MEXICO CITY (apro).- Once Human, one of the most anticipated releases of the year, attracted millions of players in its debut on the Steam platform, which has not been exempt from waves of complaints regarding the alleged collection of personal data from passports and other official documents.
Before its release, it had already become the fifth most sought-following game on Steam, with 15 million pre-registered players, according to figures from PC Games.
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According to CNET, more than 125,000 players tested it simultaneously when it was launched on Steam on Tuesday, July 9.
Once Human is an open-world multiplayer survival game set in a post-apocalyptic era, according to a description from its publisher, Starry Studios.
“Join forces with your friends to fight for survival, build your sanctuary, and conquer terrifying aberrations to unravel the truth behind the apocalypse. Do you still hold the answer to what it means to be human?” reads the synopsis posted on Epic Games’ website.
“An apocalyptic cosmic invasion has transformed our world into a twisted nightmare. All living things, from animals to plants, have been contaminated by an extraterrestrial substance known as Stardust. As a Meta-Human, you have a unique bond with this alien substance.
“With your increased tolerance, you possess the power to not only survive, but thrive in this devastating new reality. It’s up to you to shape the future of humanity, whether you venture forth alone or forge alliances with other survivors. As the world falls apart, you are humanity’s last hope. The time has come to rise from the ashes and reclaim the old world,” Epic Games describes.
Once Human is available on Steam, Loading Bay, and Epic Game Store, and its website has links and a QR code to pre-register for the iOS and Android mobile versions of the free-to-play game. The iOS version’s release date is September 26, but is subject to change, according to the developer. CNET.
It is available in English, German, French, Japanese, Korean and Traditional Chinese. Russian is planned to be added in September. The official website does not clarify when Spanish will be available.
“Join your friends to fight monstrous enemies, uncover secret plots, compete for resources, and build your own territory. Once, you were just a human. Now, you have the power to remake the world,” is how Steam invites you to participate in Once Human.
Privacy
Despite the interest it has sparked, opinions of the game are mixed. As of Wednesday followingnoon, it had 56 percent positive reviews on the gaming site. Steam.
However, the biggest concerns were related to the issue of privacy.
In this regard, publisher NetEase clarified that Once Human does not collect particularly sensitive user data, including information from government-issued IDs, according to the PC Games portal.
The developer has responded to a wave of criticism and complaints from players following the release of the survival game on Steam.
NetEase’s privacy policy, which also applies to Once Human, states that the game collects information from identification documents such as passports, PC Games explains.
In response, Once Human’s Steam rating quickly dropped to “mostly negative” due to a large number of responses from players citing concerns regarding the game’s handling of personal data.
NetEase shared a statement with the specialized portal clarifying its privacy policy and explaining that information from government-issued IDs is only requested under certain circumstances.
The NetEase privacy policy that applies to Once Human includes a section titled “Personal Information We Collect”; within this section, the game creator provides a list of “personal information received from you” [usuarios de productos y servicios NetEase]”.
This list explains PC Gamesnotes “government-issued IDs such as passport information as required by applicable laws for age verification and correction of personal information,” as part of the information NetEase collects from users. The privacy policy and this disclaimer also appear upon opening the survival game.
In turn, the portal of Once Human published a clarification addressed to its users:
“Once Human takes the data privacy of our users very seriously. We would only use personal data if we have a legitimate legal basis, such as providing requested services or acting with your express consent. We will only use your data in a lawful and reasonable manner and in accordance with local legal compliance requirements, while practicing data privacy principles such as data minimization, purpose limitation, and transparency. We appreciate and welcome any and all feedback provided by our players to help us improve.”
“Some players have expressed concerns regarding NetEase Launcher. This game launching platform offers broader access to games published by NetEase Games. Like some of our industry peers who run multiple games simultaneously, we hope the launcher can provide convenient access to multiple NetEase games for our users. However, please note that you will only need to download the launcher if you download Once Human from our official website. Players playing from Steam or Epic will NOT need to download or use the launcher.”
