Video gamers are very protective of certain things within the titles they play. It’s one of the ways they stay “active” and ensure that the developers and publishers don’t try to pull a fast one while someone isn’t looking. They still try, sometimes, but gamers let them have it when they do. For example, Borderlands 4 launched today on console and PC, and there was some speculation that it might have spyware based on a certain policy that their bosses over at Take-Two Interactive may have. So, what did Gearbox Software do? They went to the Steam Community page and laid out what was really going on:
“We know there have been some concerns from fans about Take-Two’s Terms of Service. Maintaining transparency and confidence with the community here is always our goal, and we wanted to address some of these concerns.
Take-Two does not use spyware in its games. Take-Two’s Privacy Policy applies to all labels, studios, games, and services across all media and platform types such as console, PC, mobile app, and website. The Privacy Policy identifies the data activities that may be collected but this does not mean that every example is collected in each game or service.”
In other words, no, they aren’t spying on you. We do understand the fear that some people had in dealing with this, as there have been attempts by certain companies to use basic devices to try and get key information and then sell it or use it to their advantage, so it’s natural to NOT want that to happen in the video games you’re playing. But, again, Gearbox shut that down by being clear about what the policy is about:
“For example, player and device identifiers are collected in part to ensure the game is compatible with each player’s media, platform or website browser type. It allows us to better understand how players play games, and to personalize the user experience (like having usernames show up!). Account credentials are collected from users who choose to create accounts with Take-Two and its labels.”
So, yeah, you’re all good, and you have nothing to fear from playing Borderlands 4, outside of the game possibly not playing well for you, especially if you have the PC version. If you haven’t seen the Steam reviews, they’re currently at “Mixed,” which is not a rating you want to have on launch day.
But, at least you won’t have to worry about them spying on you!
