Azaroth

Over at Raph’s glorious example of maniacally dedicated blogging (the man, himself, I think doesn’t actually exist. More logically, I assume, he died in 1984.. but not before programming a computer version of himself specialized in computer game design, blogging, and offering mugs from cafepress), we see a post on Google patenting the process of, well, uh.. watching you.

Or, watching you play games at least.

Some commenters found the implications troubling. Others, possibly market analysts with degrees from Gudger College, compared this to a car salesman watching you and basing his pitches from what he observes in real time.

In case it’s necessary, I’ll explain the difference very quickly.

A used car salesman watching me studiously in order to more effectively jump my bones is one thing (and it’s not a particularly welcome thing).

Programming a computer to analyze my speech patterns and body language through a thousand cameras when I step into a department store so as to more effectively target me for intracranial advertising is quite another.

I wouldn’t particularly like anyone watching me at home, either.

Although I can see where this could be going. There’s a rise in the creation of online games, and a lot of them are having a difficult time turning a profit. Games like Shadowbane are actually going with predominantly in-game based advertising schemes for making that profit, and a lot more of them use generally unconventional means of making their monies.

In comes Google MMOAdsense. Make big bucks for letting us put a camera under your users’ desks! We promise we’ll NEVER abuse any of the seekrit pictures we take! All for Silas… all for Silas…

I mean, uh, Hayden.

Cough.