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EA hacked and source code stolen

bbc.co.uk

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Re: EA hacked and source code stolen

#21

Post by rwmj »

database_lost wrote: post #20

> "Source code is a version of computer software which is usually much easier to read and understand than the end version in a finished product, and could be used to reverse engineer parts of the product." This excerpt is another example of why we need better computer literacy, starting with journalists.

Why? It seems a fair description of source code for readers who would not be familiar with the term. (You could argue that many more people should be software literate given that software is taking over the world, but that's a different argument.)

Re: EA hacked and source code stolen

#23

Post by alkonaut »

w4rh4wk5 wrote: post #13

> But it is unlikely that any mainstream competitor to EA would ever use such stolen data. I appreciate them acknowledging this fact. It bothers me how many people think that leaking the source code of a game engine is an actual problem for the company. Just because the code is available doesn't give you a license to use it. And the ones that don't care about having a license would not have used / payed for it in the…

> I appreciate them acknowledging this fact. It bothers me how many people think that leaking the source code of a game engine is an actual problem for the company.

If it makes the creation of exploits (cheats) easier, then I think it could a big headache for a game company. I’d at least find it a lot easier to try to exploit a game a have the full source code for, than one I have to reverse engineer.

Cheating was so rampant in earlier titles that if it had been just slightly worse I’d probably have stopped playing.

Obscurity is weak security though of course.

Re: EA hacked and source code stolen

#24

Post by alkonaut »

ksec wrote: post #17
w4rh4wk5 wrote: post #13

> But it is unlikely that any mainstream competitor to EA would ever use such stolen data. I appreciate them acknowledging this fact. It bothers me how many people think that leaking the source code of a game engine is an actual problem for the company. Just because the code is available doesn't give you a license to use it. And the ones that don't care about having a license would not have used / payed for it in the…

After watching Battlefield 2042 trailer I am interested whether they have a new version of Frostbite.

In earlier releases they bumped the version of frostbite to “frostbite 2” etc, but now I don’t see these big announcements so maybe it’s more a slow evolution now and not huge releases? There are certainly new engine features vs previous releases, but I haven’t seen if they call it a new “version”.

Re: EA hacked and source code stolen

#25

Post by homarp »

database_lost wrote: post #20

> "Source code is a version of computer software which is usually much easier to read and understand than the end version in a finished product, and could be used to reverse engineer parts of the product." This excerpt is another example of why we need better computer literacy, starting with journalists.

if you know assembler, everything is source code... so the definition makes some sense.

Access to source code makes RE easier but you can do without ( e.g. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26130320 )

Re: EA hacked and source code stolen

#26

Post by 5e92cb50239222b »

w4rh4wk5 wrote: post #13

> But it is unlikely that any mainstream competitor to EA would ever use such stolen data. I appreciate them acknowledging this fact. It bothers me how many people think that leaking the source code of a game engine is an actual problem for the company. Just because the code is available doesn't give you a license to use it. And the ones that don't care about having a license would not have used / payed for it in the…

>And the ones that don't care about having a license would not have used / payed for it in the first place.

Speak for yourself. I don't play at all these days, but when I did, I was almost always running a "pirated" version from my favorite torrent tracker, and only after purchasing a license which was almost never used (because of DRM, not being able to run it under Wine, or other reasons).

Re: EA hacked and source code stolen

#27

Post by bshimmin »

database_lost wrote: post #20

> "Source code is a version of computer software which is usually much easier to read and understand than the end version in a finished product, and could be used to reverse engineer parts of the product." This excerpt is another example of why we need better computer literacy, starting with journalists.

It's a poor definition by itself (though it's hard to explain "source code" succinctly without also getting into terms like "compiling", all of which means very little to someone not familiar with software development - I think a significant number of lay people honestly believe we just enter zeroes and ones all day!), but the bit about reverse engineering makes more sense in the context of the very next paragraph:

> "For example, the Frostbite engine, which hackers claim to have the source code for, is a powerful game creation tool used in dozens of games, from FIFA to the Battlefield series and several recent Star Wars games from EA."

Re: EA hacked and source code stolen

#29

Post by silvaring »

A4ET8a8uTh0 wrote: post #9

Eh. I have reluctantly accepted Steam as my game store / thinly hidden mandated DRM. I am unwilling to accept Origin on top of it so I guess I am mildly safe in this case. All my usual musings aside including distate for all things EA, I would absolutely want to see mass effect code.

Do you think this hack will mean that EA bring their games into the Gamepass PC Xbox app sooner rather than later?

Re: EA hacked and source code stolen

#30

Post by silvaring »

w4rh4wk5 wrote: post #13

> But it is unlikely that any mainstream competitor to EA would ever use such stolen data. I appreciate them acknowledging this fact. It bothers me how many people think that leaking the source code of a game engine is an actual problem for the company. Just because the code is available doesn't give you a license to use it. And the ones that don't care about having a license would not have used / payed for it in the…

You know that EA have a windows desktop client they are still trying to crystalize into the PC gaming world right? I can imagine this hack may have quite an impact on that whole project, especially if the data related to that particular piece of software.
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