Elevation Partners is a private equity firm that owns a 40% share of Forbes. The firm has 6 partners (i.e. founders) and one of them is John Riccitiello, current CEO of EA. Source (PDF). [http://www.elevation.com/downloads/News_08-07.pdf]
Even though we've recently seen Forbes articles that are critical of bioware and EA, I think the connection between EA and Forbes is too big to ignore. Here are some Forbes articles to ponder:
Modern Warfare 3's Pepsi Cross Promotion Steps Over the Line [http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2011/09/28/modern-warfare-3s-pepsi-cross-promotion-steps-over-the-line/]
Call of Duty: The Exhausted Golden Goose [http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2011/11/09/call-of-duty-the-exhausted-golden-goose/]
Call of Duty Breaks New Record, So Why Isn't Activision Trading Higher?
Should Call of Duty Be Worried by Battlefield 3's Massive Sales Figures? [http://www.forbes.com/sites/benzingainsights/2011/11/01/should-call-of-duty-be-worried-by-battlefield-3s-massive-sales-figures/]
Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Will Generate Over $1.4 Billion in Q4 [http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngaudiosi/2011/10/21/battlefield-3-and-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3-will-generate-over-1-4-billion-in-q4/]
(mentioning their game first and lumping its revenue together with the market leader)
Why Skyrim is Not My Game of the Year [http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2011/12/22/why-skyrim-is-not-my-game-of-the-year/]
Why Skyrim Misses The Mark When It Comes To Story Telling In Video Games [http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/03/19/why-skyrim-misses-the-mark-when-it-comes-to-story-telling-in-video-games/]
'Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning' Is An Incredibly Fun, Incredibly Addictive RPG [http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/02/17/kingdoms-of-amalur-reckoning-is-an-incredibly-fun-incredibly-addictive-rpg/]
Kingdoms of Amalur Review: the Fantasiest Fantasy Out There [http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2012/02/07/kingdoms-of-amalur-review-the-fantasiest-fantasy-out-there/]
'Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning' Vs. 'Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim' - Which Is The Better Game? [http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/02/29/kingdoms-of-amalur-reckoning-vs-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-which-is-the-better-game/]
Reckoning Vs. Skyrim Round Two [http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/02/29/reckoning-vs-skyrim-round-two/]
Amalur Vs. Skyrim: Does Gameplay Matter? [http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2012/02/08/amalur-vs-skyrim-does-gameplay-matter/]
(even if you hate Skyrim, is this comparison really merited in triplicate? and they always mention their game first, in the same breath as the market leader)
Why Zynga Is Doomed [http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2012/01/09/why-zynga-is-doomed/]
Is It Already Over For Zynga? [http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidcoursey/2011/11/28/is-it-already-over-for-zynga/]
Zynga Stock Falls as Second Post-IPO Game Fails to Impress [http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2012/01/06/zynga-stock-falls-as-second-post-ipo-game-fails-to-impress/]
Longtime Zynga Player Explains Why Loyalists are Leaving the Brand [http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2011/12/14/longtime-zynga-player-explains-why-loyalists-are-leaving-the-brand/]
Remember Electronic Arts? With Zynga Looking Weak, the Old Game Maker Merits a Look [http://www.forbes.com/sites/ycharts/2012/02/29/remember-electronic-arts-with-zynga-looking-weak-the-old-game-maker-merits-a-look/]
EA Launches The Sims Social On Facebook [http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomiogeron/2011/08/18/ea-launches-the-sims-social-on-facebook/2/]
EA's The Sims Social Debuts to Almost 5M Active Users [http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2011/08/19/eas-the-sims-social-debuts-to-almost-5m-active-users/]
Zynga's Farmville Overtaken by The Sims Social in Daily Active Users [http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2011/09/12/zyngas-farmville-overtaken-by-the-sims-social-in-daily-active-users/]
Now, I admit that some of their articles about EA are semi-negative, and some about the competitors are semi-positive. But I did not do much cherry picking to create this list. If you don't believe me, try searching "forbes skyrim", "forbes amalur", etc, you'll see that the biases pop out quickly.
Is this a real case of bias and conflict of interest? Am I just an EA hater with too much time on his hands to dig up links?
Even though we've recently seen Forbes articles that are critical of bioware and EA, I think the connection between EA and Forbes is too big to ignore. Here are some Forbes articles to ponder:
Modern Warfare 3's Pepsi Cross Promotion Steps Over the Line [http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2011/09/28/modern-warfare-3s-pepsi-cross-promotion-steps-over-the-line/]
Call of Duty: The Exhausted Golden Goose [http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2011/11/09/call-of-duty-the-exhausted-golden-goose/]
Call of Duty Breaks New Record, So Why Isn't Activision Trading Higher?
Should Call of Duty Be Worried by Battlefield 3's Massive Sales Figures? [http://www.forbes.com/sites/benzingainsights/2011/11/01/should-call-of-duty-be-worried-by-battlefield-3s-massive-sales-figures/]
Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Will Generate Over $1.4 Billion in Q4 [http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngaudiosi/2011/10/21/battlefield-3-and-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3-will-generate-over-1-4-billion-in-q4/]
(mentioning their game first and lumping its revenue together with the market leader)
Why Skyrim is Not My Game of the Year [http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2011/12/22/why-skyrim-is-not-my-game-of-the-year/]
Why Skyrim Misses The Mark When It Comes To Story Telling In Video Games [http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/03/19/why-skyrim-misses-the-mark-when-it-comes-to-story-telling-in-video-games/]
'Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning' Is An Incredibly Fun, Incredibly Addictive RPG [http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/02/17/kingdoms-of-amalur-reckoning-is-an-incredibly-fun-incredibly-addictive-rpg/]
Kingdoms of Amalur Review: the Fantasiest Fantasy Out There [http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2012/02/07/kingdoms-of-amalur-review-the-fantasiest-fantasy-out-there/]
'Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning' Vs. 'Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim' - Which Is The Better Game? [http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/02/29/kingdoms-of-amalur-reckoning-vs-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-which-is-the-better-game/]
Reckoning Vs. Skyrim Round Two [http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/02/29/reckoning-vs-skyrim-round-two/]
Amalur Vs. Skyrim: Does Gameplay Matter? [http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2012/02/08/amalur-vs-skyrim-does-gameplay-matter/]
(even if you hate Skyrim, is this comparison really merited in triplicate? and they always mention their game first, in the same breath as the market leader)
Why Zynga Is Doomed [http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2012/01/09/why-zynga-is-doomed/]
Is It Already Over For Zynga? [http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidcoursey/2011/11/28/is-it-already-over-for-zynga/]
Zynga Stock Falls as Second Post-IPO Game Fails to Impress [http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2012/01/06/zynga-stock-falls-as-second-post-ipo-game-fails-to-impress/]
Longtime Zynga Player Explains Why Loyalists are Leaving the Brand [http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2011/12/14/longtime-zynga-player-explains-why-loyalists-are-leaving-the-brand/]
Remember Electronic Arts? With Zynga Looking Weak, the Old Game Maker Merits a Look [http://www.forbes.com/sites/ycharts/2012/02/29/remember-electronic-arts-with-zynga-looking-weak-the-old-game-maker-merits-a-look/]
EA Launches The Sims Social On Facebook [http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomiogeron/2011/08/18/ea-launches-the-sims-social-on-facebook/2/]
EA's The Sims Social Debuts to Almost 5M Active Users [http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2011/08/19/eas-the-sims-social-debuts-to-almost-5m-active-users/]
Zynga's Farmville Overtaken by The Sims Social in Daily Active Users [http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2011/09/12/zyngas-farmville-overtaken-by-the-sims-social-in-daily-active-users/]
Now, I admit that some of their articles about EA are semi-negative, and some about the competitors are semi-positive. But I did not do much cherry picking to create this list. If you don't believe me, try searching "forbes skyrim", "forbes amalur", etc, you'll see that the biases pop out quickly.
Is this a real case of bias and conflict of interest? Am I just an EA hater with too much time on his hands to dig up links?
