US Army threatening cheaters at americas army

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - US Army threatening cheaters at americas army

Posted: 1/13/2005 11:48:54 AM EDT

Hack America's Army; Get Taken Out. Literally

January 12, 2005 - Phil DeLuca, Executive Producer of America's Army posted on the official forums warning hackers to stay away from the US Army's online war game:
By the way, there's something to consider in that statement that gets missed time and again: we took notice. By we, I mean the entire AA team. That includes Public Applications, Government Applications, Ignited Minds, everyone associated with the development of the project - and the United States Army.
That last fact should give some of the bad guys pause, and yet it hasn't. Some of you (and clearly the bad guys are among them) don't always remember that this game, and all accounts and derivative products, are the property of the United States Army. When you tamper with the game, not only are you breaking the EULA you're misusing Army property - and, worse, you're misusing US Army computer programs and equipment.

Tampering with software and servers owned or used by the Army is cyber crime.

In the early 1940's, Japan learned an important lesson - "let the sleeping giant lie." We may not react swiftly, but when we do it's with unstoppable force. The Army has partners that deal with cyber crime as a matter of course. These include not just various Army IT departments, but also the Department of Justice, the Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

It's going to get uncomfortable for some of the bad guys, but you know what? They brought it on themselves. Knowing this anyone who continues to be bad is just plain foolish. Keep trying, though. Sooner or later the bad guy will realize we've known about him for a while... and by then it's too late.

Allow me to speak directly to the bad guys for a moment: When you get banned, know that we know and have records showing you were doing something that's a violation of terms of service, breaks your EULA, and also happens to be against the law. We know who you are, and can track down where you play from. We have incontrovertible proof you did something illegal. The Army is angry, and we're coming for you.

I can't wait until they start sending the Military Police to people's houses on CNN showing the arrests. Thanks Slashdot.
-- Robert 'Apache' Howarth

Posted: 1/13/2005 11:50:35 AM EDT

[#1]

When you tamper with the game, not only are you breaking the EULA you're misusing Army property - and, worse, you're misusing US Army computer programs and equipment.

Owned.

Kharn

Posted: 1/13/2005 11:52:00 AM EDT

[#2]

The US Army will never send MPs to stop cheaters on a video game. We don't have enough of them, for one, and MPs may suck, but even they probably wouldn't stoop so low.

JMHO.

Posted: 1/13/2005 11:53:42 AM EDT

[#3]

What are they gonna do, make cheaters enlist?

Posted: 1/13/2005 11:54:43 AM EDT

[#4]

So yeah. If you're really good at the game are they going to try to recruit you?

Posted: 1/13/2005 11:55:46 AM EDT

[#5]

On one hand it's a funny situation...

But on the other hand, are my tax dollars being used to make video games and now punish cheaters of the game???

Recruiting efforts are one thing, but how many of these cyber-geeks are actually going to enlist because of a video game? My guess is not many.

Posted: 1/13/2005 11:58:00 AM EDT

[#6]

Posted: 1/13/2005 12:02:39 PM EDT

[#7]

The AA servers are actually hosted at a commercial site.

AA was a spectacular sucess from a recuriting standpoint. Surveys at the time it came out asked people in the target demographic what they thought about the US Army. Of those with a positive impression, thhe #1 reason was the army's performance in Afghanistan and Iraq. #2 was AA. #3 was all other advertising and promotion by the army: TV commercials, sponsorship of NASCAR, etc. Total cost for developing the game was on par with a couple superbowl adverts.

Posted: 1/13/2005 12:05:13 PM EDT

[#8]

I can say this without hesitation: It's the cheaters who are helping to destroy the best (IMO) FPS game ever devised. Sad, really.

Posted: 1/13/2005 12:05:16 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
The AA servers are actually hosted at a commercial site.

AA was a spectacular sucess from a recuriting standpoint. Surveys at the time it came out asked people in the target demographic what they thought about the US Army. Of those with a positive impression, thhe #1 reason was the army's performance in Afghanistan and Iraq. #2 was AA. #3 was all other advertising and promotion by the army: TV commercials, sponsorship of NASCAR, etc. Total cost for developing the game was on par with a couple superbowl adverts.

Oh well, if it works I can live with it.

Still seems a little strange, but I guess kids are different these days.

Posted: 1/13/2005 1:11:37 PM EDT

[#10]

They don't need the army, just me! Gimmie the list of these punks houses and i'll kick all their 14 YO asses to kingdom come! They have totally ruined online gaming! I loved counter strike till it became infested with 'super players' I mean come on cheat on your taxes and on your girl but not on online games! it's a totally useless endeavor that just ruins it for everyone. Thanks punks for making me sound like some old person who's whining

Posted: 1/13/2005 1:17:43 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

Posted: 1/13/2005 1:20:03 PM EDT

[#12]

Hopefully they burn a few people for it to cut down on cheating.

Posted: 1/13/2005 1:27:55 PM EDT

[#13]

It woudl be sweet if they did do something. I play that game alot. And cheaters suck. Though the servers I haunt usually have pro-active clan admins that keep it to a minimum.

Posted: 1/13/2005 1:29:25 PM EDT

[#14]

AA has turned out to be a good recruitment aid.

You have to sign up for an account to play. Most kids plugged in their real info.

Instant future requitment list.

They play the game which is really nothing more then a filter.

They turn 18 and the phone rings.

Posted: 1/13/2005 1:55:39 PM EDT

[#15]

The primary objective of the game was "strategic communications". A lot of kids these days don't have any close relatives that were in the army, and don't know what to expect from boot camp. They army was trying to get across its core values of courage and commitment, and remove some of the mystery about what they could expect in training. You can do that uniquely well in a game, but it's much harder to do that in a 30 second ad that's sandwiched between beer commercials.

You'll notice that in the game you don't get to just pick up a sniper rifle and go to work. you have to go through training first.

Since the kids were often minors they had to be careful about collecting marketing information. The big brother aspects of it were always overblown. Though they did want kids to go down to the recruiter's station and get a game CD.

One of the unexpected benefits was how many active duty guys started playing the game, too.

Posted: 1/13/2005 2:05:53 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
What are they gonna do, make cheaters enlist?

No. They hold the targets for qualifications.

Posted: 1/13/2005 2:41:06 PM EDT

[#17]

Posted: 1/13/2005 7:13:02 PM EDT

[#18]

OK, one question. Are the cheaters winning? If so, I say give 'em general officer's comissions and an office in the Pentagon.

Posted: 1/13/2005 7:14:33 PM EDT

[#19]

penny-arcade is 1000x's better than ctrl+alt+del

Posted: 1/13/2005 7:17:52 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
penny-arcade is 1000x's better than ctrl+alt+del

You've never played the game, have you?

Posted: 1/13/2005 7:38:44 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
The US Army will never send MPs to stop cheaters on a video game. We don't have enough of them, for one, and MPs may suck, but even they probably wouldn't stoop so low.

JMHO.

Hey now.. we're to busy doing all kinds of crap in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Dijibuti and Guantanamo to "suck". Heck, DOD cops are starting to take over at many bases in the US.

Posted: 1/13/2005 7:47:10 PM EDT

[#22]

I can see it now... "Lolz feds called bitching about my aimbot hahaha lolz!!1"

Posted: 1/13/2005 7:58:24 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
I can say this without hesitation: It's the cheaters who are helping to destroy the best (IMO) FPS game ever devised. Sad, really.

Cheaters are the reason I have pretty much stopped pleying the game. And I agree it is a great game. But the hacks eventually screw up all online gaming.

Posted: 1/13/2005 8:03:07 PM EDT

[#24]

Hmmm.....

Seems like some ROTC cadets could get a check ride in a MH-60 and make a few stops along the way to validate the fuel expendature.

"Hi. We found out that you cheat the Army. We dont like that."

Lets see their cheats help them then

Posted: 1/13/2005 8:05:00 PM EDT

[#25]

they won't go after cheaters.. but they'll arrest "misusers of US Govt. Property"

glorious. I hate those asshats.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - US Army threatening cheaters at americas army

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