gaming Is EA the worst gaming company?

[Koori 156]

I recently watched an IGN News video that said that EA is a semi-finalist on the worst gaming company vote. An honor it received last year too.

 

This made me wonder and ask the question: why? Why is EA one of the worst gaming companies?

 

Electronic Arts has made good games like the Need for Speed - series, SimCity (the older ones at least), The Sims, Crysis trilogy, Dead Space trilogy, Battlefield and Burnout - series. All these games are popular and/or top-notch ones.

 

The latest games (SimCity 2013 and Dead Space 3 for example) may not be perfect games, but they still deserve a chance to be played.

 

So now I ask you: Do you agree with the voting? Is EA really one of the worst gaming companies and if so why?

 

I myself consider EA one of the best gaming companies there is. It has made good games with good quality (mostly at least) and wouldn't deserve to be in this vote at all.

 

Edit: Okay, I just now noticed my mistake. EA is not the developer of the games I mentioned. In fact EA is not a developer of any games, but a publisher. All the games with EA on it means EA has published the game. Just wanted to clear that up.

Edited April 7, 2013 by Koori

[Acoustic Cloud 2,202]

I dunno, they had some pretty fun stuff back in the day.  But now.... ehhhh not so much. And really, every sport game is the same. This may just be my opinion, but it's just a thought.

[Sky Warden 2,243]

They vote EA as the worst because of its service. People say they need to wait for a long time to play, and the server is bad. I've seen so many meme about it in the Internet. Actually I have never tried to play EA games online, but they do made many good stuff in the old days.

[Steamgamer27 170]

EA's COO spoke out about that in a lengthy blog post and addressed some of the issues we consumers have been talking about. Then my response to each.

 

"Many continue to claim the Always-On function in SimCity is a DRM scheme. It’s not. People still want to argue about it. We can’t be any clearer – it’s not. Period."

 

Yes it is. Shut up.

 

"Some claim there’s no room for Origin as a competitor to Steam. 45 million registered users are proving that wrong."

 

Because we are forced to have it, for BF3 and ME3. It has nothing to do with choice. Again, try harder.

 

"That last one is particularly telling. If that’s what makes us the worst company, bring it on. Because were not caving on that."

 

Don't worry. We will. It'll come to bite you real hard, just keep up the shenanigans. Heck, make em worse. I hope BF4 has a micro transaction fee for every single weapon and piece of customization.

[Bucky McGillyCuddy 956]

I've never understood why they are so hated. A LOT of it spawned from Mass Effect 3's controversial ending. I don't mind using origin at all, it's still young and has things it can improve on but guess what? Welcome to every piece of computer software ever created.

[Just some guy 1,070]

I thought people only hated EA because of Dragon Age 2 and the ME3 endings.

 

Anyways,I never really cared what EA did.They're a greedy company,sure,but they do have to make money.I just buy whatever product looks good to me and leave it at that.I'm not gonna get upset over the fact that everybody in DA2 is Hawkesexual or that not everybody in ME2/ME3 was Shepsexual like the crazy fans over at the Bioware Social Forums or whatever.I wanted to have an enjoyable experience,and I did.My only gripe with them is that they decided to make The Old Republic MMO instead of a full-blown legit Knights of The Old Republic 3.And then make it freeminum instead of a real F2P game.

[Kamarat 103]

They still do the best sport games and I love Battlefield. Well they got good stuff too but the bad thing is, they screwed up Command and Conquer. Especially Tiberium. Those games were so awesome back in Westwood.

While doing good stuff, they screw up lots of other stuff too. So that's why they recieve so much hate.

[Rave Crocker 49]

no Rockstar games is the worst company because they always seem to leak some really important files or break things right before release 

 

also they didn't "make" any of those games , EA Games sell other companies games, well except the EA sports branch

Edited April 6, 2013 by ravecrocker

[Hawk Moth 390]

Why would EA be a bad company? Also don't forget that they're a publisher as well, so a lot of the bad games with their name on them could just be made by others and just published by them. I've been hearing this anti-EA stuff for years, and while I used to blindly go along with it, I don't really understand what the reasoning is.

[Koori 156]

"Some claim there’s no room for Origin as a competitor to Steam. 45 million registered users are proving that wrong."

 

Because we are forced to have it, for BF3 and ME3. It has nothing to do with choice. Again, try harder.

 

Wait, wait, wait... so for example Steam is only a choice software in order to play games like Half-Life 2, Tomb Raider, Dishonored and Metro 2033 and we were never forced to have Steam installed into our computer and start up the games? *scratches head* I always thought both programs were a must and forced upon us. It wasn't like we could choose not to.

 

Both Origin and Steam are meant to make the multiplayer, find players we know and also buying and downloading possible dlcs easier to approach and use. Take Mass Effect 3 for example. Thanks to Origin, we know what dlcs there are, which ones are free and which ones cost us and we can download them directly and they get installed automatically.

Edited April 6, 2013 by Koori

[Soundgarden 2,758]

Well they can atleast count past 2

 

I don't like EA at all, mainly because of their legendary crappy support and horrible DRM. They never support their games with updates, and ruined the C&C series and according to many SimCity fans, ruined that franchise as well (but I can't say much about the SimCity part, I've never played it myself)

[Steamgamer27 170]

Wait, wait, wait... so for example Steam is only a choice software in order to play games like Half-Life 2, Tomb Raider, Dishonored and Metro 2033 and we were never forced to have Steam installed into our computer and start up the games? *scratches head* I always thought both programs were a must and forced upon us. It wasn't like we could choose not to.

 

Both Origin and Steam are meant to make the multiplayer, find players we know and also buying and downloading possible dlcs easier to approach and use. Take Mass Effect 3 for example. Thanks to Origin, we know what dlcs there are, which ones are free and which ones cost us and we can download them directly and they get installed automatically.

 

Steam is a much different platform than Origin. They have the same basic idea, but Steam handles it much, much better. Origin exists JUST for EA's profit; I doubt you'll ever see a competitor's game on Origin. Steam is for anyone who wants to be there. They are fairly open, so long as the developers and publishers play by the rules.

 

From what I understand, those rules are pretty fair, too. Anyway, if Origin is successful, every publisher out there will think they need their own digital download service. Do you really want to have an unique digital download service for every single developer and publisher? We already have to deal with 3 major ones (Origin, Battle.Net, Steam) and several others (GoG, Impulse, GamersGate, etc)... do we really want more?

[Aaramus 449]

I have a very strong disliking for EA due to their very anti-consumer actions recently. As a console gamer you may not be as affected but when it comes to the PC they've done an awful lot to annoy a lot of people.

 

For a start the always online DRM nonsense of SimCity was just silly. You're giving a primarily single player series an always online DRM? They were out of their minds when they came up with that, plus somebody actually managed to get the game running in an offline mode!

 

While I don't have a problem with Origin existing I do wish that they would release their games on Steam, as it's my platform of choice. I don't mind having Origin but I wish they wouldn't force me to have it. I'd be okay to use Origin as well if I could buy their games from another place to and just given a key.

 

EA very much try to please their investors and not the consumer. It basically boils down to terrible ways of dealing with DLC and unnecessary and restricting DRM.

 

I would like to point out that they are not the only company that does this, just they've received the most public criticism recently.

 

One more thing I'd like to point out: The heads of the company are incredibly arrogant and refuse to acknowledge their errors and although recently they said "they will do better" they're not looking to improve in the areas that matter at all.

Edited April 10, 2013 by Aaramus

[Doc Ginger 86]

I would just like to point out that a few people on this thread appear to believe that publishing companies and developers are one and the same. Their not. EA does not develop most of the shit their given credit for on this thread. EA are publishers.. All they do is fund the developers in exchange for the rights to the games that are created. 

 

SO EA being worst gaming publishers has nothing to do with the games that are released (To a point) It is more about their horrible views on customers and consumerism, in addition to their forcing players to use their products (Origin) and the things they force onto game developers so that they can cut all that much bigger a slice of the cake. (always online DRM, releasing essentially patches as DLC for more than their worth and the like)

 

I agree with EA being worst gaming publishers out there. A few others come close but EA always manages to take the lead in stepping on their customers. 

[Sunbro 4 Lyfe 939]

Oh they're not bad. They have good games. Like mass effect, the witcher and sim city ( i havent played those last two). The new sim city isn't bad from what i've seen, except for two things:

You can only build cities in certain plots.

Online DRM.

 

In fact in my opinion, the only reason to dislike EA is because of Online DRM.

[Megas 27,724]

I do think they're the worst, if not then they're up there along with Activision, and Capcom.

 

Why exactly EA is such a bad company perhaps?

 

- Shoving Origin down everyone's through: As someone stated earlier, it exist solely for them to make more money

- Shitty customer support

- The yearly sports titles bring very little to the table, taken a step further with the Wii and Vita version of Fifa 13 when it was literally just a roster update and that's it

- After the success of Call of Duty, they've been milking Battlefield to no end

- Next one is a little personal, but killing Medal of Honor, mainly after the mediocre reboot and the awful Warfighter

- DRMs, it's like they learned nothing from Diablo III

- Buying talented developers, and killing them later on, like Westwood

- Wanting to use Microtransasctions in all of their games

- The situation with the Wii U and Nintendo. imo, the only game they got right was Need For Speed Most Wanted U. The port of Mass Effect 3 in particular felt like a gigantic F*** you to Nintendo fans who wanted to try the series, mostly because they just announced releasing the Mass Effect Trilogy just after the port, and refusing to port that instead to the Wii U. There's also refusing to support Nintendo Platforms from now on, including the Wii U not getting EA's sports games, which just further confirms the rumors that Nintendo didn't want to use Origin for their online structure

[Lightning Bolt 65]

I believe it is one of the worst publishers, sometimes rushing their developers to make a certain release date rather than let the game reach full completion. Plus those servers are awful, I joke around with my friends everytime I get disconnected with their servers, "That how you know it's a EA game." OP I also think your getting developers mixed with publishers. Developers make the games like Criterion, Dice, and Visceral. EA is their publisher or boss. Making due dates and giving them the finance I believe.(I'm not a expert so correct me if im wrong.)

Also online passes.

[Hawk Moth 390]

I do think they're the worst, if not then they're up there along with Activision, and Capcom.

 

Why exactly EA is such a bad company perhaps?

 

- Shoving Origin down everyone's through: As someone stated earlier, it exist solely for them to make more money

- Shitty customer support

- The yearly sports titles bring very little to the table, taken a step further with the Wii and Vita version of Fifa 13 when it was literally just a roster update and that's it

- After the success of Call of Duty, they've been milking Battlefield to no end

- Next one is a little personal, but killing Medal of Honor, mainly after the mediocre reboot and the awful Warfighter

- DRMs, it's like they learned nothing from Diablo III

- Buying talented developers, and killing them later on, like Westwood

- Wanting to use Microtransasctions in all of their games

- The situation with the Wii U and Nintendo. imo, the only game they got right was Need For Speed Most Wanted U. The port of Mass Effect 3 in particular felt like a gigantic F*** you to Nintendo fans who wanted to try the series, mostly because they just announced releasing the Mass Effect Trilogy just after the port, and refusing to port that instead to the Wii U. There's also refusing to support Nintendo Platforms from now on, including the Wii U not getting EA's sports games, which just further confirms the rumors that Nintendo didn't want to use Origin for their online structure

What is another major publisher that doesn't do most of those things? It seems like microtransactions are universal now, thanks to MMO's. Also what company has good customer support?

[Warith 58]

I recently watched an IGN News video that said that EA is a semi-finalist on the worst gaming company vote. An honor it received last year too.

 

This made me wonder and ask the question: why? Why is EA one of the worst gaming companies?

 

Electronic Arts has made good games like the Need for Speed - series, SimCity (the older ones at least), The Sims, Crysis trilogy, Dead Space trilogy, Battlefield and Burnout - series. All these games are popular and/or top-notch ones.

 

The latest games (SimCity 2013 and Dead Space 3 for example) may not be perfect games, but they still deserve a chance to be played.

 

So now I ask you: Do you agree with the voting? Is EA really one of the worst gaming companies and if so why?

 

I myself consider EA one of the best gaming companies there is. It has made good games with good quality (mostly at least) and wouldn't deserve to be in this vote at all.

It isn't because the games themselves are bad but what is bad is how EA butchers them with ridiculous amounts of DLCs, available only on Origin (their own version of steam), Online Only crap, Terribly slow servers (on top of the online only),  over using an idea/game.

Edited April 7, 2013 by Warith

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,695]

Of course not. The worst gaming companies are the ones that made Big Rigs, Anubis II and most of the games on the Atari Jaguar.

 

EA is the worst popular gaming company.

[Stalliongrad 982]

EA does a good job at carrying titles you want to play but then ruining them by cutting corners. I dont play on PC but im told you cant play single player on some EA games without logging on to Origin. That is crazy. They think everyone wants to share everything just because we live in the era if social networking. I dont think EA is the worst but they certainly are in the running for worst. Cryptic Studios is worst.

[zDashiez 496]

One reason EA is hated so much is because they viewed as only caring about money, trying to milk as much of it out of every gamer that buys their games. They have terrible service and little regard to their customers and games.
And their recent rise in those codes required to play multiplayer to discourage buying second hand games.  

 

Oh and shoving origin down everyone's throat, wasn't able to use my battlefield account because of that golden turd 
 

I've never understood why they are so hated. A LOT of it spawned from Mass Effect 3's

Mass effect 3's ending is kinda what made people notice that EA are greedy and cheap, there was a message at the end of the credits saying something like "Please purchase dlc to continue Shepard's story"   

Edited April 7, 2013 by zRevenantz

[Videogameget 5]

I recently watched an IGN News video that said that EA is a semi-finalist on the worst gaming company vote. An honor it received last year too.

 

This made me wonder and ask the question: why? Why is EA one of the worst gaming companies?

 

Electronic Arts has made good games like the Need for Speed - series, SimCity (the older ones at least), The Sims, Crysis trilogy, Dead Space trilogy, Battlefield and Burnout - series. All these games are popular and/or top-notch ones.

 

The latest games (SimCity 2013 and Dead Space 3 for example) may not be perfect games, but they still deserve a chance to be played.

 

So now I ask you: Do you agree with the voting? Is EA really one of the worst gaming companies and if so why?

 

I myself consider EA one of the best gaming companies there is. It has made good games with good quality (mostly at least) and wouldn't deserve to be in this vote at all.

 

EA is the worst, end of discussion.

 

(Why? Because EA has made poor business decisions in the past. After the new SimCity, it's still an issue.)

[Megas 27,724]

What is another major publisher that doesn't do most of those things? It seems like microtransactions are universal now, thanks to MMO's. Also what company has good customer support?

Yes, a lot of companies do these things, doesn't mean many like it, and expressing complaints is usually a good way of letting publishers now if something is a bad idea, though actually has to listen in order for people to be satisfied. For microtransactions, they are becoming more common, and what people are afraid of are games going by a "pay to win" method that takes the fun out of actually playing the damn game, that's why people don't want microtransactions. And with customer support, based on what I've heard from friends and personal experience Nintendo and Valve have pretty good CS, though I don't see what your point is going, if "everyone does it, so it's fine" is your arguement, then that's pretty weak, especially that all of these things are pretty common among a lot of publishing companies, but EA gets a lot of hate cause they do all of it

[Hawk Moth 390]

Yes, a lot of companies do these things, doesn't mean many like it, and expressing complaints is usually a good way of letting publishers now if something is a bad idea, though actually has to listen in order for people to be satisfied. For microtransactions, they are becoming more common, and what people are afraid of are games going by a "pay to win" method that takes the fun out of actually playing the damn game, that's why people don't want microtransactions. And with customer support, based on what I've heard from friends and personal experience Nintendo and Valve have pretty good CS, though I don't see what your point is going, if "everyone does it, so it's fine" is your arguement, then that's pretty weak, especially that all of these things are pretty common among a lot of publishing companies, but EA gets a lot of hate cause they do all of it

Even before F2P and microtransactions were around, I remember hearing a lot of EA hate. My point is that if everyone is guilty, why is EA singled out? I'm not doubting that EA isn't guilty of having bad customer support (but I haven't seen evidence of it either) or that they are pushing microtransactions on people. I just think it's pretty hard to say an entire company is bad when that company has its hands in so many different things. I'll admit that I've done no research on any of this. It seems like microtransactions are everywhere and more indicative of Valve than anything else, given Steam. Again, I'm not doubting that EA has done a lot of stupid things. I just want evidence that they have done more stupid things than anyone else.