Apple Game Center now requires real names

So if you've been having a lot of fun playing Thor and Field Runners on your iPhone with "cutegirl44" for the last few months, how would you feel if that user name suddenly changed to "Eliot Spitzer?" These are the possibilities we have to think about now that Apple will begin requiring Game Center users to display their real names.

Appleslipped the new requirement into a recently updated version of its Terms of Service for the social gaming service. Now, when you push the button that says you accept those terms, you're actually allowing - in fact, requiring - your name to show up to every other Game Center user. This name is whatever you have registered with your Apple ID.

Game Center operates like Xbox Live, allowing iPhone users to become friends with one another online, play multiplayer games, earn achievements, and post scores to leaderboards.

We can't help but be reminded of Blizzard'ssimilar pushearlier this year. It forced playersto use their real names on official forums, but due to the extreme backlash from the community, Blizzardquickly backed downand reversed the decision.

Knowing Apple's reluctance to let anyone change its mind, we don't imagine that will happen here.

[Source:On Public Speaking]

Dec 1, 2010

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