Now if only they could more clearly communicate when games are playable offline.

  • sonymegadrive@feddit.uk
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    7 days ago

    Easy Anti Cheat - requires manual removal

    Wait, so this sketchy, privacy-invading stuff remains even after a game is uninstalled?! I had no idea.

    How is this stuff not classed as malware at this point?

    • sp3tr4l@lemmy.zip
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      6 days ago

      Oh it was initially classed as insanely intrusive malware when kernel level AC was introduced about a decade ago, by anyone with a modicum of actual technical knowledge about computers.

      Unfortunately, a whole lot of corpo shills ran propaganda explaining how actually its fine, don’t worry, its actually the best way to stop cheaters!

      Then the vast, vast majority of idiot gamers believed that, or threw their hands up and went oh well its the new norm, trying to fight it is futile and actually if you are against this that means you are some kind of paranoid privacy freak who hates other people having fun.

    • michaelmrose@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      Do you remember when Sony released cds that when inserted into Windows computer auto ran an installer that installed a rootkit that made it impossible for Windows to see any processes or files that started with a certain sequence of characters instantly turning any malware that named its files or processes similarly powerful rootkit. Oh and it installed a cd driver that made it impossible to copy their music.

      Suggested removal was a full reinstall of windows.

    • Crozekiel@lemmy.zip
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      6 days ago

      I’ve been shouting from the rooftops for years that this stuff is malware. I’m not the only one. No one listens.

    • yamanii@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      Plenty of games use it, if it uninstalled with each one then others would stop working.

      • yeehaw@lemmy.ca
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        4 days ago

        I kind of assumed it would be packaged with each game, a waste of space (but how big could it be?) but leaving a game with anti cheat a global dependency seems like a bad idea.

    • catloaf@lemm.ee
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      6 days ago

      Wikipedia says malware is

      any software intentionally designed to cause disruption to a computer, server, client, or computer network, leak private information, gain unauthorized access to information or systems, deprive access to information, or which unknowingly interferes with the user’s computer security and privacy

      It does not do any of these things. Like any software, it may have vulnerabilities, and being a kernel module it can be high risk. But that’s no different from any kernel module, like your graphics driver.

      • yeehaw@lemmy.ca
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        4 days ago

        It unknowingly interferes with my security or privacy, 100%. It has root access. What’s it doing in there? Nowadays you’re naive to think it’s just to prevent game cheating. I guarantee they’re collecting all kinds of information.

      • michaelmrose@lemmy.world
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        6 days ago

        It’s a much higher risk than average because games are often abandoned within one year of release and still run as long as 10-15 years later and connects to the internet and other randos on the internet. See the Call of Duty games that allow you to take over the computer of anyone who connects to your online match. It greatly degrades the security of its users.

        Technically lots of things people call “malware” don’t actually do any of those things. For instance they may hijack your default search engine, pop up ads, or otherwise monetize your computer at your expense. The category that was invented by ass coverers is “possibly unwanted program” but outside of those who worry about being sued by scumbags people colloquially refer to both what you call malware AND PUPs as "malware the root of which is “bad” after all. Language being descriptive not prescriptive I think this broader definition of malware is fine.

    • mrvictory1@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      EAC installation process includes “registration” of a game, and the uninstall process “unregisters” the game. If all games using EAC are uninstalled, EAC itself also should be uninstalled.

  • vordalack@lemm.ee
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    7 days ago

    Any program having kernel level access is spyware. This is getting ridiculous.

  • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
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    6 days ago

    I wonder if you phrased it the way the Play store does: This game wants permission to:

    • send SMS messages
    • make calls
    • know your location
    • stalk your family
    • raid your fridge
    • access, read and upload files
    • manage and add contacts
    • cup your balls
    • go through your trash
    • irritate your boss

    etc.

    Think anyone would install them?

  • ThermonuclearCactus@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    6 days ago

    I bought Sea of Thieves about 5 years ago. Recently, they added kernal-level anticheat (which does precisely fuck-all to actually stop cheating). While that is annoying, I’m not particularly worried because the studio that makes that game is owned by Microsoft, and like all Microsoft products, it was banished to my windows partition with the rest of the spyware.

    • MoonHawk@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      Well… kernel level software can access everything on your computer. That includes other partitions and unmounted drives

  • MyNameIsAtticus@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    This will be helpful for discerning if a game can run on the Steam Deck. There’s not many games that don’t have verification (Either by Valve or ProtonDB) but for newer games with anticheat it will serve as a good rule of thumb i imagine

    • yeehaw@lemmy.ca
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      5 days ago

      Lots of games with anti cheat auto work under wine/proton. The most on top of my head example is Elden ring. Runs fine on my desktop with arch, as well as my steam deck.

    • ampersandrew@lemmy.worldOP
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      6 days ago

      It does prevent Linux compatibility, but even if it didn’t, it’s a computer security problem, for those who care. You’re essentially allowing different game companies to install a rootkit on your computer so you can play a video game.

    • trigonated@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      Mostly, and even some Windows users don’t want to install software that has such a great amount of permission over the entire system just for a game’s anti-cheat.

      It’s nice that users can now know beforehand if a game uses such software. Avoids refunds.

    • michaelmrose@lemmy.world
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      No its common for anti-cheat on Windows to have full root permission to your entire system Windows users are just on average less intelligent, less concerned about privacy, and, more ignorant about technology. This doesn’t mean using Windows makes you stupid its just the OS of choice for the stupid and ignorant.

        • michaelmrose@lemmy.world
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          6 days ago

          Ad hominem isn’t when you insult people AND make an argument its when you insult people INSTEAD of making an argument.

          User initially believes that this is only a Linux issue because its almost entirely discussed on forums frequented by technical people who often use Linux whereas forums full of Windows gamers are equally effected but ignorant of the topic.

  • Maxxie@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    7 days ago

    I imagine the alternative way to combat kernel-level cheats would be asking player for all his game state data, validating it on a server?

    Wouldn’t work on peer-to-peer and you’d have to do a bunch of unnecessary compute(recalculating every tick if player-generated data is possible according to game rules) but its the only way I can think of.

    • bitwolf@lemmy.one
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      7 days ago

      Or bring server browsers back and let server mods handle it.

      I’ve rarely, if ever, had a bad time using a server browser.

      A more modern idea. Put all the chesters into the same lobbies through matchmaking

    • levzzz@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      Most games already do this lol Cheats usually don’t do anything that is technically impossible to do on a vanilla client, just highly improbable

      • Maxxie@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        7 days ago

        Don’t tell the client what’s going on outside its vision, I suppose? Add a small buffer to compensate for latency, so wall hack would be more of a “corner hack”.

        • DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world
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          I mean sure, that is how some (mostly strategy and tactical) games do it, but for an FPS, figuring out where the buffer should be would be a programmers nightmare. I guess you would have to try to calculate all possible lines of sights a player could have within some buffer time (100-1000ms) and then all players that could in theory enter them… Add physics and it is practically impossible.

          Also, corner hack is useful enough and it does not address aimbot. IMO the answer is some combination of human moderation and ability to play with “friends” instead of randos. E.g. you could ask people to like or dislike a player at the end of a match and try to pair players that liked each other in the past.

  • schizo@forum.uncomfortable.business
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    7 days ago

    Ooh and it’s a giant yellow banner you probably won’t miss, and not some two-shades-ligher-than-the-background nonsense.

    Good job, Valve.

    • Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca
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      7 days ago

      If only they let you filter out games from being seen on your store page or showing up in recommendations using this as a criteria.

    • saltesc@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      They do this with Early Access and people still lose their shit about empty content and unfinished graphics in a game they paid $10 for.

    • ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca
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      7 days ago

      Gamers don’t care

      If Valve was against this then they would block them from their store. This is avoiding legal consequences

      • Harvey656@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        I’m a gamer, and absolutely fuck these damn things. I still haven’t bought helldivers 2 yet. I refuse to compromise my system for their issues.

        • mrvictory1@lemmy.world
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          6 days ago

          If kernel level AC is a concern, you can play the game on Linux where “kernel” level AC runs at user level thru Wine