gaming Are there any video game companies that you've put on a boycott list?

[Chadbacca 375]

I am aware that this topic might be a bit on the harsh and/or dramatic side, but I'll be the first to admit that I can think of five video game companies that have become so dishonest, greedy, or flat-out corrupt to the point that unless there's a game I want that doesn't have any catches whatsoever (No always-online third-party DRM, no microtransactions, etc.), I would never buy a game from them again. 

 

Activision Blizzard:  Greedy as heck, would happily shove in microtransactions into their games a month after release, treats those that aren't at the top like trash, and I'll admit that they ruined Blizzard with their corporate influence. Oh, and they also manage to evade paying their taxes.

 

Electronic Arts: Has a known history of buying smaller developers, milking their franchises dry, then eventually shutting them down when they no longer need them, has proven to be breaking the law in several countries around the world regarding FIFA and Madden's Ultimate Team packs (since they're basically loot boxes and loot boxes are considered gambling), constantly lies about their practices.

 

Ubisoft: A lot of their games these days are repetitive cut and paste open-world fests, microtransactions up the rear, and they constantly lie through their teeth. Oh, and the higher ups don't give a damn about how abusive their work environment is even after they were exposed last year.

 

Take-Two Interactive: Corrupt as hell and overly greedy, not to mention that the CEO of the company is also the chairman of the Entertainment Software Association, thus corrupting the industry from the inside out.

 

Konami: Basically treats their developers, IP's, and customers like trash these days

 

Simply put, corporations are scum, but a lot of us probably know that by now.

[Steve Piranha 28,778]

I don’t actively boycotted any of those because they don’t make good games these days anyway 

I did make a degree of boycott to Nintendo after WII, home consoles at least. Took me about two years to convince me Switch was good shit, and gave them another chance, and paid off 

[Megas 27,063]

I got a couple

Activision - I enjoyed CoD, but my interest finally started waning when BlOPS 4 went MP-only, but then there was the bullshit they pulled with Vicarious Visions and Toys For Bob, after a series of very successful revivals their effort was rewarded by putting them into the CoD assembly line, fuck this

Ubisoft - Only bought two games from the last few years, Mario Rabbids and Immortals Fenyx Rising. But then the abuse allegations came, after that I don't want to keep giving them money unless they finally shape up, but given they keep protecting those same abusers, doesn't seem likely

[EpicEnergy 22,074]

I find it inconsistent to boycott certain video game companies when there are numerous companies that specialize in other departments that are equally, if not more, greedy, inconsiderate, corrupt, and intolerable as certain video game companies. Take hotels for example, they will charge you for ridiculous things and so do airports. Not to mention that toy companies and movie companies, such as Disney, are also corrupted and exist solely to make as much money as possible.

Anyways, I have no video games companies that I would boycott because I'm too busy with my own life to bother with insignificant and futile efforts to make video game development corporations turn from their corrupt and greedy ways. There's nothing me or anyone else can do to accomplish such a thing, such a change can only take place if the government gets involved and I'm sure no one wants that to happen since it will be giving the government too much power in the video game industry.

[Sir Hugsalot 8,621]

I am never going to hate company so much I'll just openly declare a lifetime boycott, but I can easily name those that fall into the "no preorders" list. 

Electronic Arts as whole - while lately they managed to reform a bit with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Mass Effect legendary edition they still have a long way to go before I can say "yeah, those guys learned their lesson". 

Ubisoft - just like copy pasting online articles as part of university thesis is not acceptable unless a good reason is given, copy pasting same game multiple times is just something I can't support. 

CD Projekt RED - epic fall from grace with Cyberpunk 2077. Those guys bamboozled me big time and Hide The Pain Harold is pretty much me having a "good time" with that game. It's such a shame, but I am sorry, guys. You dropped the ball and it's time to fix Your mess if You are to gain my trust again. 

Bethesda - I'll make it short... I T  J U S T  W O R K S

[Astralshy 23,555]

I also don't boycott companies. My rule is: No prebuy or preorder for everycompany. I only buy a game if:

• it's out for some time (at least some days)
• it has some objective reports/gameplays/analysis
• it seems to be in a good and reasonable state. They don't need to be perfect and there is really no program without a (potential) bug, but they must be in a sensible state
• of course the game needs to interest me
• game must have a reasonable price

But there are some companies like Bethesda I'm very extra cautious with. They lost there once earned trust

 

[DixonTheAdversary 1,631]

I'd probably say EA for new games, if I want a game from EA, I'll buy it pre-owned.

[Flying Pencil 3,023]

No, not really. Might change in the future, but very unlikely 

[Sonic Shimmer 4,116]

I don’t really boycott companies in that way.

I’ll probably never buy anything by Konami again but that’s because they don’t release anything worth spending money on anymore.

[Dreambiscuit 8,024]

I haven't boycotted any game making companies because I don't play enough games to know one from another. But I have boycotted Sony/PS4 as far as consoles/companies go. I have the PS4 and I still use it for the few games I'm obliged to play with others, but I will not pay Sony a dime for DLC or anything else. I will not buy their new PS5 system or any of the peripherals. It's bad enough that it costs $60 a year for PSPlus so I can play online with my friends, but they apparently don't feel they're getting enough out of me unless they're screwing it out of me. They don't need to use my credit card info to make charges without my consent, or manipulate my settings to accommodate this. I would have been fine with paying for their services all by myself without them 'taking' the money from me. When I complained about it and stopped the credit card payment, Sony shut down my account and held all my saved game data hostage untill I relented and gave them back the money they improperly took.  Sony sucks. I'll be an XBox customer in future.