisoft is facing a fraud lawsuit for <a " "href=\"https://www.polygon.com/gaming/476979/ubisoft-the-crew-shut-down-lawsuit-class-action\"> " "shutting down the proprietary video game The Crew, which was tethered to its " "servers</a>. As this game can't be played offline, people who used to think " "they owned a copy of it are now realizing they only bought a license that " "could be revoked at will by the developer." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "This is one more example of what tethering of a proprietary program leads " "to. If The Crew were free software, its users would be able to set up " "another server, and keep on playing." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "Bungie's Destiny 2 is plagued with two major flaws:" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><ul><li> msgid "" "Like all proprietary tethered games, <a " "href=\"https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/articles/is-destiny-2-down-how-to-check-server-maintenance-and-downtime\"> " "it can't be played when the company's servers are offline</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><ul><li> msgid "" "Ever since Bungie chose BattlEye as an anti-cheat program, Destiny 2 " "has been <a href=\"https://areweanticheatyet.com/\"> incompatible with " "GNU/Linux</a> <small>[this page can't be viewed without " "JavaScript]</small>. Bungie forces Steam Deck users to <a " "href=\"https://www.pcguide.com/steam-deck/play-destiny-2/\"> replace SteamOS " "with Windows, or play from Edge browser</a>. This doesn't have to be so, as " "several other games that use BattlEye do support GNU/Linux systems. Rather " "than doing the necessary adjustments, Bungie forces users to run nonfree " "software in order to keep an absolute control over them." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "A dispute between Blizzard and one of its partners caused <a " "href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/23/world-of-warcraft-offline-china-millions-gamers-bereft\"> " "World of Warcraft to go offline in China</a>. The shutdown may not be " "permanent, but even if it is not, the fact that a business disagreement can " "stop all users in China from playing the game illustrates the injustice of " "requiring the use of a specific server." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "We expect that users must pay to use that server, but whether that is the " "case is a side issue. Even if use of that server is gratis, the harm comes " "from the fact that the program doesn't allow people to make and use other " "servers for that job." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Let's hope game fans in China learn the importance of <a " "href=\"https://gnu.org/philosophy/nonfree-games.html\">rejecting nonfree " "games</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Microsoft is imposing its surveillance on the game of Minecraft by <a " "href=\"https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/22/21527647/minecraft-microsoft-account-mojang-java\">requiring " "every player to open an account on Microsoft's network</a>. Microsoft has " "bought the game and will merge all accounts into its network, which will " "give them access to people's data." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Minecraft players <a href=\"https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Minetest\">can " "play Minetest</a> instead. The essential advantage of Minetest is that it is " "free software, meaning it respects the user's computer freedom. As a bonus, " "it offers more options." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The addictive Genshin Impact relentlessly <a " "href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/oct/22/genshin-impact-video-game-slowly-taking-over-the-world\">coerces " "players to spend money by overwhelming the game play with loot boxes</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "As of 2019-2020, Minecraft players are <a " "href=\"https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/java-edition-moving-house\">being " "forced to move to Microsoft servers</a>, which results in privacy " "violation. Microsoft publishes a program so users can run their own server, " "but the program is proprietary and it's another <a " "href=\"/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html\">injustice to " "users</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "People can play <a " "href=\"https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Minetest\">Minetest</a> " "instead. Minetest is free software and respects the user's computer freedom." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Riot Games' new anti-cheat is malware; <a " "href=\"https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/309320-riot-games-new-anti-cheat-system-runs-at-system-boot-uses-kernel-driver\">runs " "on system boot at kernel level</a> on Windows. It is insecure software that " "increases the attack surface of the operating system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Roblox (among many other games) created anti-features which sucker children " "into <a " "href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/mar/11/my-kids-spent-600-on-their-ipads-without-my-knowledge\"> " "utilizing third-party payment services without authorization.</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Microsoft recorded users of Xboxes and had <a " "href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/43kv4q/microsoft-human-contractors-listened-to-xbox-owners-homes-kinect-cortana\"> " "human workers listen to the recordings</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Morally, we see no difference between having human workers listen and having " "speech-recognition systems listen. Both intrude on privacy." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Resourceful children figured out how to <a " "href=\"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-48908766\"> empty their " "parents' bank account</a> buying packs of special players for an Electronic " "Arts soccer game." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The random element of these packs (also called “loot boxes”) " "makes the game <a " "href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions#addictiveness\"> strongly " "addictive</a>, but the fact that players are pressured to spend more in " "order to get ahead of their competitors further qualifies it as " "<em>predatory</em>. Note that Belgium <a " "href=\"https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/fifa-ultimate-team-packs-blocked-in-belgium\"> " "made these loot boxes illegal</a> in 2018." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The only good reason to have a copy of such a proprietary game is to study " "it for free software development." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Clash of Clans is a good example of a gratis mobile game that its developers " "<a href=\"https://gamerant.com/clash-of-clans-addiction/\"> made very " "addictive</a> for a large proportion of its users—and turned into a " "cash machine for themselves—by using <a " "href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#addictiveness\"> " "psychological manipulation techniques</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "<small>(The article uses “free” to mean “zero " "price,” which is a usage we should avoid. We recommend saying " "“gratis” instead.)</small>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Clash Royale is an online game with an “optimized” <a " "href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#gacha\"> <i>gacha</i></a> " "system that makes it <a " "href=\"https://medium.com/@nikmlnkr/what-makes-clash-royale-so-addictive-1e586815b1f0\"> " "very addictive for players</a>, and very profitable for its developers." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "A nonfree video game, available through the nonfree Steam client, <a " "href=\"https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/274552-great-now-games-are-hijacking-systems-with-cryptocurrency-miners\"> " "included a “miner”</a>, i.e. an executable that hijacks the CPU " "in users' computers to mine a cryptocurrency." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Nintendo has devoted a lot of effort to <a " "href=\"https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/07/nintendo-reportedly-rolling-out-new-more-hack-proof-switch-hardware/\"> " "preventing users from installing third-party software on its Switch " "consoles</a>. These are now full-blown jails." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The game Metal Gear Rising for MacOS was tethered to a server. The company " "<a " "href=\"https://www.gamerevolution.com/news/400087-metal-gear-rising-mac-unplayable-drm\"> " "shut down the server, and all copies stopped working</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Red Shell is a spyware that is found in many proprietary games. It <a " "href=\"https://nebulous.cloud/threads/red-shell-illegal-spyware-for-steam-games.31924/\"> " "tracks data on users' computers and sends it to third parties</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "ArenaNet surreptitiously installed a spyware program along with an update to " "the massive multiplayer game Guild Wars 2. The spyware allowed ArenaNet <a " "href=\"https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/arenanet-used-spyware-anti-cheat-for-guild-wars-2-banwave\"> " "to snoop on all open processes running on its user's computer</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Learn how <a " "href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20170319013045/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/joseph-farrell/the-fascinating-psycholog_b_6076502.html\"> " "gratis-to-play-and-not-win-much games manipulate their useds " "psychologically</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "These manipulative behaviors are malicious functionalities, and they are " "possible because the game is proprietary. If it were free, people could " "publish a non-manipulative version and play that instead." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The driver for a certain gaming keyboard <a " "href=\"https://thehackernews.com/2017/11/mantistek-keyboard-keylogger.html\">sends " "information to China</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "In the game Fruit Pop, the player buys boosts with coins to get a high " "score. The player gets coins at the end of each game, and can buy more coins " "with real money." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Getting a higher score once leads the player to desire higher score again " "later. But the higher score resulting from the boost <a " "href=\"https://qz.com/873348/50000-coins-for-1-99-how-mobile-game-in-app-purchases-are-warping-kids-understanding-of-basic-economic-ideas\">does " "not give the player more coins, and does not help the player get a higher " "score in subsequent games</a>. To get that, the player will need a boost " "frequently, and usually has to pay real money for that. Since boosts are " "exciting and entertaining, the player is subtly pushed to purchase more " "coins with real money to get boosts, and it can develop into a costly habit." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "nVidia's proprietary GeForce Experience <a " "href=\"https://www.gamersnexus.net/industry/2672-geforce-experience-data-transfer-analysis\">makes " "users identify themselves and then sends personal data about them to nVidia " "servers</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "A Capcom's Street Fighter V update <a " "href=\"https://www.theregister.com/2016/09/23/capcom_street_fighter_v/\"> " "installed a driver that could be used as a back door by any application " "installed on a Windows computer</a>, but was <a " "href=\"https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/street-fighter-v-removes-new-anti-crack\"> " "immediately rolled back</a> in response to public outcry." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Oculus Rift games now have <a " "href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/vv77ea/new-oculus-drm-cross-platform\"> " "DRM meant to prevent running them on other systems</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Many popular mobile games include a random-reward system called <a " "href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#gacha\"> <i>gacha</i></a> " "which is especially effective on children. One variant of gacha was declared " "illegal in Japan in 2012, but the other variants are still <a " "href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2016/04/04/japanese-mobile-gaming-still-cant-shake-off-the-spectre-of-exploitation/\"> " "luring players into compulsively spending</a> inordinate amounts of money on " "virtual toys." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Electronic Arts <a " "href=\"https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/darkspore-servers-shut-down\">made " "one of its games permanently unplayable</a> by shutting down its " "servers. This game was heavily reliant on the company's servers, and because " "the software is proprietary, users can't modify it to make it connect to " "some other server. If the game were free, people could still play what they " "purchased." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Many <a " "href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20240114145409/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/video-game-companies-are-collecting-massive-amounts-of-data-about-you/article_31fba9a3-2760-57ae-9ae0-4083904bcb87.html\"> " "video game consoles snoop on their users and report to the " "internet</a>—even what their users weigh." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "A game console is a computer, and you can't trust a computer with a nonfree " "operating system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Modern gratis game cr…apps <a " "href=\"https://toucharcade.com/2015/09/16/we-own-you-confessions-of-a-free-to-play-producer/\"> " "collect a wide range of data about their users and their users' friends and " "associates</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Even nastier, they do it through ad networks that merge the data collected " "by various cr…apps and sites made by different companies." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "They use this data to manipulate people to buy things, and hunt for " "“whales” who can be led to spend a lot of money. They also use a " "back door to manipulate the game play for specific players." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "While the article describes gratis games, games that cost money can use the " "same tactics." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Game Of War: Fire Age is an iPhone game with <a " "href=\"https://www.cracked.com/article_18461_5-creepy-ways-video-games-are-trying-to-get-you-addicted.html\"> " "addictive features</a> which are based on <a " "href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#addictiveness\">behavioral " "manipulation techniques</a>, compounded with group emulation. After a fairly " "easy start, the game slows down and becomes more difficult, so gamers are " "led to spend more and more money in order to keep up with their group. And " "if they stop playing for a while, the equipment they invested in gets " "destroyed by the “enemy” unless they buy an expensive " "“shield” to protect it. This game is also deceptive, as it uses " "confusing menus and complex stats to obfuscate true monetary costs." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Runescape is a popular online game with some <a " "href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20230329031353/https://www.reddit.com/r/runescape/comments/33cd8g/question_why_is_runescape_so_addicting/\"> " "addictive features</a> derived from <a " "href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#addictiveness\"> behavioral " "manipulation techniques</a>. Certain repetitive aspects of the game, like <a " "href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grinding_(video_games)\"> grinding</a>, " "can be minimised by becoming a paying member, and can thus encourage " "children and impressionable people to spend money on the game." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "<a " "href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/10/nintendo-updates-take-wii-u-hostage-until-you-agree-new-legal-terms\">Nintendo " "remotely sabotaged the Wii U, making it refuse to work unless the user " "agrees to a new EULA</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "We can be quite sure this EULA is unjust because injustice is the only " "motive for imposing an EULA." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Angry Birds <a " "href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/28/world/spy-agencies-scour-phone-apps-for-personal-data.html\"> " "spies for companies, and the NSA takes advantage to spy through it too</a>. " "Here's information on <a " "href=\"http://confabulator.blogspot.com/2012/11/analysis-of-what-information-angry.html\"> " "more spyware apps</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "<a " "href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/spy-agencies-probe-angry-birds-and-other-apps-for-personal-data\"> " "More about NSA app spying</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Some proprietary <a " "href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/19/apple-talking-cats-in-app-purchases\"> " "games lure children to spend their parents' money</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "<a href=\"https://www.defectivebydesign.org/sony\">The Playstation 3 is a " "tyrant</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Sony <a " "href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/sony-steals-feature-from-your-playstation-3\">sabotaged " "the Playstation 3</a> with a firmware downgrade that removed the feature " "that allowed users to run GNU/Linux on it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Sony subsequently sent police after Geohot, after he cracked the code that " "blocked users from changing the firmware, and we responded by calling for a " "<a href=\"http://boycottsony.org\">boycott of Sony</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "In a court settlement Sony is <a " "href=\"https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/06/if-you-used-to-run-linux-on-your-ps3-you-could-get-55-from-sony/\"> " "now paying for the sabotage</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Blizzard Warden is a hidden “cheating-prevention” program that " "<a " "href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2005/10/new-gaming-feature-spyware\"> " "spies on every process running on a gamer's computer and sniffs a good deal " "of personal data</a>, including lots of activities which have nothing to do " "with cheating." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Use space (SPC) as msgstr if you don't have notes. #. type: Content of: <div><div> msgid "*GNUN-SLOT: TRANSLATOR'S NOTES*" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to <a " "href=\"mailto:gnu@gnu.org\"><gnu@gnu.org></a>. There are also <a " "href=\"/contact/\">other ways to contact</a> the FSF. Broken links and " "other corrections or suggestions can be sent to <a " "href=\"mailto:webmasters@gnu.org\"><webmasters@gnu.org></a>." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph, #. replace it with the translation of these two: # #. We work hard and do our best to provide accurate, good quality #. translations. However, we are not exempt from imperfection. #. Please send your comments and general suggestions in this regard #. to <a href="mailto:web-translators@gnu.org"> # #. <web-translators@gnu.org></a>.</p> # #. <p>For information on coordinating and contributing translations of #. our web pages, see <a #. href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations #. README</a>. #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Please see the <a " "href=\"/server/standards/README.translations.html\">Translations README</a> " "for information on coordinating and contributing translations of this " "article." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "Copyright © 2016-2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "This page is licensed under a <a rel=\"license\" " "href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\">Creative Commons " "Attribution 4.0 International License</a>." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Use space (SPC) as msgstr if you don't want credits. #. type: Content of: <div><div> msgid "*GNUN-SLOT: TRANSLATOR'S CREDITS*" msgstr "" #. timestamp start #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "Updated:" msgstr ""

# LANGUAGE translation of https://www.gnu.org/proprietary/malware-games.html # Copyright (C) YEAR Free Software Foundation, Inc. # This file is distributed under the same license as the original article. # FIRST AUTHOR , YEAR. # #, fuzzy msgid "" msgstr "" "Project-Id-Version: malware-games.html\n" "POT-Creation-Date: 2025-04-01 18:28+0000\n" "PO-Revision-Date: YEAR-MO-DA HO:MI+ZONE\n" "Last-Translator: FULL NAME \n" "Language-Team: LANGUAGE \n" "Language: \n" "MIME-Version: 1.0\n" "Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8\n" "Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n" #. type: Content of: msgid "Malware in Games - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><a> msgid "<a id=\"side-menu-button\" class=\"switch\" href=\"#navlinks\">" msgstr "" #. type: Attribute 'title' of: <div><a><img> msgid "Section contents" msgstr "" #. type: Attribute 'alt' of: <div><a><img> msgid " [Section contents] " msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div> msgid "</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p><a> msgid "<a href=\"/\">" msgstr "" #. type: Attribute 'title' of: <div><p><a><img> msgid "GNU Home" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "</a> / <a href=\"/proprietary/proprietary.html\">Malware</a> / By " "product /" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><h2> msgid "Malware in Games" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Nonfree (proprietary) software is very often malware (designed to mistreat " "the user). Nonfree software is controlled by its developers, which puts them " "in a position of power over the users; <a " "href=\"/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html\">that is the " "basic injustice</a>. The developers and manufacturers often exercise that " "power to the detriment of the users they ought to serve." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "This typically takes the form of malicious functionalities." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Among the numerous malicious functionalities that are found in games, " "<strong><a href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#addictiveness\"> " "addictiveness</a></strong> may be the worst, because it doesn't only affect " "users materially, but also psychologically." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><div><p> msgid "" "If you know of an example that ought to be in this page but isn't here, " "please write to <a " "href=\"mailto:webmasters@gnu.org\"><webmasters@gnu.org></a> to inform " "us. Please include the URL of a trustworthy reference or two to serve as " "specific substantiation." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Ubisoft is facing a fraud lawsuit for <a " "href=\"https://www.polygon.com/gaming/476979/ubisoft-the-crew-shut-down-lawsuit-class-action\"> " "shutting down the proprietary video game The Crew, which was tethered to its " "servers</a>. As this game can't be played offline, people who used to think " "they owned a copy of it are now realizing they only bought a license that " "could be revoked at will by the developer." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "This is one more example of what tethering of a proprietary program leads " "to. If The Crew were free software, its users would be able to set up " "another server, and keep on playing." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "Bungie's Destiny 2 is plagued with two major flaws:" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><ul><li> msgid "" "Like all proprietary tethered games, <a " "href=\"https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/articles/is-destiny-2-down-how-to-check-server-maintenance-and-downtime\"> " "it can't be played when the company's servers are offline</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><ul><li> msgid "" "Ever since Bungie chose BattlEye as an anti-cheat program, Destiny 2 " "has been <a href=\"https://areweanticheatyet.com/\"> incompatible with " "GNU/Linux</a> <small>[this page can't be viewed without " "JavaScript]</small>. Bungie forces Steam Deck users to <a " "href=\"https://www.pcguide.com/steam-deck/play-destiny-2/\"> replace SteamOS " "with Windows, or play from Edge browser</a>. This doesn't have to be so, as " "several other games that use BattlEye do support GNU/Linux systems. Rather " "than doing the necessary adjustments, Bungie forces users to run nonfree " "software in order to keep an absolute control over them." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "A dispute between Blizzard and one of its partners caused <a " "href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/23/world-of-warcraft-offline-china-millions-gamers-bereft\"> " "World of Warcraft to go offline in China</a>. The shutdown may not be " "permanent, but even if it is not, the fact that a business disagreement can " "stop all users in China from playing the game illustrates the injustice of " "requiring the use of a specific server." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "We expect that users must pay to use that server, but whether that is the " "case is a side issue. Even if use of that server is gratis, the harm comes " "from the fact that the program doesn't allow people to make and use other " "servers for that job." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Let's hope game fans in China learn the importance of <a " "href=\"https://gnu.org/philosophy/nonfree-games.html\">rejecting nonfree " "games</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Microsoft is imposing its surveillance on the game of Minecraft by <a " "href=\"https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/22/21527647/minecraft-microsoft-account-mojang-java\">requiring " "every player to open an account on Microsoft's network</a>. Microsoft has " "bought the game and will merge all accounts into its network, which will " "give them access to people's data." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Minecraft players <a href=\"https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Minetest\">can " "play Minetest</a> instead. The essential advantage of Minetest is that it is " "free software, meaning it respects the user's computer freedom. As a bonus, " "it offers more options." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The addictive Genshin Impact relentlessly <a " "href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/oct/22/genshin-impact-video-game-slowly-taking-over-the-world\">coerces " "players to spend money by overwhelming the game play with loot boxes</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "As of 2019-2020, Minecraft players are <a " "href=\"https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/java-edition-moving-house\">being " "forced to move to Microsoft servers</a>, which results in privacy " "violation. Microsoft publishes a program so users can run their own server, " "but the program is proprietary and it's another <a " "href=\"/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html\">injustice to " "users</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "People can play <a " "href=\"https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Minetest\">Minetest</a> " "instead. Minetest is free software and respects the user's computer freedom." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Riot Games' new anti-cheat is malware; <a " "href=\"https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/309320-riot-games-new-anti-cheat-system-runs-at-system-boot-uses-kernel-driver\">runs " "on system boot at kernel level</a> on Windows. It is insecure software that " "increases the attack surface of the operating system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Roblox (among many other games) created anti-features which sucker children " "into <a " "href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/mar/11/my-kids-spent-600-on-their-ipads-without-my-knowledge\"> " "utilizing third-party payment services without authorization.</a>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Microsoft recorded users of Xboxes and had <a " "href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/43kv4q/microsoft-human-contractors-listened-to-xbox-owners-homes-kinect-cortana\"> " "human workers listen to the recordings</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Morally, we see no difference between having human workers listen and having " "speech-recognition systems listen. Both intrude on privacy." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Resourceful children figured out how to <a " "href=\"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-48908766\"> empty their " "parents' bank account</a> buying packs of special players for an Electronic " "Arts soccer game." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The random element of these packs (also called “loot boxes”) " "makes the game <a " "href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions#addictiveness\"> strongly " "addictive</a>, but the fact that players are pressured to spend more in " "order to get ahead of their competitors further qualifies it as " "<em>predatory</em>. Note that Belgium <a " "href=\"https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/fifa-ultimate-team-packs-blocked-in-belgium\"> " "made these loot boxes illegal</a> in 2018." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The only good reason to have a copy of such a proprietary game is to study " "it for free software development." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Clash of Clans is a good example of a gratis mobile game that its developers " "<a href=\"https://gamerant.com/clash-of-clans-addiction/\"> made very " "addictive</a> for a large proportion of its users—and turned into a " "cash machine for themselves—by using <a " "href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#addictiveness\"> " "psychological manipulation techniques</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "<small>(The article uses “free” to mean “zero " "price,” which is a usage we should avoid. We recommend saying " "“gratis” instead.)</small>" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Clash Royale is an online game with an “optimized” <a " "href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#gacha\"> <i>gacha</i></a> " "system that makes it <a " "href=\"https://medium.com/@nikmlnkr/what-makes-clash-royale-so-addictive-1e586815b1f0\"> " "very addictive for players</a>, and very profitable for its developers." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "A nonfree video game, available through the nonfree Steam client, <a " "href=\"https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/274552-great-now-games-are-hijacking-systems-with-cryptocurrency-miners\"> " "included a “miner”</a>, i.e. an executable that hijacks the CPU " "in users' computers to mine a cryptocurrency." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Nintendo has devoted a lot of effort to <a " "href=\"https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/07/nintendo-reportedly-rolling-out-new-more-hack-proof-switch-hardware/\"> " "preventing users from installing third-party software on its Switch " "consoles</a>. These are now full-blown jails." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The game Metal Gear Rising for MacOS was tethered to a server. The company " "<a " "href=\"https://www.gamerevolution.com/news/400087-metal-gear-rising-mac-unplayable-drm\"> " "shut down the server, and all copies stopped working</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Red Shell is a spyware that is found in many proprietary games. It <a " "href=\"https://nebulous.cloud/threads/red-shell-illegal-spyware-for-steam-games.31924/\"> " "tracks data on users' computers and sends it to third parties</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "ArenaNet surreptitiously installed a spyware program along with an update to " "the massive multiplayer game Guild Wars 2. The spyware allowed ArenaNet <a " "href=\"https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/arenanet-used-spyware-anti-cheat-for-guild-wars-2-banwave\"> " "to snoop on all open processes running on its user's computer</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Learn how <a " "href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20170319013045/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/joseph-farrell/the-fascinating-psycholog_b_6076502.html\"> " "gratis-to-play-and-not-win-much games manipulate their useds " "psychologically</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "These manipulative behaviors are malicious functionalities, and they are " "possible because the game is proprietary. If it were free, people could " "publish a non-manipulative version and play that instead." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The driver for a certain gaming keyboard <a " "href=\"https://thehackernews.com/2017/11/mantistek-keyboard-keylogger.html\">sends " "information to China</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "In the game Fruit Pop, the player buys boosts with coins to get a high " "score. The player gets coins at the end of each game, and can buy more coins " "with real money." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Getting a higher score once leads the player to desire higher score again " "later. But the higher score resulting from the boost <a " "href=\"https://qz.com/873348/50000-coins-for-1-99-how-mobile-game-in-app-purchases-are-warping-kids-understanding-of-basic-economic-ideas\">does " "not give the player more coins, and does not help the player get a higher " "score in subsequent games</a>. To get that, the player will need a boost " "frequently, and usually has to pay real money for that. Since boosts are " "exciting and entertaining, the player is subtly pushed to purchase more " "coins with real money to get boosts, and it can develop into a costly habit." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "nVidia's proprietary GeForce Experience <a " "href=\"https://www.gamersnexus.net/industry/2672-geforce-experience-data-transfer-analysis\">makes " "users identify themselves and then sends personal data about them to nVidia " "servers</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "A Capcom's Street Fighter V update <a " "href=\"https://www.theregister.com/2016/09/23/capcom_street_fighter_v/\"> " "installed a driver that could be used as a back door by any application " "installed on a Windows computer</a>, but was <a " "href=\"https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/street-fighter-v-removes-new-anti-crack\"> " "immediately rolled back</a> in response to public outcry." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Oculus Rift games now have <a " "href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/vv77ea/new-oculus-drm-cross-platform\"> " "DRM meant to prevent running them on other systems</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Many popular mobile games include a random-reward system called <a " "href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#gacha\"> <i>gacha</i></a> " "which is especially effective on children. One variant of gacha was declared " "illegal in Japan in 2012, but the other variants are still <a " "href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2016/04/04/japanese-mobile-gaming-still-cant-shake-off-the-spectre-of-exploitation/\"> " "luring players into compulsively spending</a> inordinate amounts of money on " "virtual toys." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Electronic Arts <a " "href=\"https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/darkspore-servers-shut-down\">made " "one of its games permanently unplayable</a> by shutting down its " "servers. This game was heavily reliant on the company's servers, and because " "the software is proprietary, users can't modify it to make it connect to " "some other server. If the game were free, people could still play what they " "purchased." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Many <a " "href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20240114145409/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/video-game-companies-are-collecting-massive-amounts-of-data-about-you/article_31fba9a3-2760-57ae-9ae0-4083904bcb87.html\"> " "video game consoles snoop on their users and report to the " "internet</a>—even what their users weigh." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "A game console is a computer, and you can't trust a computer with a nonfree " "operating system." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Modern gratis game cr…apps <a " "href=\"https://toucharcade.com/2015/09/16/we-own-you-confessions-of-a-free-to-play-producer/\"> " "collect a wide range of data about their users and their users' friends and " "associates</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Even nastier, they do it through ad networks that merge the data collected " "by various cr…apps and sites made by different companies." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "They use this data to manipulate people to buy things, and hunt for " "“whales” who can be led to spend a lot of money. They also use a " "back door to manipulate the game play for specific players." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "While the article describes gratis games, games that cost money can use the " "same tactics." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Game Of War: Fire Age is an iPhone game with <a " "href=\"https://www.cracked.com/article_18461_5-creepy-ways-video-games-are-trying-to-get-you-addicted.html\"> " "addictive features</a> which are based on <a " "href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#addictiveness\">behavioral " "manipulation techniques</a>, compounded with group emulation. After a fairly " "easy start, the game slows down and becomes more difficult, so gamers are " "led to spend more and more money in order to keep up with their group. And " "if they stop playing for a while, the equipment they invested in gets " "destroyed by the “enemy” unless they buy an expensive " "“shield” to protect it. This game is also deceptive, as it uses " "confusing menus and complex stats to obfuscate true monetary costs." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Runescape is a popular online game with some <a " "href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20230329031353/https://www.reddit.com/r/runescape/comments/33cd8g/question_why_is_runescape_so_addicting/\"> " "addictive features</a> derived from <a " "href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#addictiveness\"> behavioral " "manipulation techniques</a>. Certain repetitive aspects of the game, like <a " "href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grinding_(video_games)\"> grinding</a>, " "can be minimised by becoming a paying member, and can thus encourage " "children and impressionable people to spend money on the game." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "<a " "href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/10/nintendo-updates-take-wii-u-hostage-until-you-agree-new-legal-terms\">Nintendo " "remotely sabotaged the Wii U, making it refuse to work unless the user " "agrees to a new EULA</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "We can be quite sure this EULA is unjust because injustice is the only " "motive for imposing an EULA." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Angry Birds <a " "href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/28/world/spy-agencies-scour-phone-apps-for-personal-data.html\"> " "spies for companies, and the NSA takes advantage to spy through it too</a>. " "Here's information on <a " "href=\"http://confabulator.blogspot.com/2012/11/analysis-of-what-information-angry.html\"> " "more spyware apps</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "<a " "href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/spy-agencies-probe-angry-birds-and-other-apps-for-personal-data\"> " "More about NSA app spying</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Some proprietary <a " "href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/19/apple-talking-cats-in-app-purchases\"> " "games lure children to spend their parents' money</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "<a href=\"https://www.defectivebydesign.org/sony\">The Playstation 3 is a " "tyrant</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Sony <a " "href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/sony-steals-feature-from-your-playstation-3\">sabotaged " "the Playstation 3</a> with a firmware downgrade that removed the feature " "that allowed users to run GNU/Linux on it." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Sony subsequently sent police after Geohot, after he cracked the code that " "blocked users from changing the firmware, and we responded by calling for a " "<a href=\"http://boycottsony.org\">boycott of Sony</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "In a court settlement Sony is <a " "href=\"https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/06/if-you-used-to-run-linux-on-your-ps3-you-could-get-55-from-sony/\"> " "now paying for the sabotage</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Blizzard Warden is a hidden “cheating-prevention” program that " "<a " "href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2005/10/new-gaming-feature-spyware\"> " "spies on every process running on a gamer's computer and sniffs a good deal " "of personal data</a>, including lots of activities which have nothing to do " "with cheating." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Use space (SPC) as msgstr if you don't have notes. #. type: Content of: <div><div> msgid "*GNUN-SLOT: TRANSLATOR'S NOTES*" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to <a " "href=\"mailto:gnu@gnu.org\"><gnu@gnu.org></a>. There are also <a " "href=\"/contact/\">other ways to contact</a> the FSF. Broken links and " "other corrections or suggestions can be sent to <a " "href=\"mailto:webmasters@gnu.org\"><webmasters@gnu.org></a>." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph, #. replace it with the translation of these two: # #. We work hard and do our best to provide accurate, good quality #. translations. However, we are not exempt from imperfection. #. Please send your comments and general suggestions in this regard #. to <a href="mailto:web-translators@gnu.org"> # #. <web-translators@gnu.org></a>.</p> # #. <p>For information on coordinating and contributing translations of #. our web pages, see <a #. href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations #. README</a>. #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Please see the <a " "href=\"/server/standards/README.translations.html\">Translations README</a> " "for information on coordinating and contributing translations of this " "article." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "Copyright © 2016-2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "" "This page is licensed under a <a rel=\"license\" " "href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\">Creative Commons " "Attribution 4.0 International License</a>." msgstr "" #. TRANSLATORS: Use space (SPC) as msgstr if you don't want credits. #. type: Content of: <div><div> msgid "*GNUN-SLOT: TRANSLATOR'S CREDITS*" msgstr "" #. timestamp start #. type: Content of: <div><p> msgid "Updated:" msgstr ""