Jimquisition: Why Do People Hate EA?

[Sushewakka]

I'm not naive enough to think that EA is going to immediately start to change its ways, (no matter how deftly Jim utilizes his superpowers), but since the "Worst Company Ever" image became official, I noticed how Mass Effect 3 DLC became mysteriously free, which again offered that glimmer of hope.

They're playing it smart with ME 3 content. Whereas the new maps are free, the new classes and weapons have to be adquired, either by in-game currency or by microtransactions. The random equipment packages are a smart way of monetizing the MP DLC without actually looking like it.
Now, I don't want to give the wrong impression: I believe the way the ME team handled this was brilliant, as all content can be available for "free" (by investing time in the game, hence keeping higher server population for multiplayer to continue) whereas people strapped for time can sink in the money that supports multiplayer continued expansion. In a sense, it is not unlike Team Fortress 2 (which the rather notable difference that in TF2, the cash doesn't result in random, unless buying keys).

 

[NitehawkFury]

I'm not naive enough to think that EA is going to immediately start to change its ways, (no matter how deftly Jim utilizes his superpowers), but since the "Worst Company Ever" image became official, I noticed how Mass Effect 3 DLC became mysteriously free, which again offered that glimmer of hope.

They're playing it smart with ME 3 content. Whereas the new maps are free, the new classes and weapons have to be adquired, either by in-game currency or by microtransactions. The random equipment packages are a smart way of monetizing the MP DLC without actually looking like it.
Now, I don't want to give the wrong impression: I believe the way the ME team handled this was brilliant, as all content can be available for "free" (by investing time in the game, hence keeping higher server population for multiplayer to continue) whereas people strapped for time can sink in the money that supports multiplayer continued expansion. In a sense, it is not unlike Team Fortress 2 (which the rather notable difference that in TF2, the cash doesn't result in random, unless buying keys).

The thing is, I don't really mind that. The same as I never really mind when other games offer the "unlock everything" downloads. As long as the regular player can legitimately get everything that the dude with money can, that's fine by me. (But that's a completely different discussion, entirely.)

If EA (and other companies, for that matter) were to look at these kinds of strategies and implement them intelligently, perhaps there wouldn't be as many outcries when companies look to increase their revenue streams and increase the length of the "sales tail" on a game.

 

[Mailman]

As a consumer what can I do to get them to change? With things the way they are I haven't bought a new console game for awhile. The last one I bought was ME3's Collector's Edition and even then I had to buy it off of Amazon. As far as I know, It's the last Bioware/EA game I'll support.

 

[Alar]

I really do find it kind of amusing that Activision doesn't even have to try to make themselves look better. Is that a strategy, now? 'Let's just let EA fuck things up while we keep on keepin' on.'? I... I am puzzled by this.

[I would like a Gravity Rush shirt, please. Also, Jim is sexy. All of that in one thi--oh wait.]

 

[mik1]

Its actually astounding the industry has not fallen on it's ass yet. You gotta wonder if every executive at EA is stupid bastard or just the majority of them.
*i can has shirt now?
*All the girls fail to keep their panties dry when Jim walks in.

 

[SnakeoilSage]

EA will fold in on itself and shut down, the companies they gobbled up will go independent again, get gobbled up by some other big fish, or join into their own coalition to prevent that. Life will go on ad nauseam.

 

[The White Hunter]

Everything wrong with EA can be summarised by playing Bad Company 2 for a few hours.
Then play Battlefield 3.

See the difference?
I thought so.

I haven't played either and don't intend to. Are they the same or something? Sorry to shit on the joke.

Don't worry about it it wasn't really a joke.

No, but Bad Company 2 had something more unqieu about it, it set itself apart and was fun in it's own way.
Battlefield 3 is like playing COD on maps that are too big with less effective balancing and the complete inability to find a standard-rules game on consoles anymore.

Also BC2 had a shitload of free maps if you bought new. And the destruction physics we're good and indeed useful. Whereas BF3 puts all it's fancy engine powers to work on obnoxious lens flare.

 

[The White Hunter]

Everything wrong with EA can be summarised by playing Bad Company 2 for a few hours.
Then play Battlefield 3.

See the difference?
I thought so.

Truth be told, you can even see such issues in the transition from the original Bad Company to its sequel.

I'm left wondering if the best solution would simply be for EA to collapse under it's own tremendous, unsustainable weight, allowing its IPs to scatter to studios that might actually care to grow them as unique series. Granted, you lose competition in the market place, but it's not like EA was healthy competition to begin with...


[I would like a Gravity Rush shirt please. Jim is totally sexy.]

Yeah BC2 was alot differet than BC1, but it was still a fairly unique game and I enjoyed it a lot. BF3 was just so bland and boring, especially after unlocking everything.

I prefer smashing down buildings with tanks that feel like tanks to being blinded by annoying lighting effects and killed in the blink of an eye in a tank made of paper. To summarise...

 

[Antonio Torrente]

Activision: "We're Not EA"

You know if Activision says that in a future interview and it sounds and feels positive.
Something's definitely wrong.

 

[SpectacularWebHead]

I agree with this video and everything in it. EA being shit seems to be one of those things that just goes without saying. I am thankful that someone has finally done something like this though. Whilst EA's level of shitness was a given, any other time they'd been brought up on it in a public forum it had just been...lacking. Jim's zealousness is greatly appreciated, but personally I would have sworn more, sucker.
Activision might sell more games if "Not as bad as EA" was their slogan.

(Also I would like the gravity rush T-shirt please. I don't know what it is and I think PS vita is shit, But that t-shirt looks cool. And Jim is sexy lots.)

 

[AbstractStream]

Best episode yet? I think so.
I never thought I would dislike a company as much as I dislike EA.

(I don't really care about the shirt, but Jim is indeed sexy.)

 

[IamLEAM1983]

EA in 2034: "John Riccitello's 34th clone announced their newest IP, scheduled for release in Q3 '35. Call of Dead Effect Duty Space-Mass, Sims Edition, will be the grayest, most impersonal morass of unimaginative gameplay ever conceived and we, as brainwashed drones preprogrammed to be compliant with the corporation's desires, are content to keep it afloat with its required twenty million units shipped for the project to be solvent.

Shoot Necromorphs and Russians while telling your point man to go potty because his Bladder bar decreased in the red, and use Biotics to gain a tactical advantage, if you're willing to splurge eighty bucks for the season pass and twelve bucks for the DLC itself. Bullets have their own DLC bracket, and word is that your character would have an Oxygen meter, requiring the next level of price-gouging FUN in order to fully enjoy the game - although the hypoxiphiliacs who enjoy choking to death will appreciate having the option not to pay, even though this means instantly losing the game.

Truly gripping stuff. I, for one, cannot wait to play this game."

 

[Sandytimeman]

EA is freaking evil. They buy up any studio that sees even a glimmer of success and then shoves so much money up its ass they die. But ea keeps shoving money into it so they don't notice for awhile that its a bloated rotting mess of what it once was.

[I would like a free t-shirt, also Jim Sterling is quiet possibly the sexist man alive]

 

[Diceman]

I'm starting to wonder quite what these companies are even doing now.
I mean, at what point does someone stop being as in tune to things as they were? Oh, right, remaking the same shooters at too high a cost.
Fair point.

Jim is very sexy. I'll pay for P&P. Shirts are nice.

 

[Vigormortis]

[on a side note, do not take my message as a personal attack or anything. I just get sick of hearing people complain about the offline-mode, seeing as it's actually quite reliable now. I also get sick of people complaining about aspects of Steam that either aren't an issue or aren't as bad as these people claim; all the while the REAL issues with Steam go unnoticed. Or rather, un-complained-about. Like the lack of currency conversion in the store, the somewhat buggy cloud-save feature for some games, or the frequency with which the Friends network has been going down lately. Those are just a few of the things that need to be complained about now; the things that actually need fixing.]

I complain about steams tech support. Is fairly unhelpfull. They will pawn you off on the developer enven when steam is the one causeing the issue. I had a problem with Bioshock 2. They kept sending me elsewhere to find help when it was a steam issue. They repeatedly told me it with the developers fault. Eventually I found the problem. Apparently the game ran in DX9 but the launcher made it launch DX10. I found them out and told them and they still had no help from me. "Take it to the devs," they said, "its not our fault". Finally I found a random forum somewhere that said where to put some code in for the steam launcher.

But yeah anyway it was their problem and they blamed it on other people. I don't like tech support that does that.

Now see, this is what I mean.

Though I've never had issue with their customer/tech support the times I've had to use it, I know people who have. And while no customer service is perfect, Valve's could still use some work. It's definitely one area I think they need to expand their work force in. (even if it means outsourcing it)

I also wish they made the launch-options window a bit more...obvious. At least. to the average user.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

Well said. I'm amazed EA won't listen to all the complaints, and yet people will buy their games anyway... *SIGH*

 

[mcnally86]

[on a side note, do not take my message as a personal attack or anything. I just get sick of hearing people complain about the offline-mode, seeing as it's actually quite reliable now. I also get sick of people complaining about aspects of Steam that either aren't an issue or aren't as bad as these people claim; all the while the REAL issues with Steam go unnoticed. Or rather, un-complained-about. Like the lack of currency conversion in the store, the somewhat buggy cloud-save feature for some games, or the frequency with which the Friends network has been going down lately. Those are just a few of the things that need to be complained about now; the things that actually need fixing.]

I complain about steams tech support. Is fairly unhelpfull. They will pawn you off on the developer enven when steam is the one causeing the issue. I had a problem with Bioshock 2. They kept sending me elsewhere to find help when it was a steam issue. They repeatedly told me it with the developers fault. Eventually I found the problem. Apparently the game ran in DX9 but the launcher made it launch DX10. I found them out and told them and they still had no help from me. "Take it to the devs," they said, "its not our fault". Finally I found a random forum somewhere that said where to put some code in for the steam launcher.

But yeah anyway it was their problem and they blamed it on other people. I don't like tech support that does that.

Now see, this is what I mean.

Though I've never had issue with their customer/tech support the times I've had to use it, I know people who have. And while no customer service is perfect, Valve's could still use some work. It's definitely one area I think they need to expand their work force in. (even if it means outsourcing it)

I also wish they made the launch-options window a bit more...obvious. At least. to the average user.

Yeah I forget where that is and I need to find it again. At least there is google. Also sorry for the typos I was in a hurry.

 

[Korten12]

Amazing episoe, put all my thoughts into one large show. It's all sooo true.

I used to think Acitivison was the worse of the two, but apparently EA didn't like losing at being the worst.

(also I would LOVE the shirt. )

 

[Anchupom]

EA are so fucked up, I genuinely wondered how Jim could fit all his complaints into a video less than a week long... I was also concerned that the last 3 minutes or so would be just Jim spouting off more and more creative and accurate insults for EA.

(I would like a gravity rush shirt please. Also, Jim is sexy. Also also, I am not a US resident but will happily set up a paypal, give Jim the money to cover the cost of sending said shirt to Blighty, and then a little bit more because he is sexy one of my role models and it would be awesome to get that shirt.)

 

[Shadowkire]

Yeah I forget where that is and I need to find it again. At least there is google. Also sorry for the typos I was in a hurry.

Go to your Steam game library, find the game on the list to the left, right click, select properties, it is the button in the middle of the window.