I don’t know if I would call mandatory facial recognition for children online “the right thing.”
I don’t think so either, which is why I didn’t say it. You skipped my final paragraph.
By “right thing”, I was referring to doing anything, which appears to be more than they’ve tried so far.
The parental responsibility argument was probably valid when there was 1-2 standard computers in a home and getting online was a Whole Thing in itself. Now we have supercomputers in our pockets that are permanently online. It’s a whole lot harder than a simple “parents should take responsibility” one-liner.
I’m not saying they bear no responsibility, but to hand wave that as the answer is not an answer.
Also: Thinking of myself at that age, though public internet didn’t exist until I was almost an adult, I know I’d have found ways around things. A digital equivalent to slipping out of your window to see friends or hiding your Brussels sprouts in a pocket.
The technical education required to correctly protect, monitor and configure the necessary hardware and software is unreasonable for the vast majority of people.
Though you could probably find a kid who’ll happily show you how to do it all…
This. Imagine being a company who suddenly has to do the right thing simply because they can’t afford the “we’ve tried nothing and we’re all out of ideas” approach any more.
Litigation may be an awful substitute for regulation, but at least its having some positive effect here.
Shame about the way they’re doing it, though. It’s a wet dream for politicians and activists in favour of age verification, and for the hackers who’ll inevitability get their hands on all of it.
I mean, it sounds like they’re copying Microsoft’s “everything is an Xbox” lunacy, but its unclear if that’s reality based on what I read there.
But I’d not be surprised if the “Spider-Man pointing at Spider-Man” meme applies to this, given how focussed the VP of each company’s console division is on their main competitor.
Perhaps, but we’re now in an age where IPO announcements, CEO changes and even new features inevitably lead to enshittification. There is no harm in having a backup plan.
I’d even say that anyone who doesn’t have a plan B is an idiot, given recent history.
I feel it should be added that this is one use of anti-cheat, but it also gets used on noncompetitive single player games, too.
Usually if a game has micro-transactions, but also to “protect our IP” as has been seen with a number of older non-MTX single player games recently being retrofitted with it.
I think it’s cultural differences. In the west, we abhor pay to win and predatory aspects. But in Korea, China and other countries in that region, players demand it.
So then it comes down to which market region you’re targeting. If you’re not a NA/EU mobile developer, how do you choose? 🤷♂️ Can’t keep everyone happy.
ESO, Guild Wars 2 - or even Final Fantasy XIV, Genshin Impact or WarFrame - will provide an interesting world, lore, objectives, opportunities for group and co-op play (or PvP if that’s her thing; she might not know it yet).
Girl+noob doesn’t have to mean farming/building games. Unless, again, she realises it’s her thing.
And outfit fashion is the True End Game™️ for so many online games. Warframe calls it FashionFrame. 😄