Summary
Once Humandeveloper Starry Studios addressed the game’s privacy concerns following a flood of mixed reviews on Steam. Many concerns were about the lengthy and demanding End User License Agreement (EULA) forOnce Human,which asks users to disclose personal information, such as their government ID. After signing the EULA, Publisher NetEase gains access to basic information like names and contact information, but the company can also collect additional details “through the use of our services or from other sources.”
The small print in quotations is of the most concern to users, who are wondering what “other sources” the company is referring to. In some US states, NetEase is authorized to collect more sensitive data, such as one’s postal address, physical characteristics, specific demographic information, browsing history, and more. Rather thanjudgingOnce Humanon its gameplay, mechanics, or visuals, many of the negative reviews on Steam mention exiting the game the instant they read the EULA.
“This privacy policy is problematic because it lacks clarity, transparency, and appears to over-collect personal information without sufficient justification or safeguards for user privacy. Regularly, privacy policies should prioritize user consent, data security, limited data collection, and clear communication of data usage purposes,” one review said. The biggest issue for users is the lack of honesty and transparency on the developer’s part, even though NetEase and Starry Studios have collectively published a statement (viaSteam) in an attempt to iron out these concerns. Starry Studios isn’t the only company facing backlash for data privacy issues recently, withInsomniac becoming a victim of data leaksnot long ago.
“NetEase takes our users’ data privacy very seriously and adheres to the data privacy principles such as data minimization, purpose limitation, and transparency,” the companies said. “For example, we would only collect government-issued IDs for the following reasons: where the local laws require us to do so (such as for a specific promotion), when the identity of a user’s parent must be verified to obtain consent for their child (if required by applicable child protection laws), or when the user wishes to correct their age information (again, if such verification is required by law).” Unfortunately, the gaming industry has long been impacted by privacy leaks or shifty data collection systems. Not long ago,Steam implemented a new privacy featureto help users protect their gaming history, library, and other previously public information.
Additionally, Starry Studios notes that the developers have “heard [players] concerns and will continue to improve on how we describe our data privacy practices.” These privacy worries seem to be a top priority for Starry Studios and NetEase, especially sinceOnce Human’s launch isn’t off to a compelling start. Despitereleasing on July 9 across several platforms,Once Humanhas faced so-so feedback, which has led to the title sitting at largely Mixed reviews on Steam. The free-to-play survival horror game has garnered some praise for how fast its developers respond to community issues, but many fans were immediately turned off byOnce Humanthe moment they read the terms.
Set in a post-apocalyptic, open-world environment,Once Humanplunges players into a world polluted by an alien creature known as Stardust, resulting in all kinds of mutant abominations roaming the land. Players must survive in the wilderness by gathering resources, building bases, and defeating monstrous entities. As a Meta-Human, players can choose to tackle the badlands solo or with friends,assembling and moving territoriesand journeying to discover the truth about Stardust, including where it came from and what it wants.
Once Human
WHERE TO PLAY
The apocalypse changed everything. Human, animal, plant… all are infested by an alien creature – Stardust. As a Meta-Human, you can survive the contamination and use the power of Stardust. Play alone or join others to fight, build and explore. When the world is in chaos, you are our last hope.You wake up in the middle of nowhere. You’ll have to brace yourself for the cruelty of nature (from monsters to lack of food); however, Stardust’s influence does not restrict to living things, it also affects the soil and water. Eating polluted food and drinking dirty water will reduce your Sanity. When your Sanity drops, your max HP would drop accordingly. To eat or not to eat, it’s a question.Battle numerous enemies that are once human, and challenge bosses from another dimension to gain powerful items and ease Stardust pollution. You are not only fighting for yourself, but also fighting for the survivors.
