Bio Inc. Redemption, developed and published by DryGin Studios deliver with their title a simulation from the medical sector. Diagnostic results are: Parasitic data theft and user monitoring.
What does this product do?
As the product is based on the Unity Engine, user-data is of course send to Unity without the user's knowledge. Unity is using Google Compute Engine (short GCE) as backend for their services. Since DryGin Studios wants to be on the safe side, there is also Google Analytics and an in-house service for free.
This happens in two ways
- with default activated Event-Telemetry
- with so called crashlytics and Cloudreports
Who is running the product?
DryGin Sudios is a developer from Canada.
The website consists only of a video and a link to the game on Steam. If you are looking for more information about this studio you will inevitably come across the program iFunface. Further data are virtually non-existent.
Where are the service providers located?
- DryGin Studios - Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Unity Technologies - San Francisco, 30 3rd Street, CA 94103, USA
- Google, LLC - 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy Building 43, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
What data is collected?
The timestamp and begin of the event telemetry, OS-Version, DeviceHash, Mainboard, CPU data (Processor, CPU Count, Frequence, RAM, VRAM, Resolution), App Resolution, DPI, User Language, Sensors, Flags, App Name (Eteru.Mine), App Install Mode/Store, App Build Version (used UnitySDK version), used Unity Version (personal, professional), GFX Device ID, GFX VendorID, GFX Name, GFX Vendor, GFX Version, GFX Driver, GFX Shader, GFX API, GFX Flags, GFX Texture Size, GFX Texture Support, GFX Cubemap Support, GFX Max Cubemap Size, Rendertarget count
Next to telemetry initialization, users hard- and software data the actual event telemetry takes place via callbacks. Sending constantly updated data with timestamp on player whereabouts
Crashlytics
So called crashlytics helping to collect analytics and details about crashes and errors. In the case of Unity, they only collect. Responsible for this are in the installation directory the "UnityCrashHandler32.exe" or "UnityCrashHandler64.exe"
Should you find files with this name in your folders? Delete them without hesitation.
There are few differences that need to be considered. because depending on the product and implementation, there are different triggers.
- Crashlytics become active only in the event of a crash and send data to Unity
- Crashlytics are automatically initialized directly at the start of the game
- Unity does not care about exe files and Crashhandler and gets your data anyways.
How?
The crashlytics is also responsible for the Cloud Reports. Well, it's the same. Should your game crash, data is send to a [noparse]perf-events.cloud.unity3d.com[/noparse] without consent. No active CrashHandler? Bad luck for users.
Active Cloud-Reports send extended telemetry data to Unity and can be active besides the actual event telemetry.
There doesn't even have to be a crash to send data. However, "crash reports/handler" always sound nicer to users.
DryGin Service
Does User registration with UserID, Version, Culture (Geodata), NickName (Your Steamname), Playerlevel, followed by a heartbeat function (or a "medical" simulation a rather self-irony term) and matchmaking for multiplayer can be found here as well.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is working together with Unity and its job is to track users on each screen they open.
An example from my new gamesession. Opened game, clicked on Multiplayerscreen, went back, initialized a new game (of course i was the good guy), Tutorial started, some infos plopped up and so on. Finally, my medical internship was so underpaid that my patient died...
HomeScreen_Main, HomeScreen_Cure_MultiplayerScreen, HomeScreen_Cure_LoadingScreen, Stage_CureStageTutorial_Diff2, HomeScreen_Cure_HospitalScreen, HomeScreen_Cure_StageScreen, HomeScreen_Cure_OptionsScreen, VictimName_Cure_Max+Mustermann, HomeScreen_Cure_BoostersScreen, HomeScreen_Cure_LoadingScreen, Stage_CureInternship_Diff1, StageEnd_Lose_CureInternship_Diff1
https://www.google-analytics.com/collect?v=1&ul=de&sr=1920x1200&an=Bio+Inc.+Redemption&tid=UA-52229168-4&aid=com.dryginstudios.bioinc2&cid=f824b9299c46dfd3b0ce2cd01193dc4c2bb9b9f7&av=1.10.0&t=appview&cd=StageEnd_Lose_CureInternship_Diff1&did=GbOCSs&z=437
Can the behavior be blocked?
Yes, see the linked hosts Details for Bio Inc. Redemption
More infos with data examples, IPv4 and domains
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Unity Technologies
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Google LLC
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Thanks for reading
