Did you notice the new terms of service agreement for Apple Game Center this week? For me, it popped up when I launched Angry Birds Seasons, and it connected the game to my Game Center account. Like most, I just scrolled down to the bottom without reading it and clicked Accept. Well, it turns out that there’s a significant change in the TOS that you should be aware of.
When you send a friend request to another person, that individual will be able to see your real name associated with your account, as well as your gamer tag. Previously, you would only see the gamer tag of the person requesting your friendship. This change affects only the request, and once you have accepted or rejected the request, you will only see the gamer tag and not the full name. This also applies to individuals you have already added to your friend list—you can only see their gamer tags.
The terms of service agreement indicates that this move was made to prevent people from falsely representing themselves or from posing as another individual.
Earlier this year, gaming giant Blizzard tried to implement a real name policy on its users on the Battle.net forums. Blizzard subsequently backed down from its plans following a huge outcry and backlash.
The case for online nicknames on forums like Battle.net is stronger than for something like Apple’s Game Center. I mean how can you be a troll when everyone knows who you are? In a forum, your online identity engages with other users in conversation and dialog, constructive or otherwise, whereas in Game Center it’s mostly a passive interaction with ranking systems and achievements. And the real name only appears once, during the request.
What do you think? Is it a privacy violation, or a fair security measure? Do you even use Game Center? Let us know in the comments below!
Article Via Gamasutra
