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TIGSource ForumsDeveloperTechnical (Moderator: ThemsAllTook)Do Game Engines (Unity,GameMaker,etc..) identify the Author?
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Author Topic: Do Game Engines (Unity,GameMaker,etc..) identify the Author?  (Read 1043 times)
Oskuro
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« on: November 13, 2017, 12:42:36 AM »

Here's a question that looks suspicious:  Who, Me?

Do game engines, such as Unity or GameMaker, somehow tag or watermark the generated binaries with information about the identity of the creator?

And to assuage said suspicions: This is not about pirating the Pro versions of said tools, but rather about having control over how much of your real identity can be tracked through you user account on said platforms.

My issue here is that I sometimes want to try to develop concepts that I don't want to be personally linked to me, for example, making a fan-game, which if linked to me as a developer could be argued by the copyright holders to be an attempt to use their IP in order to bolster my other projects.

And yes, if I ever wanted to do something controversial/risqué, I wouldn't want my real identity to be linked to them, for far too obvious reasons.

Finally, it is always important to know how much of my personal information is being propagated through the net.


So, does anyone know if there is such a tagging of projects? If so, is there a way to manage it?
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wccrawford
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« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2017, 08:32:15 AM »

I think it's safe to assume they do, but until someone finds it, you can't know for sure.

There's no way to change that without violating the ToS for the engine, so if they're tagging it, you just can't use that engine.  Period.
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ferreiradaselva
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« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2017, 08:52:23 AM »

I think it's safe to assume they do, but until someone finds it, you can't know for sure.

I agree. Asking for e-mail by these programs isn't just a random thing.
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JWki
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« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2017, 11:43:24 AM »

I think it's safe to assume they do, but until someone finds it, you can't know for sure.

I agree. Asking for e-mail by these programs isn't just a random thing.

It's to annoy you with newsletters mostly I think. And sell your address maybe.
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Oskuro
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« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2017, 12:36:46 PM »

E-mail addresses are not much of a problem, you can always make an anonymous email.

Banking data, as in the one used to pay for the pro version of the software, that *is* an issue.


This issue I keep thinking about. Even good meaning games trying to bring awareness to some specific issue can raise the ire of the internet masses and result in a lot of crap, from harassment to threats or worse.

Keeping control over my real identity online is really bothering me.
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ferreiradaselva
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« Reply #5 on: November 13, 2017, 01:06:26 PM »

Banking data, as in the one used to pay for the pro version of the software, that *is* an issue.

They certainly don't do that - it would be a big risk of law suit for them.

Edit: Maybe a hash key. MAYBE. But, that would be usable by them, on their server side.
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JWki
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« Reply #6 on: November 13, 2017, 02:09:56 PM »

Where exactly do you think they'd store something?
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InfiniteStateMachine
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« Reply #7 on: November 13, 2017, 08:16:46 PM »

You could always try running Agent Ransack or an equivalent program for strings you might be worried about. Encrypted stuff I'm not so sure though.

I guess having a fully OSS engine like Unreal etc might help determine what they pack in to the final product.
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Oskuro
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« Reply #8 on: November 14, 2017, 08:51:09 AM »

They certainly don't do that - it would be a big risk of law suit for them.

I don't mean they post your banking data on the binaries, I mean that the banking data is a direct link from your user account to your real identity, although it is true that they'd get into serious legal trouble if said information was disclosed to anyone.
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Thaumaturge
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« Reply #9 on: November 14, 2017, 09:32:10 AM »

In the case of banking data, you could perhaps look to free engines: there's no payment, and thus (one would hope) no transfer of banking data.

(I use Panda3D, personally, albeit not for such reasons.)
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