July 13, 2009
Evony, a browser-based MMO which debuted recently, has angered some bloggers by using a comment spam campaign.
Popehat writes:
Online pharmacies and questionable purveyors of herbal remedies advertise by comment spam... Porn sites advertise by comment spam... Fraudulent financial services advertise by comment spam...
Legitimate business, and legitimate sites, do not advertise by comment spam. I associate comment spam with the underbelly of the web, with fraud and crime and child porn... Maybe Evony’s site won’t inflict malware on my computer. But I won’t take that chance. Given the company Evony has chosen to keep, you shouldn’t either.
Bruce on Games expresses similar concerns in a post titled simply, "Don't Play Evony."
Comments
Re: Browser-based MMO Evony Slammed for Spam
I find the ads wierd simply for the fact that the actual game has nothing to do with fantasy women with big boobs. It's all about city management and building armies.
Re: Browser-based MMO Evony Slammed for Spam
Oh, well, it's not like this would end up being a pandemic of computer viruses, because I think only six other people from myself play this game.
---
Freedom of speech means the freedom to say ANYTHING, so long as it is the truth. This does not exclude anything that might hurt someone's feelings.
Re: Browser-based MMO Evony Slammed for Spam
i questioned it at their forums a few days ago, its kinda ironic this is happening now :p
they apparently had a previous discussion in their forums ending up with their own ads being considered "vulgar" and "lewd" enough to make them a bannable offense if someone posts them on the forums anymore, as well as reps for the game saying they were going to remove these ads.
seems they've only gotten worse.
Re: Browser-based MMO Evony Slammed for Spam
I've notice all the Envoy'd ads, but don't think all those ads are doing the game any good.
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
Re: Browser-based MMO Evony Slammed for Spam
Read this 4 days ago too, on Envoy's own advertising.
www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001286.html
Re: Browser-based MMO Evony Slammed for Spam
I've certainly noticed the excessively boob-centric marketing (reading the article linked here is the first time I've heard what sort of game it is) and its annoying banner ad frequency on virtually every site I visit has certainly driven me away from ever trying it
Edit: Seems like they're connected to mmo gold farming
http://mu.ranter.net/civony/civony-update-free-game-apparently-funded-by-thousands-of-stupid-world-of-warcraft-players
Re: Browser-based MMO Evony Slammed for Spam
I wouldn't be surprised, practically every item in their game can be acquired with real money. According to this review, in order to progress, you're much pretty required to spend real money otherwise you'll never get new titles/ranks.
GG
Re: Browser-based MMO Evony Slammed for Spam
It doesn't give you a virus.
I swear.
I've played it before it's a good game.
Re: Browser-based MMO Evony Slammed for Spam
Having been there before myself, I'm not so quick to point fingers.
It's entirely possible that Evony has hired someone to do marketing, or enacted a referal marketing program, and had it go bad on them. They did not necesarily do the spamming themlselves, and may not even know it's going on YET.
If Evony is quick to pull the plug and apologise, i'd probably give them the beneifit of the doubt.
Re: Browser-based MMO Evony Slammed for Spam
the more i research, the more it looks like the spam and adult rated ads are from 3rd party advertisers trying to make commisions.