Do you Think E.A is the worst company?

[FavouriteDream]

I thought EA winning "worst company in America" two years running was a fantastic social commentary on exactly what is wrong with our society. People are more annoyed over mediocre (none of EA's games are godawful) video games and sub par costumer service than they are over real atrocities that result in the loss of life and exploitation.

We all need to wake up to ourselves. I don't care if you think voting EA as the worst company was just a way to send a message to them, you're still deluded and all you are doing is making the gaming industry look pathetic.

Anyway, no - EA is not the "worst" company. They aren't even the worst game developer.

Here are my thoughts on the "controversies":

Mass Effect 3 Ending - Mostly Bioware's fault. EA didn't write the ending. Sure, EA might have put pressure on them to rush the game before it was ready but there is no evidence to suggest that is true. Bioware have stood firmly behind the ending to this day and have said time and time again that it was their vision.

Release date DLC - Simply a money making ploy. Don't like it? Too bad, it fucking works. Don't be angry at EA - be angry at the millions of people who don't see anything wrong with it and cough up the dough for it.

Origin - If it really was the tremendous failure some of you make it out to be, then it wouldn't be profiting as handsomely. It's got something like 50 million users, doesn't it? There is nothing wrong with EA wishing to provide their own DRM service. They do the same shit Steam do, they just want to do it themselves in order to make more money. And guess what? It works! Once again I reiterate: you can't be angry at a business for making money off consenting people.

Mandatory Internet Connection - This isn't EA specific whatsoever. Blizzard pulled the same shit.

All in all, I have nothing against EA. Why? Because they don't exploit anyone. You can cry foul play until the cows come home, but the bottom line is all of their profit is made through consenting consumers. You may think it's foul play - but millions of others don't. That's business.

If there was as much social pressure on the numerous companies who are continuously screwing people, the economy and the environment over as there is on EA - we'd be off to a good start.

 

[Atmos Duality]

A mediocre/bad 60 dollar game does not at all compare to someone losing their house through illegal means.
And I'm pretty sure that Mass Effect 3 hasn't actually ruined anyone's life. (and if it has, shame on them for being so gutless and foolish)

And before someone clacks out a response akin to "But how about x million angry customers..." or such, consider that the damages levied at Bank of America via lawsuits currently total around 40 BILLION USD.

That is FIVE TIMES the Market Cap value of Electronic Arts; THOUSANDS of plaintiffs, including the US Government.

EA is a bloated giant whose prime time came and went with the recession; they're incompetent arrogant, and self-absorbed to nearly singularity levels with a healthy transparent dosage of contempt for their paying customers.
But I do not believe for one moment that EA is the absolute "Worst company in America".

 

[Hazy992]

I think EA are one of the worst major publishers, but the worst company in America? That's beyond ridiculous.

 

[McMullen]

EA is bad, and I'm not sure the people running it into the ground are qualified for or deserve any job at all, but unless you're a game studio that's been bought out by them, getting screwed over by EA is a choice, one that I recognized years ago and stopped making. Hell, as far back as 2006 I realized I should stop buying from them.

Many big software companies are pretty bad, even outside of gaming. Microsoft, Adobe, ESRI, and E-on all have CEOs who's decisions are unethical, and sometimes should be illegal.

But even they pale in comparison to some pharmaceutical companies and banks. The former incarnation of the Chiquita fruit company was even worse; they toppled the government of Guatemala and replaced it with one that was more friendly to their business interests - a government that went on to murder a few hundred or maybe a few thousand of its citizens.

EA hasn't killed anyone, and the only massive unemployment it has caused is from its own layoffs. People hate what they have direct experience with though, especially if it inconveniences them during what is supposed to be their leisure hours, so EA is going to be judged harshly.

They won't care though. If the execs wanted to help EA get better or fix its reputation, then instead of laying off the people who did their jobs well, they'd can the people who had no idea what they were doing - themselves. Riccitiello has, so that much is to his credit at least. I wouldn't expect many to follow though.

 

[mrhateful]

since I don't live in a america from my perspective E.A. is the worst company. Since every morning EA managers wake up they have found a new way to piss me off.

 

[Genocidicles]

Here's the thing. When any of the other companies mess up, there are great legal repercussions. BOA has been in an out of court for years and BP had to pay around four billion dollars in damages.

EA on the other hand, can pull their shit and get away with it, which is enough reason for me to vote for them.

 

[Carlston]

Just the Smug arrogance of EA addressing the mistakes they made by basicly saying "Up your customers. We made a mistake but it's somehow YOUR fault."

Honestly they really don't know how to run a company with fresh licenses. Most of the companies they aquire vanish and die -Bullfrog- and to be honest the only thing they can do is remake slightly the Sims and Madden year to year.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

I don't know about worst in America as I don't live there and don't deal with Ticketmaster, BoA, Verizon or the other despised corporate entities. Saying that, are they the worst in the games industry? Yes. Activision follows very closely in 2nd and there isn't really a third, but they'd be quite distant, whoever they are.

You have to consider how shitty a company is within the industry they are a part of, how shitty they are to their customers and how they treat their staff. You could consider financial results as well as a yardstick for "success". But EA fails in all regards. When they make shitty games that are fiscal failures for selling less than 5 million units, ban the very customers who buy them from playing them, refuse to sell their games on the most popular digital-distribution platform and so on, it's really little surprise.

Activision has pulled a lot of shit too, don't get me wrong....Diablo III always on, no private servers in their most popular online shooter, charging for/turning MP shooters into a "service", having the audacity to charge higher than full price for 3 year old games and £10 for a MAP PACK that used to be given away free. They're pretty fucking awful.

But microtransactions, online passes, Day 1/On-disc DLC, (as Jim pointed out) hiding online passes behind "limited edition" bullshit, withdrawing games from Steam, making all games boring set-piece, CoD style shooters, Origin spyware, banning players from single player games....it's too much. They do too many things wrong and instead of improving, get steadily and consistently worse. It's not a good sign.

 

[Delerien]

One of the reasons people gave for voting for EA was that they actually care, whereas Bank of America etc. would have simply ignored the price. This for itself says a lot i think. Now EA is far from perfect. Pretty far actually but i gotta admit that besides the SimCity fiasco (which got me a free game) they haven't really done anything to annoy me enough to justify me taking any action.

 

[Defeated Detective]

No.

Worst company belongs to the Federal Reserve, especially when the truth is there's nothing truly "Federal" about the Federal Reserve. Why point your finger at Bank of America when it's its daddy that's the main problem.

 

[an annoyed writer]

No, not at all.

Every single Medical Insurance company is FAR FAR worse than EA.

EA hasn't killed anyone. The Medical Insurance company kills hundreds of people each year by refusing to pay for their treatments.

Anyone who says that EA is the worst company is America is the fucking reason that gamers are called "Entitled". Thinking that always online DRM is worse that outright murder is the very definition of Entitled.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't LIKE EA. They're assholes. I hate always online DRM. I could see EA being voted worst GAME company in America (although I think there are others that might give them a run for their money).

But worse overall company? Don't kid yourself.

This is a sentiment that I agree with. EA may treat it's customers and employees like shit, but I haven't heard of any reports of them actually KILLING anyone. Their business practices are shady as fuck, but don't result in the death of their customers, unlike some of the companies on that list.

Now worst GAME company, on the other hand? Possibly. Their business practices are reminiscent of something you would see during the early 1900s, with things such as monopolization of certain sects of the industry.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

I found out that chickafill funded a "charity" that directly sent representatives to uganda to support the "kill the gays" law via exodus international. True story, you can look it up. People have died because of that law and chickafill funded the trip that instated the law that killed them. So as long as thats true i doubt EA can hold a candle to it. Hell i dont think chickafil are even the worst. But they are worse than EA so its blatently obvious EA doesnt deserve that much hate. They didnt HURT anyone. Not really.

 

[morrie man]

I would have to agree with the general consensus that EA are not the worst company in America, If you start widening the search to every company in America you can find some companies that have done worse things than EA. I would agree that they aren't the best gaming company in America, personally after playing Dead Space and Mass Effect I was in love with EA and then after there dreary follow ups I felt that they were just trying to squeeze more money out of me.

Now Don't take this the worn way I loved there games I own a cast majority of them but I have to say lately, and I hate to sound like I am old but "They don't make them like they use to". Its a phrase I use to much with EA games lately. They also have the power to get away with there mistakes which can infuriate people as I have been reading which makes us feel like we have been let down by them but it doesn't make them the worst.

As for the comparing them with other companies within America that's a whole different ball game, then you compare whether this bad thing is comparable to another bad thing done by a company that operates in a totally different section of business. You cant do that, it starts bringing with a lot of cannon fire from people who have lost their money, family, friends, lively hood due to other companies actions.

So in short, Are they the worst company in America? No, you can find a lot worse.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

I wouldn't even agree that they're the worst company related to games. For them to even be in the running for worst company in the world, they would have to commit (and get caught) fairly egregious crimes against humanity.

 

[Gameguy20100]

The thing is people EA has become such an easy company for people to rip on and make fun of these days EA is the fat autistic kid who wears glasses that everyone picks on and I feel sorry for them as much as I dislike company's like capcom and Valve they don't ruin peoples lives or kill anyone, naming a games company the worst in America Is stupid and pathetic

 

[Drummodino]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2013/04/09/ea-voted-worst-company-in-america-again/

This article provides a fantastic summary.