EA Really Doesn't Want to be The Worst Company In America

[The Wooster]

EA Really Doesn't Want to be The Worst Company In America

"The tallest trees catch the most wind," argues EA's Peter Moore.

It seems increasingly likely that EA will win The Consumerist's "Worst Company in America" award [http://consumerist.com/2013/04/05/worst-company-in-america-semifinals-ea-vs-ticketmaster/] for the second year running. The publisher has already knocked AT&T off the poll and is currently going up against Ticketmaster. Should it emerge "victorious," EA will then have to face either Bank of America or Comcast in the final.

Now, I've been a bit sore at EA since it dissolved Bullfrog (and in EA controversy terms that was like a billion years ago), but I'm not sure I'd label it the worst company in America. I mean, even discounting the presence of corporate hate-sponges like BP and Bank of America, EA is going up against Ticketmaster. TICKETMASTER. [http://consumerist.com/2008/10/12/ticketmaster-is-evil-and-must-die/]

Naturally, EA isn't particularly keen on being labeled the worst company in the nation, and thus, Chief Operating Officer, Peter Moore, has penned a short piece in its defense. The article, originally posted on EA's site, seems to be one part apology, two parts defensive arguments and a splash of gloating for flavor.

We Can Do Better

by Peter Moore, EA chief operating officer

The tallest trees catch the most wind.

That's an expression I frequently use when asked to defend EA's place in the gaming industry. And it comes to mind again this week as we get deeper into the brackets of an annual Web poll to name the "Worst Company in America."

This is the same poll that last year judged us as worse than companies responsible for the biggest oil spill in history, the mortgage crisis, and bank bailouts that cost millions of taxpayer dollars. The complaints against us last year were our support of SOPA (not true), and that they didn't like the ending to Mass Effect 3.

This year's contest started in March with EA outpolling a company which organizers contend is conspiring to corner the world market on mid-priced beer, and (gulp) allegedly waters down its product. That debate takes place in bars - our audience lives on the Internet. So no surprise that we drew more votes there.

Let me cut to the chase: it appears EA is going to "win." Like the Yankees, Lakers and Manchester United, EA is one of those organizations that is defined by both a legacy of success, and a legion of critics (especially me regarding all three of those teams).

Are we really the "Worst Company in America?" I'll be the first to admit that we've made plenty of mistakes. These include server shut downs too early, games that didn't meet expectations, missteps on new pricing models and most recently, severely fumbling the launch of SimCity. We owe gamers better performance than this.

Some of these complaints are 100 percent legitimate - like all large companies we are not perfect. But others just don't hold water:
[ul]
[li]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. [/li]

[li] Some claim there's no room for Origin as a competitor to Steam. 45 million registered users are proving that wrong. [/li]

[li] Some people think that free-to-play games and micro-transactions are a pox on gaming. Tens of millions more are playing and loving those games. [/li]

[li] We've seen mailing lists that direct people to vote for EA because they disagree with the choice of the cover athlete on Madden NFL. Yes, really...[/li]

[li] In the past year, we have received thousands of emails and postcards protesting against EA for allowing players to create LGBT characters in our games. This week, we're seeing posts on conservative web sites urging people to protest our LGBT policy by voting EA the Worst Company in America. [/li][/ul]

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

We are committed to fixing our mistakes. Over the last three weeks, 900,000 SimCity players took us up on a free game offer for their troubles. We owed them that. We're constantly listening to feedback from our players, through our Customer Experience group, Twitter, this blog, or other sites. The feedback is vital, and impacts the decisions we make.

I expect the debate will include a lot of comments under this post. But here's the truth: each year EA interacts with more than 350 million gamers; Origin is breaking records for revenue and users; The Simpsons: Tapped Out and Real Racing 3 are at the top of the mobile charts; Battlefield 3 and FIFA are stunning achievements with tens of millions of players; and SimCity is being enjoyed by millions of passionate fans all over the world.

Every day, millions of people across globe play and love our games - literally, hundreds of millions more than will vote in this contest.

So here's my response to this poll: We can do better. We will do better. But I am damn proud of this company, the people around the globe who work at EA, the games we create and the people that play them.

The tallest trees catch the most wind. At EA we remain proud and unbowed.

I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

Source: EA [http://www.ea.com/news/we-can-do-better]



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[GAunderrated]

I can't be the only one who read his bullet points going "bullshit....more bullshit....padded numbers.....and more bullshit"

EA has got to stop trying to justify themselves because they can't. I am sorry the decisions they are making are not justifiable so please stop it. We arn't going to buy your crap opinions on the matter.

 

[gigastar]

Im sure that Activision is a taller tree than EA, yet theyve done nothing to piss off this many people over the last 2 years.

 

[Xdeser2]

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.

Enough to tell you that this letter is utter bullshit. Period.

In the past year, we have received thousands of emails and postcards protesting against EA for allowing players to create LGBT characters in our games. This week, we're seeing posts on conservative web sites urging people to protest our LGBT policy by voting EA the Worst Company in America.

NO EA! You do not get to Spin the story and take the Moral high ground on this shit! Dont try to fool people by lumping these intolerant assholes with the people actually making legitimate complaints against your practices. You dont get to try to make yourself look progressive like that.

(As you can tell, Im a bit passionate about this lol)

Still though, I'm glad Grey posted this without much opinion on it all, leave it a bit ambiguous lol

 

[dragongit]

If you don't want a reputation of being a puppy kicker, then stop kicking puppies! It's as simple as that!

On top of that, they charge you money every time they kick your puppy. Don't support a puppy kicker.

 

[1337mokro]

Objectively no EA. You are not worse than people that literally rob people of their money, launder money, make fraudulent inside trader deals, illegally foreclose on mortgages, etc. You are not as bad as those people. That should be quite a comfort to you. That you are in fact not worse than fraudulent robberbaron bankers. Now instead of patting yourself on the fucking back about not being on the bottom of the barrel how about trying to actually climb out of that barrel?

Instead of continuing to deny the DRM bullshit with SimCity, rework the online model to where we have an offline mode, where the online actually adds something rather than perpetuate what is up to this point the most simplistic and worst SimCity game ever made.

Instead of boasting that you forced 45 million people to register so they can play their games instead turn your DRM device into an actual store. You are not competing with steam because you are not even making the tiniest effort to do so. No sales, no wide library of games. Not even a fucking 5$ discount on your own products. Awesome.... I can't wait to shop there instead of on GMG where literally every game is 20% off all the time...

If you expect people to thank you for inserting microtransactions into already overpriced games (a PC game should never cost 60$ when every other company on earth except Activision seems to think 50$ are more than enough, there is no licensing fee there you greedy assholes) I suggest you take your medicine to stop yourselves from hallucinating.

The one thing I will grant you is that your continued support of LGBT characters in roleplaying games is a much needed voice in a layer of society where gay is a basic insult. Congratulations on achieving basic human decency EA. The people that vote you as worst company because commander Shepard could dock his pod into Cortez bay are homophobic scum.

That still leaves you with a 1-3 disadvantage.

You might not be the worst company of America, but that is because there are worse people than you in the world, not because you are better than those people. If I had told my father that my report card was horrible but that I at least wasn't the stupidest kid in class because some other kid was even stupider I would have gotten my ass beaten.

Don't pretend like "Not The Worst" is a fucking achievement. It just means that you failed at that to.

 

[Mylinkay Asdara]

EA, you should have listened to us before we had to go to extremes to get your attention, then maybe you wouldn't be up this creek. I have no sympathy, don't act like you're being bullied, and stop doing things that make your consumers hate you. It's pretty simple.

I can't believe they didn't know what kind of hate they've been building when we've been telling them about it every step of the way. I also can't believe that they didn't know what kind of long grudges gamers tend to hold. So, in my opinion - they made their bed now they can cry in it.

I still want Dragon Age: Inquisition to be good - if it is, I'll tone down the hate. That's the salvation EA: start doing better, and we'll stop telling you how much you suck.

 

[Knight Templar]

EA isn't a good company, that is certainly true. However EA, as bad they are claimed to be, are far from the worst in america by a very large margin.

That said:
[quote = Peter Moore]
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.
[/quote]
Then what is it?
So far the given explanations for it have been lies. You're not doing anything server side other than storing saves (that isn't from real necessity either) and facilitating multiplayer, something that doesn't lead to needing a constant internet connection for the game to work at all.

All evidence is against what is being said here, and we cannot take you at your word because as already noted, previous explanations from EA were found to be factually incorrect. The distrust and lack of honesty EA shows to its customers means when they say something we have every reason not to believe it until a third party confirms it.

And with that said, this statement is a slight move in the right direction. Sure there is some bullshit here, a lot of deflection and rigorous abuse of what is basicly an argumentum ad populum, but this line is a good thing "We owe gamers better performance than this.".
Yes, you do.

 

[Krantos]

Ugh.

You know, I want to be mad.

I want to raise a banner and point out all the flaws in Moore's argument.

I just can't dredge up enough emotion about it. I'm tired of you EA. I'm tired. All I will do is point out that "The Tallest Tree Catches the Most Wind" is basically the same as saying "People just don't like us because we're successful."

I can't do it anymore EA. Please just stop already.

The worst part of this is, it proves EA is confident in what it's doing. It doesn't think it's doing anything wrong and that it's detractors are wrong to complain. That. THAT is what wears me out.

I opened article thinking for one moment that EA was going to say something along the lines of "We want to improve our public image so people think more highly of us." Instead it's just more of the "Why to people hate EA?" bullshit.

I'm done. You won't learn EA. You won't admit you're doing anything wrong, so there's no hope of you ever improving.

 

[mrhateful]

If you don't want a reputation of being a puppy kicker, then stop kicking puppies! It's as simple as that!

On top of that, they charge you money every time they kick your puppy. Don't support a puppy kicker.

My point I have refused to play/buy Mass Effect 3, I plan to play it on the day EA dies and forever be reminded with joy. If EA never dies then I will never play it and forever loath gamers for supporting EA.

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

Huh that's funny EA, we don't want you to be the worst company ever either. And yet here we are.

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.

So your sticking with it's an MMO thing then huh? Funny cause I though MMOs generally supported a bit more than 16 concurrent players. I can keep calling a banana a female aardvark, but it doesn't make it anymore true. SimCity's always online requirement is DRM, no amount of weaseling will change that.

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

Granted there is room Origin to compete, however your not going to win out over your competitor if you strong arm customers into using your service when your competitor is clearly the better alternative. You can say Valve did a similar thing back with Half Life 2 but there was nothing like Steam before that, you can't just use that same strategy after on your platform after Steam has had years to cement itself and improve.

Some people think that free-to-play games and micro-transactions are a pox on gaming. Tens of millions more are playing and loving those games.

Your twisting words here. No people actually like f2p, see LOL, DOTA2, Tribes Ascend and Planetside 2. What they don't like is your implementation of f2p in your games, see that Simpsons travesty and TOR. Further people certainly don't like micro transactions in games that already cost £40.

We've seen mailing lists that direct people to vote for EA because they disagree with the choice of the cover athlete on Madden NFL. Yes, really...

Well these people are clearly idiots, however what your trying to do here is lump genuine complaints about the practices of your company in with people who moan about frivolousness things that are in no why connected to the running of EA.

In the past year, we have received thousands of emails and postcards protesting against EA for allowing players to create LGBT characters in our games. This week, we're seeing posts on conservative web sites urging people to protest our LGBT policy by voting EA the Worst Company in America.

Do you want a medal or something? Congratulations you're a multi-million dollar corporation who took a stand against bigotry. But as above again your using diversionary tactics here to paint genuine complaints against you in the same category as bigots and best of all having the nerve to claim the moral high ground because of it.

You know if you don't want to be the worst company in a America for a second year running, I've got a tip for you. Just. Shut. Up. Just for a year don't say anything. I don't care how you do, block twitter accounts of high level employees, refuse interviews, gag your executives or beat them until it hurts them to talk, anything! Because everytime one of your guys opens his mouth the result is only controversy or worst, your stock value takes a hit. Just get out the firing line for a bit and let someone else take the heat. And while your there fire your entire PR team and start looking at the game companies that have good customer relationships and take some bloody notes.

EDIT

And in your defense, no you are no where near as bad as bankers and their ilk relatively but have to realize that your attitude has lumped you in with them. You have been stepping all over the very people you should be trying to please and it is biting you.

 

[The Wooster]

Still though, I'm glad Grey posted this without much opinion on it all, leave it a bit ambiguous lol

You have no idea how hard that was. Still, more material for Critical Miss I guess.

 

[Phlakes]

You know, I'm actually surprised they'd bother with something like this. You'd think they'd have learned by now that trying to change people's minds is pretty futile. It's like trying to convince an erupting volcano to just take it easy for a while.

EDIT:

Im sure that Activision is a taller tree than EA, yet theyve done nothing to piss off this many people over the last 2 years.

I'm sure there are other companies far more deserving than a VIDEO GAME PUBLISHER.

Also this.

 

[Something Amyss]

I want to believe that they can do better, but then...

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.
Some claim there's no room for Origin as a competitor to Steam. 45 million registered users are proving that wrong.
Some people think that free-to-play games and micro-transactions are a pox on gaming. Tens of millions more are playing and loving those games.

Yeah, just stop. Stop and walk away from the argument.

Pointing to how a bunch of other people like it won't change people's minds.

If this means something to you, stop with the "But my mom says I'm cool" approach and just...Try actually making a product people approve of.

 

[SadisticFire]

I don't think people have enough perspective here. Apple is worse, because they make all their produced in sweatshops made to make others work unbearable hours in terrible work conditions and safety hazards. But yet Apple isn't bad because they make those over priced products we've came to know and love.

Worse game publishing company? Yeah definitely. Worse company? Far from it, kittens.

 

[Blandy Buchanan]

Im sure that Activision is a taller tree than EA, yet theyve done nothing to piss off this many people over the last 2 years.

I'm sure there are other companies far more deserving than a VIDEO GAME PUBLISHER.