The impact of it's disasters isn't what makes it the worst company in America. It's the fact that they have the capacity to turn everything around and don't that makes it the worst company in America.
Electronic Arts Repeats as "Worst Company in America"
- Thread starter Andy Chalk
- Start date
It was the Consumerist that listed that list of missteps. Not EA.mattttherman3 said:
Read.
OT: This is why we cannot have nice things.
Thanks for the plug, Daystar. You're a good guy. EDIT: Good person. I have no evidence you're a guy or a girl.Daystar Clarion said:Just goes to show, that vidja gaems are srs bsnssFiz_The_Toaster said:
I'd like post something from another thread about this, I think it's a rather good point.
itsthesheppy said:
That's pretty much it, folks. If you're wondering why they won, it's because they're pretty much the only company on that list that shouldn't such but does anyway, and with such contempt for their consumers that we're insulted to the point where we'll happily send them messages like this.
Compounded with tone-deaf non-apologies from their COO and what you have is a recipe for a company in serious decline.
So, any chance of a comment from Peter 'the tallest tree' Moore on this illustrious victory? I really hope they do try and winge about it as much as they did because they got to the semi-final, I need a good laugh and the SimCity fiasco was ever so long ago.
Well shit... Took all my thunder... oh wait, and at least banks etc try to show a nice side and apologize for they reason they are evil, "it is just the way the loan is setup". EA just sticks their fingers in their ears and screams "not listening to you we are nice and love kittens!"itsthesheppy said:Thanks for the plug, Daystar. You're a good guy. EDIT: Good person. I have no evidence you're a guy or a girl.Daystar Clarion said:Just goes to show, that vidja gaems are srs bsnssFiz_The_Toaster said:
I'd like post something from another thread about this, I think it's a rather good point.
itsthesheppy said:
That's pretty much it, folks. If you're wondering why they won, it's because they're pretty much the only company on that list that shouldn't such but does anyway, and with such contempt for their consumers that we're insulted to the point where we'll happily send them messages like this.
Compounded with tone-deaf non-apologies from their COO and what you have is a recipe for a company in serious decline.
Nothing like pretending you have no idea why people are pissed at you and LYING all the time about what happened. Because people love you when you insult their intelligence.... MMO my ass......
Other than the 'people expect banks/insurance companies/etc. to suck', a large part of why EA rockets to the top is because it's a global distributor that makes a unique product you can't get anywhere else. You want a shirt but don't like Wal*Mart? Go to Target, go to Mandee's, go to a local clothes store, buy one off the internet, you have a lot of other options besides Wal*Mart. Want to bank but hate Bank of America? There's Chase, TD Bank, Citi Bank, and a whole lot more. Want to fuel up your car but find BP too shady? You've got Shell, Hess, Texaco, and etc. Want to get Dead Space but hate EA? Tough shit, it's EA or no Dead Space for you.
You know, I really wish people would stop insulting others for not making the "right" choice when it comes to voting on an opinion based poll.Karathos said:
Think about it this way, If like, BP or BoA do something shady or something like that, its just on them, but if EA does something like say, make a quick cash in game, other game companies are going to look at it like "OH! thats the hot thing right now! We got to do that!" because they make so much money, being one of the leading game companies right now, thus, other game companies will make shitty cash in games, thus, bringing down the whole medium in general. An oil spill can just hurt BP's image, a shitty game made by EA can bring down the collection of video game companies in general, thats why they "won" this contest two years in a row, plus, we saw his reactions, blaming homophobes and "Whiny madden fans" In my mind, they had it coming, i would hope for a hat trick next year, but i honestly hope they are gone by this time next year.canadamus_prime said:
Im not even going to get into how they treat there employees.
I think people are forgetting the source. You would see a different result if the site was called The Ecologist, The Economist or The Humanitarian(ist?). But the site is called The Consumerist, and nothing pisses off consumers like fucking with their leisure.
"Second verse, same as the first.
This time though, a little bit worse.."
I've banged on about BoA and TWC being far, far, far worse companies already (in just about every way). But I know that repeating those arguments here is a fruitless exercise; the outcome is decided.
Might as well make the best of the situation and break out the Popcorn...maybe Marshmallows if this heats up.
*crosses fingers, hoping EA responds*
EDIT: I see a common defense for the outcome that goes along the lines "EA hasn't paid their dues like everyone else. Companies like BP and BofA have been sued, and now it's EA's turn...etc"
Realize this is only further proof that EA doesn't deserve it.
There is a reason those institutions are receiving REAL financial and legal punishment instead this minor castigation from an internet poll.
This time though, a little bit worse.."
I've banged on about BoA and TWC being far, far, far worse companies already (in just about every way). But I know that repeating those arguments here is a fruitless exercise; the outcome is decided.
Might as well make the best of the situation and break out the Popcorn...maybe Marshmallows if this heats up.
*crosses fingers, hoping EA responds*
EDIT: I see a common defense for the outcome that goes along the lines "EA hasn't paid their dues like everyone else. Companies like BP and BofA have been sued, and now it's EA's turn...etc"
Realize this is only further proof that EA doesn't deserve it.
There is a reason those institutions are receiving REAL financial and legal punishment instead this minor castigation from an internet poll.
It's like this. Most of the companies on the list are bad, but have wound up seriously getting theirs. As this article mentions "Bank Of America" has wound up getting slammed in the long run by the people it victimizes, and the US goverment. It's suffered 40 billion in lawsuit settlements for it's behavior. Companies like "Haliburton", British Petroleum, Wal*Mart, and others, have all taken their lumps in return over a period of time.
The thing with EA is that their behavior is so far met with smug invulnerability. EA does all of the garbage that people hate it for, yet it never winds up suffering any penelties for it, it keeps right on doing what it's doing, creating things like EULAs that prevent class action suits to prevent these kinds of responses, while pretty much telling people that they can either deal with their greed and abuse, or go without their video games and IPs.
It's important to note that EA's influance is also felt throughout the world of media, the things it spearheads like Microtransactions, DRM, etc... (even when it doesn't invent them) tend to then get picked up by other media producers. The fact that it's rapidly getting to the point where you can't play a game without being online constantly, and are going to be nickel and dimed even with single player games, largely comes from EA, and other forms of media are apparently looking at their success and finding ways to exploit it.
To put things into perspective, Bank Of America might have done some really bad things, but it only really effected some of their customers who noticed. BP caused oil spills, and they are nasty, and will be a chore to clean up, but don't directly effect most people in the civilized world and will eventually be dealt with. EA on the other hand has brought it's antics into most people's homes and lives, even if indirectly. You can arguably blame EA for your kid who runs up a $5,000 microtransaction bill, because they are the ones who largely made it so everyone and their brother are jumping on that bandwagon.
Honestly I think what we're seeing with EA's election is more of a sign that the goverment really needs to get involved to stop the kind of exploitions EA is involved in, while not currently illegal, or regulated they probably should be. I think people are pissed because EA keeps feeding them crow and nothing happens, because there is no avenue to effectively pursue it unless you want to go without their product. At least with say Bank Of America you can file lawsuits (and win, as you see) and can choose other banks. With EA, if you want want of those IPs you pretty much have to deal with all their DLC/Microtransaction scams, DRM, always online connections, nor do you have any real recourse if they wind up screwing you on a product unless they choose to provide one (see "Simcity" and the problems people have had getting refunds for it). You can't just choose to say buy "Dead Space 3" from someone else that isn't going to put douchy microtransactions into it.
I think a lot of people laughing about this tend to mostly think in terms of how EA is "only" a video game company without bothering to look at it in the big picture and how it pisses people off. Sure in the scope of things their product seems petty, but the invulnerability with which they exploit people is not. Not to mention that IPs, digital property, etc... are becoming a big deal nowadays and the precedents EA is establishing are very bad for the consumer. Practices EA makes normal now could be being used to exploit consumers for centuries down the road, long beyond the time someone finally finishes cleaning up one of those huge BP spills with engineered bacteria ( or whatever method the use, but I've been hearing stuff about how ever-improving petroleum munching bacteria is going to solve this problem in the long term... an idea going back probably decades now, I believe Dean Koontz used such as the weapon that eventually killed the monster in the book version of "Phantasms" as well if I remember... just to end with a bit of pointless nerd trivia).
The thing with EA is that their behavior is so far met with smug invulnerability. EA does all of the garbage that people hate it for, yet it never winds up suffering any penelties for it, it keeps right on doing what it's doing, creating things like EULAs that prevent class action suits to prevent these kinds of responses, while pretty much telling people that they can either deal with their greed and abuse, or go without their video games and IPs.
It's important to note that EA's influance is also felt throughout the world of media, the things it spearheads like Microtransactions, DRM, etc... (even when it doesn't invent them) tend to then get picked up by other media producers. The fact that it's rapidly getting to the point where you can't play a game without being online constantly, and are going to be nickel and dimed even with single player games, largely comes from EA, and other forms of media are apparently looking at their success and finding ways to exploit it.
To put things into perspective, Bank Of America might have done some really bad things, but it only really effected some of their customers who noticed. BP caused oil spills, and they are nasty, and will be a chore to clean up, but don't directly effect most people in the civilized world and will eventually be dealt with. EA on the other hand has brought it's antics into most people's homes and lives, even if indirectly. You can arguably blame EA for your kid who runs up a $5,000 microtransaction bill, because they are the ones who largely made it so everyone and their brother are jumping on that bandwagon.
Honestly I think what we're seeing with EA's election is more of a sign that the goverment really needs to get involved to stop the kind of exploitions EA is involved in, while not currently illegal, or regulated they probably should be. I think people are pissed because EA keeps feeding them crow and nothing happens, because there is no avenue to effectively pursue it unless you want to go without their product. At least with say Bank Of America you can file lawsuits (and win, as you see) and can choose other banks. With EA, if you want want of those IPs you pretty much have to deal with all their DLC/Microtransaction scams, DRM, always online connections, nor do you have any real recourse if they wind up screwing you on a product unless they choose to provide one (see "Simcity" and the problems people have had getting refunds for it). You can't just choose to say buy "Dead Space 3" from someone else that isn't going to put douchy microtransactions into it.
I think a lot of people laughing about this tend to mostly think in terms of how EA is "only" a video game company without bothering to look at it in the big picture and how it pisses people off. Sure in the scope of things their product seems petty, but the invulnerability with which they exploit people is not. Not to mention that IPs, digital property, etc... are becoming a big deal nowadays and the precedents EA is establishing are very bad for the consumer. Practices EA makes normal now could be being used to exploit consumers for centuries down the road, long beyond the time someone finally finishes cleaning up one of those huge BP spills with engineered bacteria ( or whatever method the use, but I've been hearing stuff about how ever-improving petroleum munching bacteria is going to solve this problem in the long term... an idea going back probably decades now, I believe Dean Koontz used such as the weapon that eventually killed the monster in the book version of "Phantasms" as well if I remember... just to end with a bit of pointless nerd trivia).
I think if you look at the actual implications the actions of big banks, Walmart and some of the other businesses that were up for the vote, they are far worse then EA. EA sucks and it's actions are bad for the gaming industry as a whole but these other businesses corrupt governments, destabilize nations for profit and so much more that it almost becomes difficult to wrap your head around. It seems like the poll is completely wasted when it goes to small fry like EA.
Exactly.Andy Shandy said:
I am not a fan of EA in the slightest, but being voted as the worst company in the entire country is a joke.
Although this is also a good point. It's not like a national survey was done to establish the countries opinion. This was done by a very specific publication.Scars Unseen said: