A provocative video on YouTube has sparked a minor wave of Steam review bombing directed at the Borderlands series. In March, a YouTuber, named Hellfire, released a video entitled “Take Two Spies on Borderlands Players,” highlighting discrepancies between the original end-user license agreements (EULAs) of the game and a newly applied one from Take-Two that affects all its titles.
While a careful examination of EULAs is crucial due to potentially objectionable terms, it’s equally true that internet culture often reacts excessively to standard terms and conditions. Much of Hellfire’s 16-minute discourse focuses on elements that, upon closer inspection, may not be as alarming as they first appear.
Hellfire’s primary complaint revolves around the updated Take-Two EULA granting the company access to players’ personal data, including names, usernames, phone numbers, IP addresses, and operating systems. Such disclosure is no different from standard information usually shared when users sign up for a Shift account.
Additionally, there’s concern regarding a clause that discourages the use of mods and exploits through the EULA, which Hellfire claims could threaten modding communities. However, it’s premature to conclude that this will lead to aggressive crackdowns on harmless mod usage.
The review bombing trend stemmed from a follow-up video by Hellfire in April that gained nearly 500,000 views, although it lacked more substantial arguments than the initial video.
Thus, a misleading video has initiated a game of telephone across social media regarding the EULA updates, resulting in a flurry of negative Steam reviews that have since waned. Allegations are also being circulated about Take-Two potentially deploying kernel-level anticheat technology aimed at harvesting player data, yet no evidence suggests this could be implemented.
In sum, while it’s essential to scrutinize the terms posed by major corporations like Take-Two, the specific issues at hand lack clear justification. This episode serves as a reminder that Steam review bombing can manifest as a tool for either legitimate protest or misdirected outrage.
