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Geek Culture / Electronic Arts: Video games firm wants to stop being 'hated'

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Nickydude
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Posted: 11th Jun 2013 14:25
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Quote: "EA has been voted the "worst company in America" two years running in an online poll by Consumerist magazine, and comments posted by gamers to other sites - complaining of "price gouging" and "arrogance" - confirm many dislike it."


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22801311

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Benjamin
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Posted: 11th Jun 2013 14:27
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Quote: "EA has been voted the "worst company in America" two years running in an online poll by Consumerist magazine"


Why am I not surprised?

"Sideboobs are awesome. Getting punched in the face is not." - Jerico2Day on violence and nudity
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Slow Programmer
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Posted: 11th Jun 2013 14:51
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I could not agree more. Truly the trashiest software company on the planet.

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Van B
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Posted: 11th Jun 2013 14:54
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I remember a time when EA only had respect from computer users - admittedly this was about 25 years ago, back when they made Deluxe Paint and Bards Tale.

Nowadays things are different, but we need at least one bad guy in the industry, to make other companies 'crimes' appear acceptable by comparison. It's not all bad of course - their actions over the last decade have done wonders for the indie game market.

I got a fever, and the only prescription, is more memes.
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TheComet
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Posted: 11th Jun 2013 16:03
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Quote: "their actions over the last decade have done wonders for the indie game market."


In what way?

TheComet


Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, but Today is a Gift. That is why it is called "present".
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Van B
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Posted: 11th Jun 2013 16:23
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Regurgitating the same old titles every year, DRM, on-disk DLC... it kinda let indie developers shine a little, the more disdain for EA that gamers had, the more likely they were to look at other options, like indie games, casual games etc etc. In fact anyone who did the opposite of what EA did, could make it a headline and get some exposure on gaming websites - for a while it was any little thing that EA did was being slaughtered on gaming websites, often with statements or examples from other developers about why it was bad.

I mean, Notch says DRM is bad, that get's quoted on an article about EA, people look into this Minecraft thing and afford Notch more leeway than EA would ever get. Just an example, but the indie market is in the best position to change tactics, move to F2P without a massive financial question-mark hanging over it, embrace piracy as a marketing tool, embrace YouTube and social media as a marketing tool. Things that EA would, and have dragged their feet over... and when you finally think that EA has done a good thing, like Battlefield Friends or BFF2P - well it turns into a financial exercise... Rumpelstiltskin shows up to claim your first born - or paypal details.

I got a fever, and the only prescription, is more memes.
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TheComet
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Posted: 11th Jun 2013 16:29
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Oh right, I misunderstood your statement and thought you were suggesting EA was intentionally helping the indie market. I agree with everything you said.

Let's not forget who else helped the indie market: Valve.

TheComet


Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, but Today is a Gift. That is why it is called "present".
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ionstream
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Posted: 11th Jun 2013 19:03
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Comparing indie games to AAA games is like comparing iPhone games with console games. Some of them are fun, sure, but they are completely different classes of game and it's silly to try and compare the two. Honestly, I'd take any EA game over any indie game. Voting it the "worst company in America" is highly short sighted and pretty dumb if you ask me, considering just how many bad companies there are. And I mean actually bad, like harming people, not having annoying disk-copying practices.

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Quik
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Posted: 11th Jun 2013 19:14
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I do not agree that it's silly to compare AAA titles to indie titles - not in todays market. There's MANY MANY indie titles with AAA Quality.



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Wolf
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Posted: 11th Jun 2013 20:32
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Maybe not MANY MANY...but they are out there!



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Insert Name Here
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Posted: 11th Jun 2013 21:00
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Quote: " Voting it the "worst company in America" is highly short sighted and pretty dumb if you ask me, considering just how many bad companies there are. And I mean actually bad, like harming people, not having annoying disk-copying practices."

This is so beyond right. DLC and poor customer service can never be compared to sweat shops, oil spills and torture.

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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 11th Jun 2013 22:03 Edited at: 11th Jun 2013 22:05
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Quote: "This is so beyond right. DLC and poor customer service can never be compared to sweat shops, oil spills and torture."


Unfortunately this isn't how people judge a company. Customer satisfaction takes priority over the moral backbone of a company.

I wouldn't rate EA very highly because they're a company who seem more interested in satisfying worthy investors than customers, but they are a business and some businesses will look to capitalise as much as they can, not all are in it for bringing the world something worth while. EA have backed some great games and I wouldn't want to ignore that fact.

But yes, I would say 'worst company' is a bit extreme given companies who are actually a lot worse. But working in customer service is teaching me more and more that people have a sense of self entitlement and when you deny them that self entitlement, suddenly you're terrible at customer service or you work for a terrible company. I joked the other day, if people were as outraged as they are over a faulty dishwasher as with some of the terrible things that go on in the world then we'd have world peace.

Yes, ideally I'd like to think customers come first, but businesses need to protect their own investments too in order to survive and not make redundancies. I suspect EA rely heavily on their investors, I personally would prefer it if EA did things differently and I suspect they could satisfy both investors and customers more, but I'm not a businessman and I am not at the top of EA, so I don't think I can actually preach how their business should be run. Granted there are business practices I don't agree with, but as said, at least they're not running sweatshops or using the workforce of slaves.

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Kevin Picone
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Posted: 12th Jun 2013 01:08
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EA does seem to provoke some negative reactions these days. But I'm not too sure I'd be putting that much stock in an online poll.


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Neuro Fuzzy
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Posted: 12th Jun 2013 01:16
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Quote: "Honestly, I'd take any EA game over any indie game."

Trying not to dry heave at this. I mean, I guess it's a matter of opinion, so if you don't like what I think of as the awesome epic gameplay-innovating indie game genre, to each his own, but I strongly, strongly disagree with your taste. I'd hate to try your cooking :p.

I agree though, calling it the worst company in America sounds unlikely.


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Quik
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Posted: 12th Jun 2013 01:21
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While i don't agree that EAs GAMES are necessarily HORRIBLE, I would indeed take any indie title over any EA title - but i've had some fun with BF3, sim city - dead space.. heck even spore and darkspore



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Neuro Fuzzy
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Posted: 12th Jun 2013 02:19
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Yes! and Mass Effect and Dragon Age are in my hall of fame.


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Quik
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Posted: 12th Jun 2013 02:26
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oh yes, completly forgot about those - how dare I

but - that said, they have some good games under their belt - not to say that I think they could've been better without EA - but theyre still good games.



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Phaelax
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Posted: 12th Jun 2013 04:00
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Quote: "I remember a time when EA only had respect from computer users - admittedly this was about 25 years ago, back when they made Deluxe Paint and Bards Tale."


Same here. EA was once one of the best game companies. They also made Garrison (gauntlet)


I wouldn't call them the worst company in america, that's a big much. If they want to win some fans back but stick with their sports games, they should make a new mutant league football! I'd play that!

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Libervurto
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Posted: 12th Jun 2013 07:02
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Gamers do this strange dance where every five years or so we pick a scapegoat for everything wrong with the games industry, while we ignore the malpractice of every other company out there. I guess it's because we feel like we are getting ripped off but we know games are not important enough to take a stand over. We just want to enjoy playing games so we vent our frustrations at whoever seems to be the most universally hated publisher at the time.

An online poll is not a valid representation of public opinion anyway.

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Quik
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Posted: 12th Jun 2013 09:27
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Scapegoat.. I've disliked EA ever since spore - pretty much~



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mr Handy
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Posted: 12th Jun 2013 11:43
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Quote: "es! and Mass Effect and Dragon Age are in my hall of fame."

Total cost of DLC's several times exceeds cost of the games. And they never released GOLD edition, i.e. FULL GAME, on DVD's we have only "main story", like demo. That's my biggest turd thrown to EA.

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Libervurto
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Posted: 12th Jun 2013 12:22 Edited at: 12th Jun 2013 12:23
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Quote: "Scapegoat.. I've disliked EA ever since spore - pretty much~"

I'm not defending EA, I think they're [words that would break the AUP] but people seem to act like they are the devil and the only company to ever throw their fans under the bus. Five or six years ago it was Activision who were "the big bad".

The difficulty in learning is not acquiring new knowledge but relinquishing the old.
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Quik
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Posted: 12th Jun 2013 12:31
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nono - theyre certanly not the ONLY company - take ubisoft - i strongly dislike them too - but EA is... among the worst - if not the worst game publisher/company i've ever encountered



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Van B
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Posted: 12th Jun 2013 13:13
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Quote: "Comparing indie games to AAA games is like comparing iPhone games with console games. Some of them are fun, sure, but they are completely different classes of game and it's silly to try and compare the two. Honestly, I'd take any EA game over any indie game. Voting it the "worst company in America" is highly short sighted and pretty dumb if you ask me, considering just how many bad companies there are. And I mean actually bad, like harming people, not having annoying disk-copying practices."


Why is it silly? - EA and other publishers are desperately trying to capture the indie market, they make indie style games for mobile apps and have the weight behind them to push into the app store front page.

It might be a matter of taste, I love BF3 - but I played a helluva lot more Minecraft, Bastion is an amazing game, as are Torchlight, Grimrock, Braid... there are so many great indie games out there that I personally prefer to EA games. When I want to play online, it tends to be War Thunder, not BF3 - so that means that indie games are better right? - and it's silly to compare them?
If you'd take any EA game over any indie game, then that's great, but it has no bearing on my opinion, why on earth would it! - with that statement any interest I might have had in your taste in games is gone, I can already imagine your game collection.

I got a fever, and the only prescription, is more memes.
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Quik
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Posted: 12th Jun 2013 13:15
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wouldnt Tripwire be consirered indie?

.. at least a smaller company - my favorite MP games are Killing Floor and Red orchestra - both from Tripwire



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Nickydude
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Posted: 14th Jun 2013 18:49
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Electronic Arts: Video games firm wants to stop being 'hated'

... And then they do this:

Quote: "Thousands of players have taken to Facebook to complain about changes made to a popular mobile Scrabble app.

The changes have been made by Electronic Arts (EA), which took over the running of the app from Scrabble brand owner Mattel at the end of May."


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22905191

:/

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ionstream
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Posted: 14th Jun 2013 19:00
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Perhaps "silly" was a poor word choice, but I really feel like people give indie games a lot more slack than they deserve simply because they're made by smaller companies, and people think large company = evil company. Indie games don't have anywhere near the budget and manpower of AAA companies, so they are necessarily smaller and more directed. They will pick a game element, which may be different from the norm or not, and then either make a short game around (Journey, Braid, Limbo, countless others) that or make a procedurally generated game (Minecraft, Torchlight, Terraria). This doesn't make them bad, I've quite enjoyed Torchlight and Terraria and Killing Floor myself, but it definitely puts them in different classes of game. Play Limbo and then play Metroid Prime.

Quote: "with that statement any interest I might have had in your taste in games is gone, I can already imagine your game collection."


Heaven help me if someone doesn't like my videogame collection.

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CoffeeGrunt
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Posted: 14th Jun 2013 20:05
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Quote: "The firm said new features included the ability to play the game in six languages, customise the board, and pay for an ad-free version."


Sounds like EA alright...
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Libervurto
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Posted: 14th Jun 2013 20:37
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Hey, come on guys, I know EA are money-grubbing but give them a break, they let you play Scrabble as a trans-gender lesbian.

The difficulty in learning is not acquiring new knowledge but relinquishing the old.
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wattywatts
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Posted: 15th Jun 2013 21:55
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Quote: "pay for an ad-free version"

Thank goodness for lucky patcher.

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bond1
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Posted: 16th Jun 2013 02:06 Edited at: 16th Jun 2013 02:29
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"wants to stop being hated" is just corporate-speak for "wants to make more money"

Somehow I doubt the topic of 'being hated' comes up in top executive board meetings. At best they just threw some cash at a PR firm and said "fix our image".

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