Ok look...I have a mind of my own. My modern collection of games is fairly sparse. I don't follow trends for the most part. A game has to be REALLY good for me to shell 60 bones for it. I don't even have titles I SHOULD never mind over hyped under programmed slap dashed pieces of crap (that look pretty). So when I pull out my baseball bat and go to town on folks-you KNOW you screwed up.
EA and IGN is a match made in heaven. I know that I have no where near the fan base as IGN but I'm gonna say it-I'm gonna tear this piece of dog crap article up before your very eyes. Please check this out I'm going to pull excerpts and if you think I am being unfair here is the whole article...NOTHING is taken out of context. http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/14/why-do-people-hate-ea?utm_campaign=ign+main+twitter&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social
First and foremost this is not "News" asking why there is hate towards a company isn't news. News is when they are announcing a new project or CEO or something. This is coddling.
"Let's be clear EA is a corporation and its primary concern is making money." I agree with that. That is one hundred percent true and yes-yes I agree. The writer goes on to say more or less "Hey if evil greedy people are in charge then 'whatever' they're gonna do bad things." Ok sounds like you're making excuses but whatever I can let it slide even though I shouldn't. The writer then goes on to say "EA is publicly traded" OHHHH ok then yes that DOES make all the poor quality and shady business practices ok. As long as money is involved sure. Once you have stock to worry about all is fair? fuck you. Facebook has gone public and has yet to openly screw over its fans/users.
Quote EA "...We employ over 9,000 people. We invest over a billion dollars a year in R&D, most of which doesn't see revenue until the following year, or in some instances, the year after that. And so you've constantly got to be making money to reinvest money to make great games.” There's one problem here...EA usually doesnt make a great game. Sports, sports, sports, sports. These things hit thrift stores sometimes only weeks after being released. Is THAT where great games go?
This line is great proof that IGN took an envelope to write this article "If EA was the only company in gaming trying to figure this stuff out (day one DLC and other buying add ons), in a way that suits its shareholders and its customers, and sometimes getting it badly wrong, then there would be an easy explanation for the hate. But it’s not. Every company is trying to figure it out, because if they don’t they’ll go broke." Do not adjust your monitors there is nothing wrong with them. You read that. This frickin jakinape thinks that if people DON'T buy the DLC and add ons EA will go broke?! What the hell? seriously? What happened in the days BEFORE DLC? You know Genesis SNES etc. EA GREW exponentially! HOW? Not through DLC or add ons. What-NOW if they dont get 80 bucks per game they're done for? Shut the hell up-just shut the hell up.
"They are feeling their way through the dark and they are afraid." yeah I'd be afraid too if I were a billion dollar corporation that in order to make money all it needed to do was make mediocre crap. Cancel that-THIS line is proof they took an envelope...how can this guy know EA is afraid?
This writer also makes mention that the 60 dollar game is dying. He's kinda right but I wholeheartedly doubt it is for the right reasons. Look as I mentioned in the opening of this post I should have stuff that I don't. I really wouldn't mind shelling out 60 if I felt I got my money's worth. And that's what all these morons don't get. Its not the PRICE of the game but the QUALITY! Price has nothing to do with it. Lamborghini isn't going under because their cars cost too much. They must make a car worth every penny it costs in order to be around and have such a rep. So using that logic what can we conclude what about lowering the price of games?
It gets better folks check this quote out. "Unfortunately EA is slightly different, and this is the second reason for the hate. EA is the only company where you can buy Madden. Mass Effect, Battlefield, and Need For Speed. Those games all have competitors, but you are invested in these particular games because they have stories and characters and modes that you care about. So the ‘don’t buy it’ mantra makes way less sense. This is a phenomenon that works equally well with, say, George Lucas. If you want a different sort of Star Wars movie, you’re kind of powerless." Right so if you don't like it just buy it anyway? is that what you mean? Or is it more if we didn't want it it couldn't be made? Well ok let's see he's right they are the only Madden franchise for all those guys who are gonna care about it for a month after it comes out. Mass Effect is over. The story is done-with a great ending all the fans enjoyed. Battlefield is still sort of reeling from certain issues. Need for Speed is always need for speed...drive fast in cool cars. Could it be that most of their franchises suck and THAT'S why EA has garnered a lot of ill will?
But back to what he said "the consumer is powerless" How wrong you are. How woefully wrong you are. if EVERYONE said you know what we aren't buying anything EA puts out for two years-they'd be done for. I'm not saying that SHOULD happen I have no personal beef with EA (only media hand jobs like this one) I am only saying that consumers DO have power. Back to your wonderful dog analogy cuz that was beautiful. If you give a dog crappy dog food and you just expect him to eat it over and over-he's gonna get sick of it. He may in fact piss on your carpet or run away entirely. Customer loyalty can only be pushed so far. During a CG scene less than 5 minutes long EA learned that the hard way.
When speaking of Origin EA's digital game distribution site the author writes. "And its done some very stupid things, like banning accounts for no good reason or failing to invest sufficiently in customer support." Money first customers second. This is the fastest way to piss off costumers and yet this guy still doesn't seem to get it or is told that he is not going to get it by his boss.
"I know that I place myself in the firing line by daring to suggest that EA is flawed, imperfect, sometimes idiotic, but not hateful. I know it’s uncool to side with a corporation and say ‘well, they have good reason to behave in this way’. And I also know that EA’s phalanx of PRs will not thank me for bringing this whole subject up again." uh no they wanted this article they obviously paid for it with it being so one sided.
When I was at EA's rival I felt like I was treated like garbage. I really did. Then one day in walks a girl named Joy and she says she used to work for EA. One of the things she couldn't stop saying was how much better treated that she felt here. I was not the only one who laughed and thought she was kidding at first. Then I thought...damn...
If you want to know how well a company is doing talk to its customers and LOW level employees. Neither of which pay EA any praise...yet IGN and its writers do. Please stop the nonsense-no one believes this crap anyway.
