Whether it's on a console, a PC, a smartphone or tablet, hundreds of millions of people play video games every day. Yet most mainstream media covers the industry the same way it treats adult dodge ball leagues and cat fashion shows (both noble ventures, but neither of them multi-billion dollar industries). And the only time you hear legislators discuss video games is when some politician decries them as the death knell for all things righteous in the world (hint: they're not). Now, after years of being ignored and relegated to steerage, game-players have voted to send a message to Electronic Arts and the gaming business as a whole: Stop treating your loyal customers like crap.
After more than 250,000 votes, Consumerist readers ultimately decided that the type of greed exhibited by EA, which is supposed to be making the world a more fun place, is worse than Bank of America's avarice, which some would argue is the entire point of operating a bank.
To those who might sneer at something as "non-essential" as a video game company winning the Worst Company In America vote: It's that exact kind of attitude that allows people to ignore the complaints as companies like EA to nickel and dime consumers to death.
For years, while movies and music became more affordable and publishers piled on bonus content — or multiple modes of delivery — as added value to entice customers to buy, video games have continued to be priced like premium goods.
There have even been numerous accusations that EA and its ilk deliberately hold back game content with the sole intent of charging a fee for it at a later date. It's one thing to support a game with new content that is worth the price. It's another to put out an inferior — and occasionally broken — product with the mindset of "ah, we'll fix it later and make some money for doing so."
New, independent game companies do pop up all the time, but the cost of entering the market has historically been too expensive, making these indie innovators prime targets for acquisition by mega-publishers like EA. Our hope is that the growth of app-based gaming and downloadable games will continue to make it easier for developers to get their products out without the backing of companies that don't care a lick about the people who fork over their cash.
Oh well, Worst Company In America 2012 is officially in the books. All that's left to do is send off the Golden Poo to EA.
Traditionally, the Poo has been delivered on its little red pillow. But this year, we'll give EA three different color options for its pillow, though in the end it's still the same old Poo.
Thanks again to everyone who voted. See you all again in about 49 weeks!
This is excellent news. But it will only hasten EA's plan to release the zombie virus they've been working on with all those Madden/MW dollars. Capcom warned us!
Manchu wrote:This is excellent news. But it will only hasten EA's plan to release the zombie virus they've been working on with all those Madden/MW dollars. Capcom warned us!
CthuluIsSpy wrote:Transmitted by preteen psychic Japanese schoolgirls in absurdly skimpy garb as the wind blew the skirts up, most likely.
Edited to ensure accuracy
Edit appreciated
Yuriko was preteen? I thought she was 18
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Kanluwen wrote:
Manchu wrote:This is excellent news. But it will only hasten EA's plan to release the zombie virus they've been working on with all those Madden/MW dollars. Capcom warned us!
What MW dollars?
When did EA get control of Activision?!
I think he meant Battlefield. Not surprisingly really; both of them are very similar to each other.
"Traditionally, the Poo has been delivered on its little red pillow. But this year, we'll give EA three different color options for its pillow, though in the end it's still the same old Poo."
I didn't look myself but I heard that their share price took a hit with the fan outrage at ME3's ending.
Electronic Arts has ruined so many games...its just heartbreaking. They are a despicable company and deserve to win this award every year until they stop being complete dickheads.
Most notably for the people here would be Warhammer Online. They rushed the release of that MMO so it could be released in tandem with WOTLK and potentially take sales away. It failed because WAR shouldn't have been released for probably another year at least.
They rush games for the quick buck and don't give two feths about the customer.
Karon wrote:Electronic Arts has ruined so many games...its just heartbreaking. They are a despicable company and deserve to win this award every year until they stop being complete dickheads.
Most notably for the people here would be Warhammer Online. They rushed the release of that MMO so it could be released in tandem with WOTLK and potentially take sales away. It failed because WAR shouldn't have been released for probably another year at least.
They rush games for the quick buck and don't give two feths about the customer.
Or the developers for that matter. Poor Bullfrog Studios :(. Not only were they liquidated, they then had Syndicate taken from them. And I doubt if they receive any royalties for it.
The developers aren't always blameless, especially once absorbed into a publisher (glares at Blizzard). DICE probably pulled the biggest move in the history of douche baggery when they hired the team that made Desert Combat to make Battlefield 2 and then threw them all out once the most important work had been done (and then DICE got all the credit).
Karon wrote:Electronic Arts has ruined so many games...its just heartbreaking. They are a despicable company and deserve to win this award every year until they stop being complete dickheads.
Most notably for the people here would be Warhammer Online. They rushed the release of that MMO so it could be released in tandem with WOTLK and potentially take sales away. It failed because WAR shouldn't have been released for probably another year at least.
They rush games for the quick buck and don't give two feths about the customer.
Whoa whoa whoa. Vice versa.
Warhammer Online had a release date set before Wrath of the Lich Kings had one. Blizzard set the release date for WOTLK not long after.
LordofHats wrote:The developers aren't always blameless, especially once absorbed into a publisher (glares at Blizzard). DICE probably pulled the biggest move in the history of douche baggery when they hired the team that made Desert Combat to make Battlefield 2 and then threw them all out once the most important work had been done (and then DICE got all the credit).
Yes, but DICE are completely owned by EA, to the point that EA is in their full name (EA Digital Illusions CE). Douche-baggery is expected from them :p
Either way they released it when it wasn't ready and it tanked. Which is to bad because it could have been such a great game if it hadn't been cut off at the knees from the start.
Ahtman wrote:Either way they released it when it wasn't ready and it tanked. Which is to bad because it could have been such a great game if it hadn't been cut off at the knees from the start.
That coffin was already filled when they
A) Made it a WoW clone
and
B) Made it a Warhammer Esque world, not a Warhammer one. The Lore is what makes Warhammer Warhammer, and you can't go through and systematically break the lore as badly as they did.....
Ahtman wrote:Either way they released it when it wasn't ready and it tanked. Which is to bad because it could have been such a great game if it hadn't been cut off at the knees from the start.
That coffin was already filled when they
A) Made it a WoW clone
and
B) Made it a Warhammer Esque world, not a Warhammer one. The Lore is what makes Warhammer Warhammer, and you can't go through and systematically break the lore as badly as they did.....
Ahtman wrote:Either way they released it when it wasn't ready and it tanked. Which is to bad because it could have been such a great game if it hadn't been cut off at the knees from the start.
That coffin was already filled when they
A) Made it a WoW clone
and
B) Made it a Warhammer Esque world, not a Warhammer one. The Lore is what makes Warhammer Warhammer, and you can't go through and systematically break the lore as badly as they did.....
how did they break the lore?
Firstly, they allowed only one god to rampage the Empire; in Warhammer, it takes all four of them to unite behind a single champion before Chaos becomes ANY sort of threat.
Secondly, Male Dark Elf Sorcerers; Malketh heard of a foretelling that said he would be killed by a male dark elf sorcerer, and as such he executes every single one of them as soon as he discovers that they possess magic.
Thirdly, a Goblin advising an Orc; Orcs don't care, even if they do have magic.
Actually...I think it would be possible for there to be male sorcerers...they just won't be with any DE army, warband or so on, and will most certainly be very, very rare.
Ahtman wrote:Either way they released it when it wasn't ready and it tanked. Which is to bad because it could have been such a great game if it hadn't been cut off at the knees from the start.
That coffin was already filled when they
A) Made it a WoW clone
and
B) Made it a Warhammer Esque world, not a Warhammer one. The Lore is what makes Warhammer Warhammer, and you can't go through and systematically break the lore as badly as they did.....
how did they break the lore?
Firstly, they allowed only one god to rampage the Empire; in Warhammer, it takes all four of them to unite behind a single champion before Chaos becomes ANY sort of threat.
That's not remotely true. Also, all four of the Powers had forces rampaging throughout the Empire. You only played as members of a Tzeentch dedicated tribe.
Secondly, Male Dark Elf Sorcerers; Malekith heard of a foretelling that said he would be killed by a male dark elf sorcerer, and as such he executes every single one of them as soon as he discovers that they possess magic.
This also isn't true.
Dark Elf army book, p.62
Part of the prophecy talks of a great warrior cast from his home by a sorcerer, and Malekith believes it is he to whom prophecy refers. As a result, male Dark Elf wizards are regarded with disdain, fear and superstitition, and they cannot be admitted to the Dark Convent. There are those in Naggaroth, however, who will employ such sorcerers to avoid owing a debt to the Convent of Sorcereresses.
Thirdly, a Goblin advising an Orc; Orcs don't care, even if they do have magic.
There are more, but I needsta eat.
Goblins advising Orcs might not necessarily be that common...but the Orc in charge of the great big ol' Waagh! is not a dumb one. He recognizes the value of a sneaker's input...
Spoiler:
He's also influenced by a magical talisman that Malekith put on him, after a Dark Elf raiding party captured said Warboss and brought him back to Naggaroth.
That last part though, was in the big hardcover comic packaged with the collector's edition. Every race had a comic, showing the "path to war" as the case may be.
Worst possible ending: You never woke up from touching the beacon in ME1 and the entire thing is a coma dream. On-topic: EA deserve this by far... people expect banks to be greedy sheep.
purplefood wrote:Worst possible ending: You never woke up from touching the beacon in ME1 and the entire thing is a coma dream. On-topic: EA deserve this by far... people expect banks to be greedy sheep.
Spoiler:
Everything points to Shepard either being indoctrinated or having a dying hallucination after getting hit by the Reaper at the end of Priority: Earth. Only way to break it is to have enough willpower to still desire to destroy the Reapers, which either breaks you from indoctrination or gives you enough willpower to get up and keep fighting.
purplefood wrote:Worst possible ending: You never woke up from touching the beacon in ME1 and the entire thing is a coma dream. On-topic: EA deserve this by far... people expect banks to be greedy sheep.
Spoiler:
Everything points to Shepard either being indoctrinated or having a dying hallucination after getting hit by the Reaper at the end of Priority: Earth. Only way to break it is to have enough willpower to still desire to destroy the Reapers, which either breaks you from indoctrination or gives you enough willpower to get up and keep fighting.
Hey i'm just saying that'd be the worst possible ending they could do that'd still make sense...
HONAW wrote:Now that is good. Hopefully....(but most likely not)...... It will open their eyes to the "peasants" that I am sure they refer to us as.
EA Exec 1: Goodness, it seems our fanbase is unhappy with us. We've been voted the worst company in America!
Exec 2: Does that mean they'll stop buying our games?
1: Heavens no, the companies that we've crushed beneath our feet are far too popular than that.
2: Onwards with the kitten-stomping evil, then!
Yeah, I'm thinking it'll take more than something like this for EA to care. So long as they keep an iron fist around their companies, gamers will keep buying their games.
Haliburton and BA both have already 'won' the award. It would probably be seen as pretty herpaderp and substantially diminish the symbolic impact to give the award to a company twice in the same decade.
I'm not defending EA, but surely, surely there is a company more deserving than one who makes a completely unnecessary luxury good, like video games? I mean, talk about your first world problems.
How about oil companies, or a different company who played a significant role in the GFC? I mean, BoA and others were on the poll, so IMO they're far more valid choices than EA.
I mean, giving the "award" to EA automatically makes this pretty fething ridiculous and removes any symbolic impact the award might've had in my mind and the mind of most people I know.
Giving EA the award is a bit more deep than "they suck at videogames hurr".
It symbolizes how terrible they are at customer service, how they always have a negative effect on the studio they take over, and are just asshats all around. They seem to have a complete and utter disdain for the people who buy their games.
Note that the voting was on the internet as well. Bank of the America doesn't exactly effect the majority of the voters, but EA certainly does.
Karon wrote:Giving EA the award is a bit more deep than "they suck at videogames hurr".
It symbolizes how terrible they are at customer service, how they always have a negative effect on the studio they take over, and are just asshats all around. They seem to have a complete and utter disdain for the people who buy their games.
Note that the voting was on the internet as well. Bank of the America doesn't exactly effect the majority of the voters, but EA certainly does.
What's really sad is that they don't exactly do terrible games. There are some bad examples, but for the most part the games they've got are pretty good (I know, they're publishers and not developers, but they don't exactly own a bunch of bad companies, really). The problem is their customer service is abysmal, and I've heard awful, awful things about Origin, though I myself have never had an issue with it.
certain cities hosting the financial powerhouses that is about to rule the world.
Srivijaya is not only just Indonesia, it also includes Malaysia, and Singhapore.
Lone Cat wrote:certain cities hosting the financial powerhouses that is about to rule the world.
Srivijaya is not only just Indonesia, it also includes Malaysia, and Singhapore.
Huh, I was not aware of that.
So its like Majestic 12 then?
Formosa wrote:Fifa new £39.99
Fifa second hand £36.99
havinng to buy online pass to play £10.00
Total 2nd hand price, £46.99
its a shame they can get away with it
I suppose that depends where exactly you get it from second hand... You might be lucky enough to get it off your mate for a tenner, in which case the online pass price is much less of an issue.
But yes, when it's being sold second hand that close to retail price it does strike me as being a bit off....
They're not "getting away with it". The companies selling things second-hand are not affiliated with the publishers/developers. Online passes are there specifically to screw over those second-hand retailers and to try to engender negative feelings towards them.
Kanluwen wrote:Online passes are there specifically to screw over those second-hand retailers and to try to engender negative feelings towards them.
And look how well that's going! Look at all the praise they're getting from it! Oh, How EA gets hate is beyond me.
I was talking to Golden Eyed Scout about EA, and I think I can sum up our conversation.
EA wrote:We're combating perceived piracy by hiking up the price of our games, lowering our customer service, and making it a pain in the ass to get online! Not to mention the Day One DLC, and the fact that we're now selling the real ending to Mass Effect 3 for 10 dollars!
Let's also spite second-hand sellers by creating an Online Pass that will make us money from the used games market!
Lone Cat wrote:I don't know what Majestic 12 is? but I only know that they are robber barons. their wealth always come with agony of their neighbours.
They are to be a secret meeting of the world's richest men who use secrecy and their wealth to control politicians. Its conspiracy theory stuff, granted...but then again, there are lobbyists...
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Chowderhead wrote:
Kanluwen wrote:Online passes are there specifically to screw over those second-hand retailers and to try to engender negative feelings towards them.
And look how well that's going! Look at all the praise they're getting from it! Oh, How EA gets hate is beyond me.
I was talking to Golden Eyed Scout about EA, and I think I can sum up our conversation.
EA wrote:We're combating perceived piracy by hiking up the price of our games, lowering our customer service, and making it a pain in the ass to get online! Not to mention the Day One DLC, and the fact that we're now selling the real ending to Mass Effect 3 for 10 dollars!
Let's also spite second-hand sellers by creating an Online Pass that will make us money from the used games market!
The consumer? feth 'em!
Wait what? They are charging us for the real ending of the game? Something that was meant to be in the game to begin with, or at least accessible for free?
Kanluwen wrote:Online passes are there specifically to screw over those second-hand retailers and to try to engender negative feelings towards them.
And look how well that's going! Look at all the praise they're getting from it! Oh, How EA gets hate is beyond me.
I was talking to Golden Eyed Scout about EA, and I think I can sum up our conversation.
EA wrote:We're combating perceived piracy by hiking up the price of our games, lowering our customer service, and making it a pain in the ass to get online! Not to mention the Day One DLC, and the fact that we're now selling the real ending to Mass Effect 3 for 10 dollars!
Let's also spite second-hand sellers by creating an Online Pass that will make us money from the used games market!
The consumer? feth 'em!
Wait what? They are charging us for the real ending of the game? Something that was meant to be in the game to begin with, or at least accessible for free?
I think it was due to all the hate about the ending, but they're still charging you for something that should have been in the game anyway.
Kanluwen wrote:Online passes are there specifically to screw over those second-hand retailers and to try to engender negative feelings towards them.
And look how well that's going! Look at all the praise they're getting from it! Oh, How EA gets hate is beyond me.
The fact that GameStop does not receive hate for its underhanded and slimy business practices does not make them correct.
I was talking to Golden Eyed Scout about EA, and I think I can sum up our conversation.
EA wrote:We're combating perceived piracy by hiking up the price of our games, lowering our customer service, and making it a pain in the ass to get online! Not to mention the Day One DLC, and the fact that we're now selling the real ending to Mass Effect 3 for 10 dollars!
Let's also spite second-hand sellers by creating an Online Pass that will make us money from the used games market!
The consumer? feth 'em!
What prices on games have gone up? The prices on games have been pretty steadily trending upwards, and not just because of EA or piracy.
What customer service has gone down?
Day One DLC might be annoying, but the majority of it is available for free courtesy of your *gasp* Online Passes.
You were, as with the GameStop discussion we had a few days ago, proven wrong pretty quickly on your last allegation so I'll leave that be.
Spiting second-hand sellers is fine and dandy. The online pass is, apparently, not enough of a concern for them to go under.
If the consumer is getting "fethed", it's courtesy of the second-hand sellers who are quite well aware of the requirement for Online Passes.
Yet nobody tosses vitriol their way, they just whine about EA.
LOL. GameSpot does receive hate for whatever practices people attribute to them. You, Kanluwen, are a prime example and you are certainly not alone. Trouble is, consumers seem to see GameSpots interests and more aligned with their own compared to EA's interests.
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Kanluwen wrote:What customer service has gone down?
I don't know if EA's customer service was ever good. But I do know that it is currently awful.
Manchu wrote:LOL. GameSpot does receive hate for whatever practices people attribute to them. You, Kanluwen, are a prime example and you are certainly not alone. Trouble is, consumers seem to see GameSpots interests and more aligned with their own compared to EA's interests.
Except they don't. GameStop's interests are aligned more with EA's:
Pure profit.
They don't care about you, the customer, any more than EA does. Once you've sold your games on to them/bought from them--you're nothing to them.
Once again, it doesn't matter if GameStop cares about the consumer. That's not and has never been the issue.
The way that GameStop is profiting seems more beneficial to consumers than the way that EA is profiting. Just because a benefit to the consumer is incidental to the company's profit motive doesn't render it non-existent.
Because customers are not told that those used games require an activation code or online pass which will cost them the difference.
They then pin all the blame on EA for "being greedy", when in fact Gamestop should be telling them that when selling them the used game for $5 less than the new.
Of course, that really only applies to the more "recent" titles. They'll maybe give you a whole $10(the price of an online pass, mind you) on an older--but still popular!--title.
Which if Gamestop were to start informing their customers about online passes, all of a sudden that $5 off on your used copy looks a lot less great when you have to pay $10 for an online pass...meaning Gamestop's bottom line gets hampered by them being up front with customers.
Kanluwen wrote:Remind me again why EA is the bad guy here?
Because they're greedy little gremlins who don't care at all about the quality of their product?
No one is saying Game Stop is the greatest company ever or EA is the only devil who likes to hose people. They can both be douche companies. There's enough room
Besides the usual "one dishonest employee" anecdote, do you have some evidence that GameStop is being dishonest with customers about this?
As I understand it, you're saying that (1) EA has made games which are worthless to customers who buy them used because you need an online pass to play them and (2) GameStop is selling these games as if you don't need to buy a further online pass?
Do your GameStop employees tell you that you need an online pass to play your game online?
Because out of six different GameStops within the immediate vicinity(read: 30 minutes drive give/take) of me, none will tell you that.
That said...I think I'm just going to ignore this thread from now on. It's pointless trying to argue the point, as no matter what it always comes down to "But they want money!". Well no crap they want money--they're a corporation. The reasoning for online passes is by far more acceptable to me than the underhanded business practices of Game Stop and its glorified rental service.
Kanluwen wrote:Do your GameStop employees tell you that you need an online pass to play your game online?
Because out of six different GameStops within the immediate vicinity(read: 30 minutes drive give/take) of me, none will tell you that.
Weird, because my local Game Stop actually has some friendly people working there. I forget which game it was, but I bought a used copy at one point, and they helpfully pointed out that I'd need to buy an online pass for it as well, since it was used.
Maybe I'm just one of the lucky people who lives in an area with friendly workers.
Kanluwen wrote:Do your GameStop employees tell you that you need an online pass to play your game online?
This is just the "dishonest employee" argument.
It's pointless trying to argue the point, as no matter what it always comes down to "But they want money!".
That's not what I'm saying. I have no trouble with EA or GameStop wanting money. But I want money, too, and I get to keep more of it by going to GameStop -- well, at least until EA undermines GameStop with policies that make it impossible for me to keep more of my money when I buy games there.
"We're not gouging but we are asking you to give us more money for our shotty products. It represents a substantially better future for the industry when you give us more of your money while we think of more ways to get you to pay us for not doing anything."
Online passes annoy the hell out of me. I buy a game new for the wife and me, and I then have to shell out for an online pass for one of us so we can both play/get online features?
Melissia wrote:I doubt they care as long as people keep buying their games.
This is the reason it becomes a problem. SO many people will bitch about something, and yet continue to buy from the very thing they complain so much about, and so the company in question just keeps on doing it, because everyone is a fething moron. Heres an idea, stop buying from them, buy somewhere else, if you REALLY want a game from EA, wait till someone pawns it in and buy it used, that way you get it, but EA doesnt get your business initially.
Melissia wrote:I doubt they care as long as people keep buying their games.
This is the reason it becomes a problem. SO many people will bitch about something, and yet continue to buy from the very thing they complain so much about, and so the company in question just keeps on doing it, because everyone is a fething moron. Heres an idea, stop buying from them, buy somewhere else, if you REALLY want a game from EA, wait till someone pawns it in and buy it used, that way you get it, but EA doesnt get your business initially.
Ya, well often EA buys developers you liked and then bad things happen. Pretty hard to boycot EA and Activision, they make almost everything....or soon will.
Traditionally, the Poo has been delivered on its little red pillow. But this year, we'll give EA three different color options for its pillow, though in the end it's still the same old Poo.
Traditionally, the Poo has been delivered on its little red pillow. But this year, we'll give EA three different color options for its pillow, though in the end it's still the same old Poo.
That seems too generous. EA should be given the poo itself and charged if it wants the pillow.
Traditionally, the Poo has been delivered on its little red pillow. But this year, we'll give EA three different color options for its pillow, though in the end it's still the same old Poo.
That seems too generous. EA should be given the poo itself and charged if it wants the pillow.
It's a joke on the 3 choices you get for the ending.
Never played ME of any kind. So I guess I missed the huge disappointment Anyone care to spoiler it for me? I am a bit curious why so many people were "ARRRGG!!!!!" over it
KingCracker wrote:Never played ME of any kind. So I guess I missed the huge disappointment Anyone care to spoiler it for me? I am a bit curious why so many people were "ARRRGG!!!!!" over it
They pulled a Matrix: Reloaded where you meet what is essentially "the Architect" and he gives you three options that make no bloody sense and are color coded for you convenience.
KingCracker wrote:Never played ME of any kind. So I guess I missed the huge disappointment Anyone care to spoiler it for me? I am a bit curious why so many people were "ARRRGG!!!!!" over it
It's internet over exaggeration. Play the series, it's great.
KingCracker wrote:Never played ME of any kind. So I guess I missed the huge disappointment Anyone care to spoiler it for me? I am a bit curious why so many people were "ARRRGG!!!!!" over it
It's internet over exaggeration. Play the series, it's great.
It's not an exaggeration to say the endings are terrible. People going flying rodent gak crazy over them is another story.
Just wish there was an alternative to the Madden series.
the 2K series was great did some thing better than EA sports did thing not nearly as good as EA sports.
Since EA has exclusive rights on NFL games, madden as not been as impressive. I know this is not EA's fault, but EA seems to be slacking with their NFL monopoly.
KingCracker wrote:Never played ME of any kind. So I guess I missed the huge disappointment Anyone care to spoiler it for me? I am a bit curious why so many people were "ARRRGG!!!!!" over it
It's internet over exaggeration. Play the series, it's great.
It's not an exaggeration to say the endings are terrible. People going flying rodent gak crazy over them is another story.
EA didn't win this "award" for part of a story of one game. It's taken well over a decade of sucking to acheive this honour. Annualized releases for poor value: Roster Update 2013 as the joke goes. The buying, crapifying and closing of many of the developers they're consuming like Pandemic. Nickel and diming us for DLC like Tiger Woods where to literally have to buy half the courses in the game seperately. And even the way they treat their staff with things liked forced overtime. EA has a strong presence in my town and of the people I've spoken to who've worked there not one has anything nice t say about them. That is the glory that is EA.
.
