Poll: How do you feel about the denial of EA being the Worst Company in America?

[DoPo]

How does the Escapist feel about how there are people who willingly embraces EA's horrible practices and not take a chance in bringing down low hanging fruit when one can see it.

I don't care and I don't know why this thread was necessary. I don't like EA - I don't hate it either, I'm at most mildly irritated. I don't feel invested enough for more. I'm actually more annoyed by people taking every opportunity to shout EA IS TEH EVILZ!

What discussion did you hope to get out of this thread? I can say right now, you'll get people shouting EA IS TEH EVILZ, few that go NUH-HUH, and some explaining why other companies need to get the "award", because EA may not actually be the bastard spawn of Satan and Cthulhu. Oh, and some would question the reason for the thread - I'm one of those.

What threads are necessary? Necessary for what? Are you trying to quantify on some kind of chart, the purpose and worth of a given thread based on how "Necessary" it is to an unstated goal or intent that may or may not exist?

Threads exist for the purpose of discussion on a topic. For this to happen, however, the topic must be, you know, discussable. This thread is terribly biased and horribly presented. As you see the discussion is NOT on topic. Not to mention the possibility of flames erupting due to it. This was easy to see from the very beginning, thus raising the question, why create a thread which would not be discussed and which would probably result in flames? Yes, these threads are not necessary.

 

[V da Mighty Taco]

How does the Escapist feel about how there are people who willingly embraces EA's horrible practices and not take a chance in bringing down low hanging fruit when one can see it.

I don't care and I don't know why this thread was necessary. I don't like EA - I don't hate it either, I'm at most mildly irritated. I don't feel invested enough for more. I'm actually more annoyed by people taking every opportunity to shout EA IS TEH EVILZ!

What discussion did you hope to get out of this thread? I can say right now, you'll get people shouting EA IS TEH EVILZ, few that go NUH-HUH, and some explaining why other companies need to get the "award", because EA may not actually be the bastard spawn of Satan and Cthulhu. Oh, and some would question the reason for the thread - I'm one of those.

What threads are necessary? Necessary for what? Are you trying to quantify on some kind of chart, the purpose and worth of a given thread based on how "Necessary" it is to an unstated goal or intent that may or may not exist?

Threads exist for the purpose of discussion on a topic. For this to happen, however, the topic must be, you know, discussable. This thread is terribly biased and horribly presented. As you see the discussion is NOT on topic. Not to mention the possibility of flames erupting due to it. This was easy to see from the very beginning, thus raising the question, why create a thread which would not be discussed and which would probably result in flames? Yes, these threads are not necessary.

Don't assume all of us "screw EA" folk lack so much perspective as to think that they're actually worse than, say, irresponsible banks that destroyed the economy. I do agree about this thread having no discussion value due to the OP's incredible bias and thus being unnecessary. It's the classic "Here's my stance. Are you on my side or not?" crap that's designed to make the topic a black-and-white I-just-want-to-complain-about-people-who-don't-agree-with-me-fully one-sided flamewar, rather than to encourage hearing out all viewpoints and encourage learning from one another. Bad topic is bad.

 

[MissP]

What threads are necessary? Necessary for what? Are you trying to quantify on some kind of chart, the purpose and worth of a given thread based on how "Necessary" it is to an unstated goal or intent that may or may not exist?

OT: EA doesn't need people to defend them. They're a multi million dollar corporation. My question is what drives people to be sympathetic to EA.

The purpose of a forum is to facilitate discussion. This thread is thinly veiled as an opening to discussion but is actually just the OP telling everyone how they should feel about the topic, and we're not likely to cover any ground that we haven't gone over a thousand times before. So yeah, not much to discuss here.

And you're right, EA doesn't need anyone to defend them. They do a lot of dumb things and have a knack for making their customers angry. That doesn't automatically make them the worst company in America though, and it doesn't mean that anyone who refuses to label them as such is a defender, a sympathizer, or a "sycophant."

 

[Requia]

If EA wants to get a worst company in America award, they really need to kill a couple thousand people and be implicated in human trafficking. Have some perspective beyond just them shitting on good IP and committing minor fraud.

I'm not even sure they really count for worst game company, yes they do bad shit, but that seems to be the whole AAA industry.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

The biggest issue with the poll is that its in-built bias with it only being online voting.

Because guess who is most likely to be online?

 

[Souplex]

Your poll needs a neutral option.
My response is a resounding "Eh".

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

I think they should all be shot, because whenever someone voices a valid criticism, even a small one, about EA (and I think the only reason it appears oversaturated is because there are many small valid criticisms of EA to be made), these people essentially say that you're not thinking for yourself and just following along with the rest of the annoyance directed at EA. Which is wrong. I am legitimately annoyed at virtually everything they do, I'm not just saying that to be fashionable.

 

[Nowhere Man]

I despise EA, but I find it hard to label a video game company as the worst American company.
I'm certain that say...a certain bank would be a far more viable target for hatred. Something that actually effects your country, rather than something that you fall for time after time. Something that you can say is fucking your country up, rather than "I din' liek this vidya gaem".

I don't care if you sympathize EA.
Though...it baffles me why people would sympathize any big company.
Financial Stockholm syndrome, perhaps? Anyway, these options are pants and I don't feel as though my stance is thoroughly represented. Voter apathy all up in this *****.

I could'nt of said it better myself. On all points. EA is a terrible video game company which I hate and avoid yes, but to name it worst company by any stretch is just being plain ignorant of what's going on in the world today. I can name a dozen companies that are actually causing REAL destruction to America. EA would be nowhere near that list.

 

[FEichinger]

I'm just gonna give a link to the comments section of the Polygon article of this. Why? Because I genuinely can't be arsed to reiterate that EA is not the worst company by any stretch, and if you keep whining about them for releasing shitty games while other companies quite literally kill people you lose all respect with me:

http://www.polygon.com/2013/3/19/41...onsumerists-worst-company-in-america#comments

And, for the love of god, don't give me this "THIS will make EA listen, because they totally listen to a public outcry like this, those big really harmful companies, they don't care at all!" bullshit. Skew a poll all you want, but don't rationalize it. What you're doing causes more harm to gamers' reputation than anything EA can do to the industry itself.

 

[Dr. Dice Lord]

I'll either get a used copy or just not play it...nothing is worth installing Origin onto my PC.

I have to agree. I've used steam for 7 years, but I can stomach using origin when required. Its not the terrible spyware skynet of gaming people make it out to be. As much as I hate to admit it, I've had fewer glitches with Origin than Steam.

OP I hate EA, but I could care less who wins the "award." If you really don't agree with them, don't feed them anymore of your money. Unless they make a major 180, all I'll ever use Origin for is free games and BF3.

 

[Zeh Don]

EA treats it's employees like rubbish, and - in combination with Activision Blizzard - are raping the video game industry for all it's worth, destroying jobs, careers and an entire entertainment medium in the process.

However, in comparison to other American companies - Apple, Microsoft, Nike, etc. - they're saints. Those companies use third world child labour - slavery, one could argue - to produce their goods, which they sell for mark ups of over 1000%.

EA are bastards of the highest order, but they're just ruining entertainment. Other companies are destroying countries, and lives.

 

[Requia]

People hate Origin because they want to use Steam.

The hate if anything justifies Origins existence, there's a concern that Steam will allow Valve too much power in the long term (allowing Valve to squeeze game developers the same way Amazon and Wal Mart squeeze their suppliers), if players are going to freak out so much over not having access to a game on Steam, then that concern seems justified to me.

 

[Vausch]

In terms of business practices I would say EA is easily one of the shitters, but I wouldn't say they're the worst company in America.

Worst GAME company, yes. By a long shot.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Personally I thought AIG was the worst company in America. Though I may change that to disney now for closing down lucasarts.

I dont know. I think people that blindly defend apple for no reason (particularly steve jobs) are in sufferable personally but every one has their own likes and dislikes. I'm not really bothered by EA as long as they put out a game I enjoy playing since I dont really bother with online stuff so that never bothers me.

 

[HalfTangible]

EA is a shitty game company and it bothers me that people like them, but no, they are NOT the worst company out there. Private bankers print public money (which would be okay if they were doing a good job of it), companies poison and get off scot-free, hell, stretch the definition enough and the IRS can rough EA up like it dropped the soap in hated-company-prison.

 

[Don't taze me bro]

What's the problem with Origin? It's a game launcher. It's the least offensive thing that EA has done recently, yet makes up a staggering proportion of EA hate.

Jumping on the EA hate bandwagon about Origin is the same as jumping on the Nickelback hate bandwagon. It's the cool thing to do. I've used Origin back when it was the EADM. Being in Australia, with ludicrous prices, it has been one way to get cheaper games, through buying CD keys and then downloading them through Origin. Sure, I only ever have Origin logged in when I'm playing a game though it, but it certainly isn't worthy of the hate lauded upon it.

And EA as the worst company. Yeah.. a company that provides 'entertainment' is regarded as the worst? Sure, Simcity sucked, Mass Effect ending wasn't great and micro-transations in Dead Space (funnily enough, I completed all of Dead Space 3 and NEVER ONCE saw a prompt for micro-transactions) has people complaining. Some people need a reality check, starting with the OP.

 

[Olas]

Jesus Christ.
No I don't think we should shoot people who defend EA. And I'm pretty sure we're all capable of living with them, whether you disagree with them or not. Can we turn off the hyperbole now?

Believe it or not despite all the horrific decisions they've made of late EA isn't simply pure evil. When you give them money for a game they give you an actual game in return. They aren't stealing from you. The game may suck and have flaws but that doesn't make it objectively unenjoyable for everyone. So if some people actually like the games they make, even if you don't, it's their fucking opinion and they're allowed to have it.

And why should it bother us if some people enjoy eating shit. Nobodies forcing you to eat it. EAs going to die, and there's nothing these people can do about it so really what does it matter what they think?

 

[J Tyran]

EA are far from the worst company, they get these awards because a bunch of misguided angry gamers hate EA and descend like a hoard to vote. Most people do not care and never vote. Ignoring the fact that EA isn't even the worst company in its own industry for the moment lets look at some other US companies.

Lets look at Chevron/Texaco. They spread over 20,000,000,000 (20b) gallons of Toxic waste and 17,000,000 gallons of crude oil across large areas of a fricking continent over a 20 year period. Kinda worse than the ending of Mass Effect 3 hmm?

How about the Dow Chemical Company? Well they had some dangerous incidents in the past but lets look at the big one. A subsidiary of theirs used dangerous working practices and a massive leak of a toxic gas exposed half a million people to toxic gas. nearly four thousand people where killed. 40,000 others have been left with serious disabilities, in a country with virtually no support or welfare. The subsidiary admitted it and paid some compensation to the government but somehow for some reason the money basically disappeared and the victims got practically nothing, I am sure that had nothing to do with the alleged corruption. It would be wrong to accuse them of paying bribes wouldn't it? They have yet to agreed to cleaning up the site, its still heavily contaminated and possibly leaching chemicals into the water table. Well no big deal, it cannot compare to the micro transactions we got in Dead Space 3.

These two are the most graphic, I could go on and past page after page of US corporations that endanger their workers and that have bad business practices and are generally helping to destroy the planet, the only planet we have.

But no it doesn't matter, Dragon Age II sucked after all.

Disclaimer,

I am not attacking the US here, they are the focus because the topic is about the vote about "worst US company". The US is not the only nation to have corporations like that, many others around the world are even worse and do terrible things too so I am not singling out the US or anything.