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   Could this be the beginning of the end for the Battlefield series? From all the negative feedbak the Battlefield 2142 demo has been getting, not to mention the recent EA-DICE dealings, it certainly seems possible. And the fact that Electronic Arts released both the "final" version of Battlefield 2142 today, as well as the first patch, doesn't make things any better. But that's not all!

   Even more concerning is the inclusion of in-game advertising thorough a dubious system powered by IGA Worldwide. The European version of Battlefield 2142 includes a flyer stating that this technology "may record your Internet Protocol address and other anonymous information. To what purpose? Supposedly to enable "the presentation and measurements of in-game advertisements and other in-game objects which are uploaded temporarily to your personal computer or game console and changed during online gameplay". Well that sounds confusing enough, so here's another question: where is this info being sent to?

   Although the exact location might not be relevant, what is relevant is that the collected data is being sent outside of the European Union. That would be the same European Union that clearly legislates against user information being sent outside of the EU without prior permission. So I guess you're automatically giving your permission by installing the game, huh? This in-game ad technology may not "spyware" per se, but it's definitely *something*. And it's nasty.

   If you're still feeling safe about it, you should at least get a hold of the first BF2142 patch (v1.01), which fixes a client-side crash on Titan mode. Also, you can grab an unranked server for the game from EA's FTP directory.

   Last, and by all means least, today we have the final Battlefield 2142 launch trailer, sporting some three minutes of deceiving in-game in-engine scenes.