Apple’s Game Center Now Using Real Names

Some of you may have noticed that when you signed into the iTunes music or app store recently, you will have had to accept some new Terms Of Service. Obviously nobody ever reads those things, but it looks like we now know of at least one of the changes: Apple’s Game Centre now displays your full name.

Now before everyone fetches the pitch-forks and storms Cupertino over privacy fears, it’s not as bad as you may think. As far as TUAW reports, the only time your actual name is displayed is when you send a new Friend Request to someone. They will see your name alongside the familiar username we’ve all come to love, and have been happily using since Game Center’s introduction into iOS 4.0 (or 4.2.1 for iPad).

As TUAW goes on to say though, similar uses of people’s real names have caused much anger amongst users of other services in the past. World of Warcraft creator Blizzard as been forced to backtrack on similar moves after users of its forums were asked to give real names when registering.

With privacy being the buzzword of 2010 it’s perhaps a surprise that more hasn’t been made of this – though this blogger doesn’t really see an issue. With the current implementation the only people your details will be disclosed to are people you’ve sent requests to. Don’t want people to know your name? Don’t add them as a friend on Game Center.

Simple!

{TUAW}

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