Activision Asks for Credit Card Numbers for "M" Rated Product Pages

[agentgray]

Gamecloud is reporting (http://www.gamecloud.com/article.php?article_id=1844) that major publisher Activision is asking gamers to verify their age before going onto their websites which feature "M" rated games. How? With your credit card (Thanks slashdot (http://slashdot.org/) for the info.).

Asking for a credit card number, even if that the message says it will not be charged, brings up some very serious questions. Why is Activision asking for credit card numbers to access product pages that promote "M" rated games when the ESRB and every other publisher only use the required "age gate"?
A credit card?! To access a mediocre site for a mediocre game? I'll pass.

[TheKeck]

While I DOUBT that they'd do anything dubious with all those credit card numbers, that just seems a little too sketchy.

[madmossy]

LoL thats rediculous, im 26 and do not own a credit card because i choose not to, but hey if activision wants to alienate its customers but requesting rediculous things like that and loosing possible customers, let em do it.

[TheKeck]

LoL thats rediculous, im 26 and do not own a credit card because i choose not to, but hey if activision wants to alienate its customers but requesting rediculous things like that and loosing possible customers, let em do it.

Do you not have any kind of ATM or debit card or anything? (That's cool if you don't, but I'm sure those would work if you do. (Not that you'd want to, but I'm just saying. (How is this for confusing?)))

[vladthedog]

this is asinine... i know a few people who are in their 20's w/o a single credit card to their name (although, if a bank atm card works.... then i had one of those when i was 15....... so.... ya...).. and, really, how hard is it to swipe your parents credit card just to enter info into a homepage? it's not like there will be any incriminating charges (well, hopefully ;))...

[Taco]

That's great. I have a credit card, but I'm not entering it anywhere unless I'm purchasing something.

[Evil Avatar]

Activision has been doing this with M rated demos since before 2002. It isn't really anything new, they just added it to M rated game sites as well as demos.

They don't do anything with the information and it isn't saved anywhere.

[Zeal]

Hilarious.

[Thenetcase]

this is asinine... i know a few people who are in their 20's w/o a single credit card to their name (although, if a bank atm card works.... then i had one of those when i was 15....... so.... ya...).. and, really, how hard is it to swipe your parents credit card just to enter info into a homepage? it's not like there will be any incriminating charges (well, hopefully ;))...

Well if you're under 18.... There's no federal charge against you. It's only a felony if you're over 18. Weird, huh? But you can be charged as a juvinile and sentensed to house arrest (which basically means more gaming, so who cares, right?).

Anyways... This IS asinine. I know people who don't even have bank accounts who are over 18 (Which is stupid, but still).
I wonder if it ever occurred to them that the way adults sites do it, with the warnings and the agreement buttons, would remove legal obligation? Hmm... why are they policing us? That's not their frigging job.

Oh well....

-TnC-

[Everlost_MI]

Do you not have any kind of ATM or debit card or anything? (That's cool if you don't, but I'm sure those would work if you do. (Not that you'd want to, but I'm just saying. (How is this for confusing?)))

Just as an FYI, I would highly recommend NOT using a debit card for any online purchases. I work for a financial institution and our collection/fraud department gets at least three reports of debit card theft a week. That card is typically tied into your checking where your house payment and such comes out of. Sure, you'll get your money back but only after a few days and by then how many legitimate purchases or checks have tried clear and end up bouncing? The best bet is always a credit card, if the number is stolen then they are taking away your purchasing power until the matter is disputed, not your money.

[Zurik]

You guys got it all wrong, they're not going to be taking any money. They'll be putting money on your credit card for suffering through their games!

[TheKeck]

Just as an FYI, I would highly recommend NOT using a debit card for any online purchases. I work for a financial institution and our collection/fraud department gets at least three reports of debit card theft a week. That card is typically tied into your checking where your house payment and such comes out of. Sure, you'll get your money back but only after a few days and by then how many legitimate purchases or checks have tried clear and end up bouncing? The best bet is always a credit card, if the number is stolen then they are taking away your purchasing power until the matter is disputed, not your money.

Hmmmmm.... well chalk me up as another guy without a credit card. (Well, at least a "pure" credit card. I have one, but it doubles as my debit card.) I guess I'll have to be extra careful with my online purchases. :(

[nonchalance]

Their call. Just means I'm not going to visit any of their M-rated game sites.

[TheKeck]

Their call. Just means I'm not going to visit any of their M-rated game sites.

How many people here have actually BEEN to an official M-rated Activision game's website? As I think about it.... I never have. Don't think so, anyway.

[Worldcrafter]

(That's cool if you don't, but I'm sure those would work if you do. (Not that you'd want to, but I'm just saying. (How is this for confusing?)))

Confusing? Phfff! I've had to program in scheme before. I no longer fear nested parenthesis.

[DoubleUranium]

They must think we really, really want to see their game site. I'd lose interest immediately once that CC dialog pops up.

[TheKeck]

Confusing? Phfff! I've had to program in scheme before. I no longer fear nested parenthesis.

Nooo!!! Don't even mention scheme!!! The horrible horrible memories!! :eek:

[Murmillo]

Scheme is awsome!. If you like going stark crazy!. muhaa haaa haaa!

[LilAbner]

LoL thats rediculous, im 26 and do not own a credit card because i choose not to, but hey if activision wants to alienate its customers but requesting rediculous things like that and loosing possible customers, let em do it.

So I guess you're not into building credit, eh? Even if you hate credit cards (and who doesn't?), it's good to have one for building credit and emergencies. But that's just me.....

[emperordahc]

Yea, never use Debit Cards for online. Credit cards only. You can dispute purchases w/ credit cards.

Verify w/ my credit card? Hum... how about I just not visit your site?

[bgivnin]

If you enter a fake cc number, or not all the digits, you get taken to a page that says:

"Sorry, but you are not eligible to view or download this content at this time. Activision is committed to providing the best entertainment in a secure online environment. Please see our privacy policy for more information."

I can't find a way to get back to the verification page though. I wonder if I clear out my cookies if it'd reset. (EDIT: Nope... cleared the Activision cookies and I still can't get back to the verification page. Oh well.)

Also, they say that they use a credit card to verify your age. There are lots of other ways to verify your age other than entering a credit card number. Just because Activision has been doing this for years doesn't make it okay.

Also, one of their last lines says:

" However, you do not need to provide personal information to Activision in order to use our Web site"

Oh, I'm sorry... I can't get to the Doom 3 Xbox page because I didn't give you a valid credit card number. So much for not needing to provide personal info to access your website.

[Thenetcase]

So I guess you're not into building credit, eh? Even if you hate credit cards (and who doesn't?), it's good to have one for building credit and emergencies. But that's just me.....

I was building credit long before I had a real credit card. You don't need a credit card to build credit. lol

-TNC-

[MasterKwan]

If I absolutely HAD to get on one of their web sites, I'd just get a card number generator and make them up. CC numbers have built in (though weak) self checking so, it's pretty easy to determine if a number is completely random or not. Do they ask for the CIV code too? That's the 3 digit card on the back of the card. These days, without the CIV it's hard to process a card online.

I have an "online only" CC that I use for all online purchases. Easy to keep track of, easy to dump if someone gets the number, without affecting my other cards.

[jacob.armitage]

all you have to do is ctrl-click to get past it.

[omnithrope]

I worked for a LARGE cc company in the US for quit a while. One thing I learned? NEVER give out your cc number frivolously.

Sorry, Activision. Guess I won't be viewing your advertisements.

[Grimgrock]

While I do all my online banking and any transactions on my Powerbook, I would *never* enter a CC number just to access an online site. Activision is shooting themselves in the foot with this move. There are other ways to verify age. Back in the early 90s (or late 80s) there was a game called Leisure Suit Larry. By today's standards and graphics, the game would likely receive an "M" rating. Back then, to verify your age, when you started a game it would simply ask questions that only someone of a legal age group would know the answer to (there was no "widespread internet" yet). Based on the number of questions you answered correctly, the game would adjust its ...output. Seemed like it worked just fine for Sierra at the time. Of course, many things have changed since then.

Now that Activision is asking for a CC number to access their "M" rated content, I guess they won't be distributing any marketing materials on *any* Web sites, *any* magazines, and so forth. No demos on Fileplanet. No reviews of their games (containing evil, nasty, "M" rated screenshots on gamespot (or gamestop). Nothing off their site where they can "control" who sees the content for their "M" rated games.

[Kelegacy]

If i want to check out an Activision game online, I'll go to Gamespot.

This is getting out of hand. Age verification for movie websites doesn't exist, does it? Jeez, not even beer sites ask for credit cards, just your birthdate and that is easily flubbed.

File this under dumb. Unless of course there is some serious tit and ass on that page, and then it had better be full on sphincter, or no credit card for me.

[Heretic Machine]

Wooh, I really wanted to go see some Activision games too. Because they are so good. Like Ultimate Spider-man...

[Orphiuchus]

Wow, lets just try to make stealing credit card numbers as easy as possible. Check the URL you click on guys, because this one is going to get abused.

[zapata666]

Its only on the American site. I went to their Australian (Asia/Pacific rather) site and all I had to do was enter my date of birth once I got to the Doom 3 site.

[nonchalance]

Uh, zapata?

I just went to www.activision.com.au, clicked the Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil link on the front page, and it gave me the credit card check popup.

[Grimgrock]

For what it's worth (not to take back anything I said previous) I just went to www.doom3.com and all it asked for was my birthdate. Has this CC check been implemented yet? I doubt the fact that I'm using Firefox has anything to do with it this time.

However, I went the site ( www.activision.com.au) and clicked on Doom: Resurrection of Evil and it did ask me for it. Odd inconsistancy.

[Magnanimous Gnome]

This kind of stuff is silly. I've noticed a lot of game sites ask for my DOB before letting me getting movies of M rated games and the like. Just one more hassle on already hassle-filled gaming websites.

I miss the old days of the net. :(

On another note - I have a debit card that I sometimes use for online purchases. You guys warning against this must bank at some horrid place like Wells Fargo. My awesome bank noticed the theft before I did, called me, and promptly removed the charges and re-issued me a new card number. They also alerted the FBI so that the guy could be monitored and possibly prosecuted. I love my bank. :D