Always Watching: HI-Rez violates user privacy, breaks their own EULA
Well this couldn't possibly have come at a worse time for HI-Rez. Currently, the whole world is in a heightened state of alarm concerning agencies monitoring and collecting data on them. So the recent discovery of unauthorized monitoring by HI-Rez is at the very least a terrible headline to have at the moment.
According to a user named FAERayo, HI-Rez has stepped out of the boundaries set in place by its own EULA. In the EULA HI-Rez states it may only monitor the computer while the game is running, during which it collects data regarding your use and play of the product. Mostly, the monitoring software is used to spot hacks and ban the offenders IP. However, FAERayo has discovered evidence that shows the program runs from the moment your computer boots and scans for blacklisted software until you shut it down. The process info is hidden and cannot be stopped from the launcher.
FAERayo has even provided video evidence (found below) that shows running blacklist software while a HI-Rez game is closed will ban your IP from all HI-Rez official servers. Of course cheating is wrong and doing so deserves a ban, but what programs you run outside of using HI-Rez products isn't their business. According to FAERayo, HI-Rez has largely ignored his requests for a straightforward response on the issue.
A word to the wise, the Reddit thread contains directions on how to replicate the steps from the video. By doing so you will ban your IP permanently from HI-Rez games which obviously may not be the greatest thing to do, or maybe it would.
We have reached out to HI-Rez for further comment.
EDIT: Todd Harris, HI-Rez COO has responded to me via email:
Thanks for reaching out for comment.
HiPatchService is actually part of our product. It performs several functions, the most obvious one being patching the game with updates for users who desire that. Therefore it does run in the background in order to check for patches from the server. But users can easily disable the background loading functionality via the Options tab. Or they can simply disable that HiPatchService process entirely until they want to start our game.
We made it very obvious in the EULA that blacklisted software should not be used if you want to play Hi-Rez games.
In our EULA, players accept monitoring by the "Software Product" which includes the game client itself as well as supporting programs like HiPatchService.
In our EULA, players also explicitly agree that they will not "under any circumstances... use automation software (bots), hacks, mods or any other unauthorized third-party software"
Our overall policy against cheating and blacklisted software is also consistent with other online game providers such as Steam.
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Michael Dunaway has been part of the MMOBomb team for years and has covered practically every major Free-to-Play MMO title since 2009.
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they gave almost no response to that, their official site and forums they also don't even talk about it... and is even worse to see that the video was removed, leading us to believe that they have something to hide
really sad, I believed that they were a good company, but this changed my mind, and researching more, found out that they won't make content for tribes for at least 6 months because the devs are giving priority to smite (that also seems that they are starting to neglect the game)
well, I won't touch in a Hi-rez game anymore
I know some games also require you to open up their "launcher", if you close it, it closes your game (there's a work around tho)
And wasn't this type of functions already inside those "anti-hack" programs game's uses?
IE: Hackshield, it will not let you run the game or will close the game by itself if it detect a "hack"... yes, even anti-virus sometimes triggers it.
We're talking Hi-Rez here, haven't you seen what they did with Tribes?
The company makes decent games but they are ethically and morally unstable. That's reason enough for me to not play any of their games.
1) CTRL+ALT+DEL > task manager > click the services tab > click the "name" heading > scroll down to "HiPatchService" > right click "HiPatchService" > click "stop service".
2) Start > type "services.msc" in "search programs and files" > click the "name" heading > scroll to "Hi-Rez Studios Authenticate and Update Service" > right click and click "Properties" > set "Startup Type" to manual.
If you don't want this service to run on your computer when you're not playing, you will have to repeat step 1 every time you close the game.
Step 2 stops the service from automatically starting when you boot up your computer.
This will in no way impede your ability to play or update the game.
Again, they are bunch of stupid idiots. Its my freaking PC , i will do what i want when i want, how ever i want. Its non of their f***ing business unless it involves anything with their crap.
Should be freaking sued for breaking EULA and cheating players !
But yes... This is stupid, I want to cheat on offline games like civilization 5 (Yeah im noob... don't judge me). With cheat engine, just to get banned from a game im loyal to... (don't play smite though, but if it was LOL, that's a diffrent story).
Glad i dont play those crappy games.