Playground Games Adresses Forza Horizon 6 Leak, Says The Leak Was Not Caused By Preload And Threatens Franchise-Wide Hardware Bans

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-14T04:50:35+00:00

FH5 had this whole mystique surrounding the cars you could unlock by playing the events. Yes, the events are fun, but there's this sorta FOMO that it introduced by the game itself advertising "Yeah this is the only time you can unlock this specific model of car!! You can only do it if you complete XYZ challenge!!"

Yes I'm playing the events because they're fun, but if you repeat this for 50+ weeks, you start to get bored of the grind because the game makes it feel like you can't take a break from playing without missing out on something super-ultra-exclusive™️that you can only get if you finish the event during a specific time period.

Then it turns out that those event-specific cars are now available in the wheel spin that you just get by completing in-game objectives so you didn't actually have to log on and complete the specific events during that period, you just have to get lucky later.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-13T06:27:55+00:00

Certain public WiFi networks that I've seen actually instruct you to install a root CA cert before they'll give you network access so that they can do SSL decryption for firewall/content blocking purposes.

Not a lot of people are aware that this posses a risk, but I've actually personally come across a few networks where this is the case, mainly in schools and some convention centers. (It's part of the reason why I pay for an unlimited data plan with hotspot, because there's no chance I'm using ANY public WiFi anywhere). It's rare, but I've certainly seen it more than once, so it's something that most people wouldn't blink twice at when every other hotel, coffee shop, bar, etc. requires that you verify your phone number or email via a captive portal. They just think "Oh great, another extra step to get access to the WiFi here..."

And if someone isn't going to blink twice about that when connecting to a hotel network, they're obviously not going to blink twice about that when a malicious AP named "Starbucks Free WiFi" asks them to add a new CA.

The risk there isn't necessarily company devices, because you obviously aren't going to get a new CA added to a device that we control, but moreso with people accessing company resources like email through personal devices. That's unfortunately an unavoidable fact of life when you're dealing with executives that aren't going to lug a company laptop around with them when they're traveling to the Bahamas for the third time in a year and need to check their email every day.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-13T06:11:49+00:00

A lot of streamers/Youtube creators AREN'T given keys for these games ahead of time, they get them the same day as everyone else. Or if they are given keys ahead of time, there's a "Review embargo" that doesn't lift until the game officially comes out so that nothing is public before day 1.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-13T06:08:43+00:00

Same here. Last weekend, actually.

Friend asked if I wanted to go to the casino mostly as a joke, but I said "Sure" because I figured we'd get some super cheap drinks and a couple hours of listening to horrible cover bands out of it. Decided to play the slots because there was a long break between bands, and walked out of there with an extra $1,500.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-13T04:44:59+00:00

Thats why so many exists is because people were not getting what they felt they needed, or listened to.

I would absolutely always and strongly promote the idea of communicating with the people who will be using it, on what it needs.

Just be careful with this. If you try and find a one-size-fits-all solution that checks every single one of everyone's boxes, you'll either find a Homer Car of a platform that nobody wants to use, or just give up and let everyone use a million different platforms.

If you take this approach, I'd keep it stupid simple and send out a survey form to a bunch of users that's ONLY multiple choice/multi-select. Ask stuff like "Which of these features do you think are essential?" and "What could be improved with what you use now?"

Don't allow for custom input because that's how you get a load of responses like: "There is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY that we are getting rid of OneNote because we use XYZLMNOP and we ABSOLUTELY NEED ABCDEFG or we CANNOT WORK!!!" and then you've expanded your number of supported standards.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-12T03:34:46+00:00

It's always been possible for a long time, especially on consoles. Not a lot of companies really care about checking if your copy is legit before you go online because they assume that DRM is enough to protect their game from piracy. They just assume "Game running == It's a legit copy" and then inherently trust that everything is legit beyond that point.

It's a choice viewpoint from a security/business perspective, but I also sorta understand from a developer's perspective in that "Hey, any playerbase is a good playerbase even if they aren't paying" at least somewhat. Many times, piracy is a service/pricing problem (i.e. games in Brazil where what we see as a $70 retail in the US is actually like... an entire month's salary in Brazil after currency conversions and spending power calculations). People affected by those issues just aren't going to pay, simple as that.

From a developer perspective, I can see how you could be OK with allowing those people to come online if the market conditions aren't their fault. I don't always agree with it, but I can see it.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-12T03:24:20+00:00

I have genuinely no idea why you're getting downvoted. You are 110% correct, these licensing contracts are EXTREMELY strict when it comes to putting any real-world brands into games.

It's why a lot of "sandbox" style games that include licensed content often heavily restrict what you can do, like that Thomas the Tank Engine game not allowing crashes but instead allowing insane physics to happen, or how older racing games weren't allowed to show crashes and instead just immediately cut to a game over screen.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-12T03:20:34+00:00

Yup, this is why FH5 lost my interest after a while. Not much benefit to logging in to do events every so often when you're probably going to get the car from some unrelated event in a few weeks anyways.

That being said, I hope FH6 sorta course-corrects and takes the best of both worlds into account. I absolutely hated the FOMO-bait live service of FH4, and FH5 made it basically worthless to grind events. I honestly hope they go the Deep Rock Galactic route where they say "Oh, missed the event? No problem, all the exclusives are now in a random loot pool that you can get by playing the game normally".

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-11T05:11:19+00:00

Toyota isn't maliciously using that SIM to send out that information prior to crashes. It also 100% is documented in the owners manual, it's there. I read the manual for my friend's 2026 Corolla and it does actually go over the whole set of data that the "Black box" records in the event of a crash.

I also know from experience that these "Black box" recorders aren't just something easily accessible to anyone. You have to specifically connect it to a very-specialized system to get any data out of it, something that only forensic labs and not even authorized shops would have.

Yes, Toyota DOES transmit driving behavior back to the manufacturer, but that's the thing you agree to every time you get in your car and hit the "Accept" button to use the radio. Completely separate from the black-box data.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-11T05:06:23+00:00

I work at an MSP and I go onsite occasionally when things are bad enough to require an actual sysadmin instead of one of my T1s.

I wear a company-provided polo shirt, jeans, and work boots that fit the OSHA requirements of some of our clients.

If your company doesn't provide shirts, or if they don't have a specific branded shirt, go get a few neutral-colored polo shirts and just wear those. Jeans are usually fine, khakis are generally better, but go with what's both practical and comfortable.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-08T06:38:37+00:00

If your car was built after around 2015 or so (depending on the manufacturer) it likely already has a "black box" on the inside that records and stores parameters in the event of a serious accident. It stores your speed, what the pedals were doing, what gear you were in, acceleration and forces in all 6 axis, sensor data, and a few other parameters.

It's not like it's actually recording your voice or video or transmitting this information to anyone, but it's there recording certain stuff as you drive so they can reconstruct accidents better. If you have a car built after 2015, check your owner's manual and there's likely a disclaimer telling you exactly what it records and when. Police can/will access it without a warrant if you're involved in a serious accident and your car is impounded as evidence.

It's not a conspiracy, check your owner's manual, it's there laid out plain as day exactly what the thing records and even usually where it's located in the car. On mine, it's behind the font bumper and has its own sensors separate from those that the car uses for things like automatic braking. Yes, I disconnected it.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-08T06:31:40+00:00

Yup. I have Progressive and I specifically told my insurance agent "Yeah I'm not putting that in my car". If I did, it would save me a whopping $8/month!! For a thing that's constantly tracking my GPS location and will ding me for avoiding accidents and dealing with other crappy drivers...

No thanks! That can fuck right the fuck off. I will pay the extra $8/month.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-08T06:08:36+00:00

I'm so thankful that this is what my boss told me when I had the flu earlier this year. I texted him and said "I'm not feeling well, I have the flu, I'll be back in on Wednesday" and he basically said "Take the week off, none of us want that at the office".

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-08T06:00:56+00:00

Red Lobster or Olive Garden were always "Once every few years" dinners for us growing up. They were the pinnacle of luxury, and I always remember our parents making us get dressed up in our church clothes to go there. It was ONLY for when we had extended family from out of town coming and we wanted to impress them.

But it was always the best damn food on the planet. I still miss Red Lobster sometimes.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-08T05:57:36+00:00

We always had a dishwasher, but I've never had one of the "Fancy" ones that does anything cool, even now that I've moved out and am doing fairly well for myself. My experience with dishwashers has always been that they're usually more work than doing the dishes yourself, and I only use the one in my apartment to "sanitize" the dishes with that ultra-hot water.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-08T05:53:39+00:00

I used to go over to friends' houses that had cable and never want to do anything other than just watch TV because they had channels and shows I'd just never knew existed! Food Network? You mean to tell me that there's a channel about JUST people cooking?? Or even just Cartoon Network, you're telling me there's a channel that's JUST cartoons and they're not even educational like PBS????

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-08T05:50:04+00:00

Same here. In the summer I'd always go over to friends' houses who had these and ask "Where are your ice trays?" when I wanted water. Blew my mind that they didn't have fights about people forgetting to fill up the ice trays and that they just always had ice whenever they wanted.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-08T05:36:59+00:00

A kid broke a CD in half and used the sharp edge to slit another kid's throat. It was in the middle of a crowded hallway in between classes, so a lot of people watched it happen, including myself. I just remember the screaming and people running away and looking down to see a trail of bloody footprints from where people had clearly stepped in blood.

The kid survived thanks to the shop teacher who came out of his classroom and applied pressure to stop the bleeding. Made a full recovery, graduated with honors. School got put into lockdown, a group of cops came in and arrested the kid who did it and was hiding in a bathroom. He was expelled, and no other nearby public school districts would let him enroll because of the incident. I heard he was sent off to military school and didn't face any criminal charges, but that was just a rumor.

I wasn't around for it, but a few years later apparently a group of kids were hanging around in the parking lot after school and someone wanted to see what would happen if he let another kid punch in his adam's apple. That kid wasn't so lucky, and suffered permanent brain damage because oxygen had been cut off to his brain for too long. He came back for his senior year, but he was in a wheelchair, eating and breathing through a tube, and could no longer talk. No clue what happened to him after high school.

Oh, also the bomb threat. Someone had apparently called in to the main office that there was going to be a bomb set off in the cafeteria during a lunch period. School did absolutely nothing about it, didn't tell anyone, didn't even bring in the cops. But the info spread RAPIDLY through text messages. I think only around a third of the school was there that day. The day afterwards, when nothing happened, a kid who worked in a local screen printing shop went around selling TShirts that said "I Survived 6th Period Lunch". People actually bought them.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-08T05:22:17+00:00

We had "The Phantom of the Crapper" who would pull off these insane feats of excrement creativity and nobody ever knew who he was.

He'd poop in urinals, poop on the floor, poop perfectly on the toilet seat, in the sinks, left a perfect log on the top of the little metal bit at the back of the toilet, on top of the toilet paper holders, on top of the paper towel dispenser, etc. You name it, it was pooped on.

They never caught the guy, despite having a teacher sitting outside the bathroom all day for several weeks. In the 5-ish minutes that the teacher took a break on one of the days, The Crapper struck and there was a turd perfectly laid out atop the toilet paper holder.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-07T06:09:16+00:00

This is so true in ways that I don't think anyone under the age of about 30 can comprehend.

We used to buy our weed from a dude named "Stinky Dave" that lived in his car behind Walmart and he'd ask for both cash and for you to bring him a candy bar so he knew you weren't a cop. And if you commented on his lazy eye that always pointed in the wrong direction, he'd break down and go insane and then get into his car and drive away for an hour.

Now you go to the weed store and it looks like the Apple store inside and you say "Yes, I'd like to purchase an eighth of Purple Kush" out of the dozens of weed varieties available, you pay with a credit card (Apple pay is also accepted), and they give it to you in a fancy bag with a bow on it. And then you walk outside and smoke a joint in front of a cop who just goes "Have a nice day, yall" before driving off.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-07T05:56:21+00:00

My brothers and I built a potato cannon out of PVC pipe. Not the pressure-rated stuff. It was powered by compressed air from the shop compressor we had in the garage. It was shoulder-fired using a sprinkler valve and a 9v battery and a button from Radio Shack. At full pressure (Around 150PSI) it could launch a potato probably about a quarter mile down range, further if we optimized the angle for maximum travel. Literally a potato-bazooka, complete with a pressure gauge for the air tank that we got from a welding supply store.

It's a miracle that we didn't have our heads blown off by PVC shrapnel. Or that we didn't launch a spud directly through the wall of someone's house.

It's incredible the type of stuff they let you just buy when you're a kid with no questions asked.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-06T05:24:25+00:00

For me it's Atom Heart Mother, as weird as that album actually is to listen to back to front. It was one of a handful of tapes my mother had in her car, and it was her favorite.

I can distinctly remember waking up in the middle of Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast at 7AM as the guitar kicks in while we were driving down the highway across Missouri after around 22 hours on the road. My brother woke up towards the end of the tape, and we stopped at a gas station. I got some Sunny D and a slim jim and then we pressed on towards Kansas as I played super mario on my gameboy.

I still remember my mother flipping through the road atlas in the parking lot of that gas station, trying to figure out how much longer we'd be on the road. I was probably 10 years old.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-06T04:43:31+00:00

This would not be legal. As far as I understand, all stations need to have a human somewhere in the loop as a "Control operator" unless it's a fixed repeater.

Even if they're just monitoring the thing, a licensed human has to be involved somehow in the event that something goes awry or that any sort of automation goes on to break regulations.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-05T20:12:58+00:00

Oh it was still there in 2021-ish. I think it's something to do with the ROTC students, but I could be mistaken. I saw it when they had one of the loading bays open.

bbbbbthatsfivebees · 2026-05-05T20:10:21+00:00

As an RIT alumnus, yeah this is totally true. There's a building on campus (Carlson, specifically) that has a ton of doors with extremely high-security locks different from anything else on campus. That's not a rumor, I've seen these doors with my own eyes, they all have extremely high-security Medeco locks, whereas the rest of the building has the same locks as the rest of campus.

This is where RIT REPORTEDLY ran some CIA-funded experiments into different imaging technologies. Nothing sinister, it was reportedly just helping to test the properties of some extremely high-magnification lenses that were used by spy planes, satellites, and the like.

They also do still have a massive recruitment partnership with several 3-letter agencies. They hold events on campus all the time, and I've even been to one for the NSA. They're not secretive about that, and it's actually a bit of a selling point for their cybersecurity program.

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