steven36 Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 Several gaming companies have announced plans to remove support for an analytics app they have bundled with their games. The decision to remove the app came after several Reddit and Steam users noticed that many game publishers have recently embedded a controversial analytics SDK (software development kit) part of recent updates to their games. Games rally against RedShell usage The program bundled with all these games, and at the heart of all the recent controversy is RedShell, an analytics package provided by Innervate, Inc., to game publishers. Game makers are supposed to embed this SDK within their games and run social marketing programs with specific affiliate IDs. If a new user buys and installs a game via one of these campaigns, the RedShell SDK embedded in the game pings back the publishers about the source of the new install. But in several recent online discussions, users are complaining that besides logging the source of a new game install, the app also creates fingerprints for each gamer, with information about their online personas and gaming rigs. Furthermore, many game studios have not told users that this SDK is now part of their games, or if they did, they made it an opt-out package instead of opt-in, as most privacy laws across the globe dictate. Angry gamers file complaints with game makers For the past two weeks, gamers have been spending their time digging through their games' files looking for the presence of RedShell files and processes, and then filing official complaints with the game publishers via online forums, Reddit, Steam, or official websites. Following this concentrated effort from the online gaming community, many gaming studios have responded to criticism and have removed or pledged to remove RedShell from their products. At the time of this article's publication, this is the status of games running RedShell and studios that promised to remove it. As this article ages, you'll be able to get an updated list of games running Redshell via this Google Docs spreadsheet or this Reddit thread. Games who used Redshell which removed or pledged to remove it (as of 16.06.2018): Quote Elder Scrolls Online (Pledged to remove it) Conan Exiles (Pledged to remove it) Ylands (Pledged to remove it) Holy Potatoes! We’re in Space?! (Pledged to remove it) All Total War games, (Pledged to remove it) Warhammer: Vermintide II, (Pledged to remove it) Warhammer: Vermintide I, (might get removed also?) My Time At Portia, (Pledged to remove it) Dead by Daylight, (Pledged to remove it) Battlerite, (Pledged to remove it) AER Memories of Old, (Pledged to remove it) Magic the Gathering Arena (closed beta & not on Steam), (Pledged to remove it for now) Secret World Legends (Pledged to remove remains of it) Hunt: Showdown (Pledged to remove it) Escapists 2 (Pledged to remove it) Omensight (Pledged to remove it) Games still using Redshell according to community reports (as of 16.06.2018): Quote Civilization VI, Kerbal Space Program, Guardians of Ember, The Onion Knights, Realm Grinder, Heroine Anthem Zero, Warhammer 40k Eternal Crusade, Krosmaga Eternal Card Game Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 Astro Boy: Edge of Time Ballistic Overkill Cabals: Card Blitz CityBattle | Virtual Earth Desolate Doodle God Doodle God Blitz Dungeon Rushers Labyrinth My Free Farm 2 NosTale RockShot Shadowverse SOS & SOS Classic SoulWorker Stonies Tales from Candlekeep: Tomb of Annihilation War Robots Survived By Injustice 2 The Wild Eight Yoku's Island Express Raging Justice Warriors: Rise to Glory! Trailmakers Clone Drone in the Danger Zone Vaporum Robothorium League of Pirates Doodle God: Genesis Secrets Source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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