Electronic Arts Repeats as "Worst Company in America"

[lumenadducere]

Again, what? Worst company in America?? Really? I mean I hate EA, I really do, but worst company in America? I don't think I'd even put them in the Top 5, Top 10 maybe, Top 25 certainly, but #1 hardly.

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.

Im not even going to get into how they treat there employees.

You've got to be kidding. BofA regularly screws over its customers and has made financial decisions that have been atrocious to its customers. Comcast is part of an oligopoly and keeps regions of the US back in its internet capability because they're too unwilling to dip into their profit margins to provide internet to their customers that's actually stable and on par with other nations in the world. And you really think only video game companies influence each other? BofA and BP never influence the other companies in their respective industries? That's...really flawed logic.

EA is an entertainment company that is making financial decisions based on what their customers are doing. If dumb gamers support those types of financial systems and keep giving game companies money, then the game companies will keep doing those things. Things like the BP oil spill that have caused massive damage that persists to this day, and Comcast's horrible customer service and absolute apathy to the requirements of their consumers are far, far worse than EA's shenanigans.

If anyone seriously thinks that EA deserves that title more than any other company on that list, their priorities are unbelievably flawed and they have no understanding of how the real world works whatsoever. Which is fine I guess, but for those of us that aren't teenagers living off their parents' income the real world matters and what those other companies do are appalling and infuriating, far beyond what EA has done.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

snip'd

snip'ded

Not denying you made good points, but did you quote the wrong person? Because I see no substantial relation between what I said and what you said. I'm honestly just looking for clarification here.

... I might have...

nor do I remember which actual page the comment I was looking for resides.

Can we pretend I meant you?

Pretend? Why would we need to pretend? You clearly meant me the whole time, and that statement brooks no further discussion.

The pretend thing was a joke. You were right I didn't mean you. I meant Aeonknight's post [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.405415-Electronic-Arts-Repeats-as-Worst-Company-in-America?page=2#16834698] where he says that we can justify the reasons why EA deserves it. I had multiple pages of this up at once. Your 'fuck no' response wasn't what I was looking to respond to, and as you pointed out, nothing I said had anything to do with what you said.

 

[Erttheking]

Can people stop freaking out over how stupid gamers are? Please, for the love of god

I will when they stop providing evidence like this...

YOU may not be stupid, but the overwhelming majority are showing that they are VERY clearly.

Oh could you please stop it? A mass disagreement in opinion does not equal stupidity!

 

[Brad Shepard]

Again, what? Worst company in America?? Really? I mean I hate EA, I really do, but worst company in America? I don't think I'd even put them in the Top 5, Top 10 maybe, Top 25 certainly, but #1 hardly.

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.

Im not even going to get into how they treat there employees.

You've got to be kidding. BofA regularly screws over its customers and has made financial decisions that have been atrocious to its customers. Comcast is part of an oligopoly and keeps regions of the US back in its internet capability because they're too unwilling to dip into their profit margins to provide internet to their customers that's actually stable and on par with other nations in the world. And you really think only video game companies influence each other? BofA and BP never influence the other companies in their respective industries? That's...really flawed logic.

EA is an entertainment company that is making financial decisions based on what their customers are doing. If dumb gamers support those types of financial systems and keep giving game companies money, then the game companies will keep doing those things. Things like the BP oil spill that have caused massive damage that persists to this day, and Comcast's horrible customer service and absolute apathy to the requirements of their consumers are far, far worse than EA's shenanigans.

If anyone seriously thinks that EA deserves that title more than any other company on that list, their priorities are unbelievably flawed and they have no understanding of how the real world works whatsoever. Which is fine I guess, but for those of us that aren't teenagers living off their parents' income the real world matters and what those other companies do are appalling and infuriating, far beyond what EA has done.

FYI your post comes off as offensive and can get you in trouble. And im not saying that the other companies are not bad, or even worse then EA, but EA is shady as fuck too, and they treat there employees like utter shit too. Plus, which other company do you know that has the freaking Cobra logo in there courtyard? Though, funny enough, they are right next to Bank of America.

Im not kidding, look it up 209 Redwood Shores Pkwy, Redwood City, CA 94065, google maps.

 

[Erttheking]

Can people stop freaking out over how stupid gamers are? Please, for the love of god

I will when they stop providing evidence like this...

YOU may not be stupid, but the overwhelming majority are showing that they are VERY clearly.

Oh could you please stop it? A mass disagreement in opinion does not equal stupidity!

No, but claiming that your video games are more important than the complete destruction of millions of lives is. Gamers are honestly claiming that a company that makes bad video games is worse than a company that nearly destroyed the world economy. If that isn't pure stupidity, I don't know what is.

It's been pointed out that the Bank of America has been forced to pay billions in reparations, but EA has gotten off scott free with everything that they've done. Again, I'm going to ask you to kindly ask you to not insult people for thinking differently from you.

 

[Erttheking]

Can people stop freaking out over how stupid gamers are? Please, for the love of god

I will when they stop providing evidence like this...

YOU may not be stupid, but the overwhelming majority are showing that they are VERY clearly.

Oh could you please stop it? A mass disagreement in opinion does not equal stupidity!

No, but claiming that your video games are more important than the complete destruction of millions of lives is. Gamers are honestly claiming that a company that makes bad video games is worse than a company that nearly destroyed the world economy. If that isn't pure stupidity, I don't know what is.

It's been pointed out that the Bank of America has been forced to pay billions in reparations, but EA has gotten off scott free with everything that they've done. Again, I'm going to ask you to kindly ask you to not insult people for thinking differently from you.

EVERYTHING THEY'VE DONE!?!?!?!!?!?!

You mean make bad video games, a product that has zero relevence outside the world of gaming? You need some perspective. On a world scale, games matter less than dirt. They are a tiny fraction of a tiny section of the world economy. Compared to a company that destroyed millions of lives (which didn't get their lives recovered when Bank of America made their token payments, by the way), they aren't even in the same galaxy.

This is an opinion in the same way claiming the Earth is flat is an opinion. When every piece of evidence is against you, YOUR OPINION CAN AND IS WRONG.

Ok, I think that we're done here. My opinion is wrong? Yeah I think I'll just stop right here.

 

[piclemaniscool]

Many people really don't seem to get the point of this "contest" and why EA was the winner.
1) The criteria was the worst company specifically toward the consumer. One of EA's complaints was that it was chosen while worse companies like BP (who wasn't in the brackets)didn't receive their own golden poo. Yeah they do terrible things, but it likely didn't affect you personally.

2)Yes they "only" sell video games. You're on a website right now that wouldn't exist without the video game industry, just to give you a hint at how much weight entertainment industries pull. As a consumer, it is much more noticeable to be deprived of entertainment, than of a specific brand of store or outlet. Which brings me to my next point...

3)EA, in a way, runs a monopoly. On a large scale, yes you can just buy another game from another company, much like going to the supermarket a little bit farther than you. But on the smaller scale, every video game is different. It would be like trying to buy oranges but only one store in your area sells them and will only accept $20 per orange. Outrageous, you would say. But don't worry, you can buy apples, bananas, and any other fruit at the store across from your house, someone tells you. You would think they were a bit dim-witted, wouldn't you? Sure, you can live the rest of your life without oranges, they're not necessary, but should you even have to consider that as an option? this is what EA has done with Origin. It's not a monopoly, because most people only go as far as to see "fruit," but nothing more particular than that.

If you dislike Bank of America so much, you can switch to a different bank and receive all of the same benefits. If you want to play Mass Effect 3, You MUST choose EA.

Sorry if this reads incoherently, it's late and I'm a bit loopy from studying all day.

 

[fozzy360]

YOU may not be stupid, but the overwhelming majority are showing that they are VERY clearly.

I'd really like to see some proof on that. Like, really. Because, if you're going to make such broad, sweeping statements, it'd be nice if you could, you know, back it up somehow.

By the way, this is a joke poll where the "winner" gets a golden poo award (though, it's a great way to get EA's attention, obviously). If anybody is taking this seriously, it's EA and people such as yourself getting all flustered over a -- have to emphasize this once again -- a joke poll.

By the way,

EVERYTHING THEY'VE DONE!?!?!?!!?!?!

You mean make bad video games, a product that has zero relevence outside the world of gaming? You need some perspective. On a world scale, games matter less than dirt. They are a tiny fraction of a tiny section of the world economy. Compared to a company that destroyed millions of lives (which didn't get their lives recovered when Bank of America made their token payments, by the way), they aren't even in the same galaxy.

Did you even read any of the other points anybody has made in this thread? If not, I'd highly suggest you do because you seem to lack some of that perspective there.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

You know, I've actually reconsidered my stance. I don't think EA cares about this any more than the Bank of America would have. As far as I'm concerned the only reason they acknowledged it at all was to promote these exact comparisons between EA and other nominated companies in order to sideline and trivialise actual criticisms. But I do know they'd make not winning seem like a reward, so I suppose after all it is good that they kept their dubious position.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

You gotta love it. Banks and insurance companies are causing actual homelessness and are ripping off people and literally ruining their lives in this current economical climate. EA makes us play games with a constant internet connection and puts microtransactions into their games. And people proclaim EA worse than these companies that actually ruin actual real lives of actual families because MUH GAME IS RUINED BY DIS MICROTRANSACTION ;___;

First world problems on a GALACTIC scale.

And before the instant knee-jerk reaction, I'm not defending EA's shit business practices. They are shit, that's a given, boohoo waah. But comparing a gaming company making you unhappy with their style in the industry of video games against companies that force people out of their homes so they have to live on the street is paste-eatingly, mouth-breathingly, banging-your-head-against-a-wall retarded.

I think you're failing to mention the part where EA lays off hundreds of workers a year with their studio closures, fails to fund creative endevors, tries to skirt several laws regarding the treatment of employees, shady security dealings on Origin and there attempts to back SOPA.

I wouldn't call them worse, but Bank of America never tried to invade my privacy to the same degree that EA has.

 

[MPerce]

It's an Internet poll. Gamers frequent the Internet, so EA was always going to win. If it was a phone poll, Bank of America probably would've won because your average American doesn't know the ins and outs of the AAA game industry, but does know how horrible BoA is at everything. If it was a poll held at concerts, then Ticketmaster

(pauses, holds back violent vomit)

...sorry, that company has fucked me over so many times I can't say their name without wanting to puke. Anyway, they would've won.

It's all about location of the polling.

 

[Racecarlock]

Bullshit. As much as I hate EA for what it's done to video games, that this company beat out both Bank of America and the Monsanto Corporation is a travesty. EA's a company full of incompetent nincompoops who don't understand the market or the products they create, but there are companies in this country who routinely ruin lives, steal homes and lobby the government to pass laws that make them immune to legal prosecution while they put out GMOs that may very well have carcinogens in them, but don't want to go through proper testing to prove their safe.

You know, call me when we withdraw troops from afghanistan to invade EA. This wasn't a poll on the most important government matter or a vote on tax policies or military deployment or health care.

I mean, dude, it's just an internet poll and award. In terms of importance, they probably rank below internet petitions and right above internet quiz results.

If actual government funding is redirected to a "Take down EA and their tyrannical DRM" rebellion group, then maybe you'll have something worth going after.

And yeah, the other guys are horrible, I won't question that. But I don't see any real reason to get angry over this.

 

[Racecarlock]

You know what the sad part is?

EA didn't just win this award for the right reasons (if you can even consider the absolute lack of perspective a "right reason"), they won it for some of the things they did right as well.

Example: the anti-LGBT groups actually voted for EA in this poll too for their stance on letting you create LGBT characters in their vidja games. Yet no one points this out, instead they just focus on "well my game had DRM in it" or "they actually care so surely more bad PR is going to help them change" or "banks are naturally evil, so being evil in nature can be downplayed because at least it's expected" or "well EA affected me personally."

Go ahead and justify this all you want. At the end of the day you're still just jumping on the hate bandwagon and giving a free pass to companies who have killed or destroyed the lives of others.

Oh no, Bank Of America and monsanto didn't get a poo trophy. What a big free pass that is!

If someone were to reprimand you for not thinking of starving african children every time you complained about games, that would probably get quite annoying, wouldn't it?

If the shit Monsanto and Bank Of America have already gone through hasn't caused a massive shift in business practices, I don't think a poo trophy is going to seal the deal.

Plus, EA doesn't provide any important products for daily life, unlike the other two dick businesses. They aren't "Too big to fail", so I think giving the trophy to these guys will probably send a bigger message than if "We provide most of your corn and have a huge stake in the economy so we have you by the balls" monsanto got it.

 

[Blackdoom]

A lot of people voted for EA not necessarily because they are the worst company but more because they actually care about being called something mean in an internet poll. If Bank of America had won they would have just ignored and continue on.
But EA were in damage control before they even won talking about how they are the saviors of the LGBT community and how they are just being targeted by homophobes. This statement was almost immediately destroyed by Consumerist.

 

[TomWiley]

I hope am not the only one who thinks that this whole EA hatred has gone too far. I'm not going to deny that the company has screwed up one or two times, but which gaming company hasn't?

Oh and don't say Valve. Valve doesn't employ 100 000 game designers. Valve doesn't have shareholders. Valve doesn't have to make tough business decisions and they are an incredibly small company that makes all their money from third party sales on Steam.

What we need here is constructive criticism, and personally, I haven't seen too much constructive criticism aimed at EA. It's more along the lines of "stop with your bullshit, i'm angry, arghh".

 

[Frostbyte666]

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.

Thank you for pointing this out after people whining (^-^) about how bad Bank of America is I can't help but think why not switch banks or not use them in the 1st place, there are other banks. I don't have experience with BoA (being from the UK), HOWEVER I was with a bank that I found I liked the practices of less and less, you know what I did I switched to a different bank. If I don't like BP, I can use Shell. however If I want to play simcity there isn't an EA version, Blizzard version, CD Projekt version etc. etc. There is only EA's Simcity, which means I boycott EA's products and since they are taking this poll so seriously then why shouldn't we vote for them to send a message they will pay attention to, it will be enlightening to hear their response.

 

[FalloutJack]

Snip

Okay, I'll say Atlus. They're pretty good. I won't say perfection, as that is a logical impossibility, but we generally don't hear much rage on them. Anyway, that wasn't the point of my post here, so...

OT: Okay, finally read everything.

Man, we're actually arguing over this? Okay, lemme lay it on the line here. Aside from it being all in good fun, because the consequences basically equate to a pie in the face, there is a good reason why EA won:

They're idiots.​

Not just any idiots, mind you. They're the kind of morons who end up being just the thing Scott Adams makes comics about, an affably-evil company that cares not, wants everything, and has no means of making real headway because it's 62 flavors of DUH. Now, why might this outrank a properly evil corp? Well, if you'll push away what you think is the bias, there is actually a bit in here that makes sense. Evil, insofar as corporations go, is effective. It's shit, it's terrible, but it goes along its way in a manner of 'screw you' that they can laugh all the way to the bank about and keep it up in ways that will fool millions. It's devious, but it's also functional. By comparison, consider a group which is labeled as 'pretty damn stupid', evil or not. Imagine that they tread lots of water just to stand still and damage people in the process too.

To be a greater level of horrible, it's not JUST in how you treat your consumers. It's also being dumb enough to be caught in your own blast, to damage yourself in the process. When you kneecap someone, they're kneecapped, end of story. EA points a shotgun at its own face, blows its head off, and scatters both shot and bits of head all over everyone behind them. Get it? Collateral damage. A match in an explosives warehouse while trying to shoot someone. A 16-ton weight on top of a chisel meant to crack a rock in half. A crowd of panicking people trampling others while running away from Godzilla.

Now uhhh...this was still all just an internet thing, but don't tell me it doesn't make a lick of sense. The forces of evil have got nothing on a company of idiots, people you can't predict or stop from hurting themselves and everyone else. That's the trick people are missing here. It's not ABOUT the evil. It's about making Darwin cry.