14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has changed the Game Center terms of service to include a note saying that gaming invites sent to friends will include the "real" name users have associated with their Apple ID. While the move is beneficial for casual gamers, the same thing cannot be said about “serious” gamers.
Yesterday, Apple issued an update that prompts users to agree to the new terms of service, which now includes the following amendment:
"We have changed the Game Center terms and conditions to provide you notice that if you send a friend invitation, the full name associated with your Apple ID will be shared with the recipient. If you accept a friend invitation, the full name associated with your Apple ID will be shared with the sender."
Game Center is Apple’s social gaming platform for iPhone, iPod touch and (thanks to the recent iOS 4.2 release) for iPad.
Game Center lets friends and soon-to-be-friends in on the action. Players can invite someone to join a game, or go up against people they don’t know, from anywhere in the world, in a multiplayer game.
“The new Game Center app lets you expand your social gaming network. Exponentially,” Apple explains on its web site.
“All you need to play is an iPod touch or an iPhone running iOS 4.1. Just tap the Game Center app on your Home screen, log in with your Apple ID, and you’re good to go.”
The company continues with a clarification that players can “create a different nickname that will be visible to friends and the gaming community.”
Apple also has a piece of advice for gamers: “Assign several email addresses with the Game Center app to make it easy for more friends to find you.”
Players can download games by tapping links in Game Center, while games can be started right from within the Game Center app. Once they log in to Game Center, players are always connected, until they decide to log out.