Game Center terms of service updated, real names shared on invitation
Apple has quietly tweaked the Game Center terms of service to add in the rule that whenever you first invite a friend to join your friends list in the gaming social network app, your real first and last names (as entered in your iTunes account) are shown to them. You still use a nickname as a full ID (and Game Center will still show your nickname when you log in to browse achievements or see what people are playing), but when you first "friend" someone, they get to see your real name.
Apple has been able to get away with this one somehow -- the iTunes-based Ping social network also makes liberal use of the real name associated with an Apple account when adding friends, but for some reason nobody has made too much of a fuss about it. Consider Apple lucky -- when Blizzard Entertainment tried to require real names to be shared on their World of Warcraft forums, their community raised such a clamor that they had to back down and keep the forums anonymous.
But Apple hasn't had that problem, either because the audiences are different, or just because people don't care so much about anonymity among their Game Center or Ping friends. We'll have to see how the community responds to a change like this.
Share
Apple has quietly tweaked the Game Center terms of service to add in the rule that whenever you first invite a friend to join your friends...
Add a Comment
I too do not us ping due to it using my real name, I will now no longer use game centre.
December 01 2010 at 8:49 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI use my real name on most sites anyway, or at least I'm slowly switching over to using it from my old nickname. It's not like I'm the only Mike Beasley in the world.
December 01 2010 at 12:02 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyNote with blizzard's system anyone can see their friend's friends, as in their friend's friends real names. So while I may be happy to let Bob know my name, but I don't know who Bob's friends are.
Other people may have other issues with it, but for me it is just the lack of control on who gets to see my name.
(some of the issues others have is they like to be able to play on another server to get away from "friends" that are too clingy from time to time...others don't want anyone to know their real names...others fear that being know as a "WoW player" may hurt them at work...and so on)
I stopped using the WoW forums, because I am afraid that a potential employer looking for info for me on the Internet might see that I 'waste time' playing online games. This is a real concern, especially since I work in leadership positions.
For the same reason, no Ping or Game Center for me.
I don't even do Facebook. When you 'Google' me, all that comes up is my Linkedin profile. First hit.
I wish I could see my friends' real names on my friends list in Game Center. Some of them use the most obscure names, and I have no idea who they are. This kind of defeats the fun in multiplayer gaming. "Oh, I was playing against my good friend the whole time (i.e. Warlock1772) and I had no idea!"
November 30 2010 at 5:33 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWouldn't your "good friend" make himself/herself known to you if they wanted to?
Some of us value our anonymity, and if Apple doesn't back away from this I will stop using their service, which is a shame since I like it and its close integration with the OS. Unfortunately, I value my privacy more.
What's the point of the "Report a problem" button if not to cut down on poor behaviour? Why should I need to give up my privacy too?
Never understood the fear of people not using their real name.
November 30 2010 at 5:05 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThe problem stems from changing from one thing to another. Facebook has my real name and information, but it always had that from the start with the intent on sharing it with people I knew. That's the point of Facebook.
When a service like Ping, it retroactively goes back and changes everything you ever posted in iTunes under your nickname to your real name. Suddenly, you're exposing your personal information to strangers who previously only had a nickname. The same could be said about Game Center - you added several "friends" that you met randomly in these games under the assumption that they only have your nickname. Now, it appears they have your full name as well.
Either use our real names from the start or don't use them at all. It scares me how liberal Facebook's use of my information is, but it scares me more that a company like Apple is getting a pass on this issue.
I don't use Ping either and haven't added anyone on Gamecenter. Now I know I won't turn anything on if Apple decides it needs to give out our names. I get enough trolls as it is without them knowing my name.
November 30 2010 at 5:00 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI canceled Ping after I noticed that it changed all of my App Store Reviews from my nickname to my Real Name.
November 30 2010 at 5:00 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI don't even have friends on GameCenter.
Not that I'm a loner, it's just that I don't know anyone with an iPhone that has bothered to upgrade their firmware to 4.1, buy games that are compatible, and set up GameCenter.
There hasn't been any clamour because no one uses their social networking services. I quit Ping after it displayed my real name (Billing name!) to the world.
I might do the same with Game Center now.
This is precisely why I didn't use Ping, and why I won't use Game Center anymore.
November 30 2010 at 4:49 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyDeals of the Day
more deals- Apple iPod nano Multi-Touch 8GB MP3 Player for $100 + $8 s&h
- Cases for New iPad at HandHeldItems: Extra 20% off, $2 credit, from $3 + $3 s&h
- $15 Apple iTunes Gift Card for $8 for new Saveology customers
- Retro 80's Case for iPhone for $11 + $2 s&h
- HHI 360 Dual-View Stand Case for new iPad w/ $2 credit for $12 + $3 s&h
- HHI ReElegant Smart Cover Companion Case for new iPad from $5 + $3 s&h
Software Updates
more updatesFeatured Stories
more stories
Popular Stories
TUAW (or The Unofficial Apple Weblog) is a website devoted to tips, reviews, news, analysis and opinion on everything Apple.
14 Comments