Here's my problem with all of the constant hate people seem to have for Electronic Arts. Since it's now gotten to the point that the mere sight of their logo on a game not only devalues that game but every other game on the shelf with it. Maybe if everybody didn't blame EA for every single video game related problem on the planet, I just might take the actual legitimate claims seriously. Don't get me wrong, I have my own problems with EA too. I'm still bitter over the whole NFL, NCAA license thing. But this whole massive hatred of EA has grown so large and gone on for so long that it's ceased to be about any important issue and just devolved into just being the thing to say to be considered accepted by your peers. Don't believe me? If your first thought to learning about the IGN article was "How dare they allow EA to try and tell their side of the story!", then the problem isn't with EA or IGN, the problem is with you.
A company that didn't do anything illegal is considered "The Most Hated Company Ever" for 2012 and no one can ask them what they think about it without hurling attacks and accusations at them? And if anyone does, then they're the ones that are considered journalistic sellouts? Now I'm not a professional journalist, but I think I can safely assume that most of the people here aren't either. And as far as the views of Jim Sterling goes, they have nothing to do with his credentials and knowledge of the industry and everything to do with him staying on the anti-EA bandwagon. Let him come out and praise EA for anything and genuinely mean it and he'll be another one of those suck-ups that sold his integrity for a nice fat check. Even when they're the legitimate victims, they're looked upon with undeserved scorn. I remember the story about the anti-gay organization that denounced EA for having openly gay characters in some of their games and someone actually had the nerve to blindly accuse them of taking a stand against the organization only being used to make them look good in the eyes of the public. That disgusted me more than anything. I honestly would have had more respect for that person if they sided with the organization. I would have completely disagreed with them, but at least they had the integrity to stick with their beliefs. But instead they choose to belittle their actual beliefs because the company they hate shares those beliefs. Because, you know, "How dare you and I have something in common!"
Now the only EA games I have for the pc is The Sims 2 and The Sims Medieval, so I could care less about anything that relates to the pc. (I know, I know. BLASPHEMY!) So everything that mainly interests me revolves around the consoles. I don't care about Dead Space. I don't care about Battlefield. I don't really care that much about Medal of Honor (although the modern day ones do raise some interest). I don't really care about any of the Dragon Age games. In fact, the only EA games that I did care about I don't care about on the Xbox 360 were Mirror's Edge, The Sims 3, and the Mass Effect games. And as far as Mass Effect goes, there is no other game series that I would defend to the death for. They managed to fulfill their trilogy obligations to the end and I am more than happy with how all of it was wrapped up. AND I DO MEAN ALL OF IT.
You know the problem with people constantly screaming the evil reputation of someone, and that reputation is built more on heresay than on facts, then the people doing the screaming are the ones that are more likely to begin to be judged. And if they demonstrate that they're not being completely legitimate, then their opinions are rendered invalid. So the next time you read or hear something that doesn't portray EA as the neo-Nazi party of the gaming world and you can't accept that, try going back and legitimizing your own problems before evaluating theirs.
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