Poll: Most "evil" video game publisher?

[The Woolly One]

I don't think EA are that bad.

They used to be pretty bad, but then they started taking on new IPs, such as Dead Space or Crysis.

Unlike, say, Activision, EA gives developers more time. When Activision forced developers to rush production of sequels like Tony Hawk or Guitar Hero - destroying those brands in the process - EA allowed the competitors, Skate and Rock Band, more time to develop and these are clearly the better games. Look at how much time they allowed DICE to make BF3 when they could have rushed it for release alongside Black Ops instead. The only exception I've heard is with Dragon Age II, although I was under the impression that only the soundtrack was rushed by EA.

The only thing I hate about EA is the terms of service of Origin. I think that there should be more than one digital distributor in the market, but EA has gone about it the wrong way.



OT: I would go with Nintendo. They used to be great, but now they only ever release sequels or reboots. No originality.

Or Activision, because they realised they could raise the RRP of MW2 and still gain fans.

 

[The Woolly One]

Yeah, EA. I mean, with the recent articles on them basically saying 'all PC gamers are pirates', refusing to develop for our console, and giving out horrifically bad DRM, it's getting harder and harder for us.

Worst part? Because half the problem is that their games aren't even being released for the PC, we can't even boycott them. And even if we did, they'd just take it as yet another sign that TEH PC IS DYIN! and move on.

Do you mean Ubisoft? They were the ones saying 95% of PC gamers would pirate the game anyway, and they were the ones who have dropped at least 2 games from the PC in the last week alone.

 

[The Woolly One]

EA.
Promising fans a free copy of Battlefield 1943 and than "changing their mind"

http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/121/1213324p1.html

 

[babinro]

I don't research publisher practices and so I find none of the above to be particularly evil compared when compared to one another.

My vote went to the one that's given me the most grief, Microsoft. This is entirely due to the inconvenience and trouble posed by Games for Windows Live. I can't change the email I have the account under because I'm a PC game and don't own an xbox. This has led to a number of problems mostly due to the fact that my email used for it was a junk email address that gets shut down frequently from spam (due to being my spam email from well over 10 years ago that I never check and sign all websites to).

As it is...if I want to play a game like Bioshock, I have to give the game about 3 business days notice for my email to regain access so I can save my progress.

 

[CrystalShadow]

I can't vote. Between EA, Ubiflaccid , Nintendo, and Capcom all seem to be fighting for first place as evil publishers. Overall EA seems to be on top as the most Evil in my opinion adding in the whole SOPA thing.

I just don't see Activision, Take Two (aka 2K Games), Namco, and Microsoft as evil, so if I missed something as of late then please enlighten me as to who I should be in loathe of for any or all four.

Activision. What GOOD did they ever do to their developers? Last time I checked, none, unless you count practically ruining the Call of Duty franchise.

But is that particularly "Evil" or just stupidity?

Eh, I have a gut reaction of considering microsoft evil, but that's not due to gaming.
This is an incredibly old notion, and they've improved a lot since then...

But it didn't come about without reason.

Also:


Anyway, I personally said Activision, because they seemed at one point to be actively trying to treat their employees like shit.

And if I was going by personal reasons I'd say Atari, because they screwed me over with a combination of DRM and completely incompetent customer service.

 

[INF1NIT3 D00M]

I had decent views of EA until this year came along...

- The rushing of Dragon Age 2.
- The horrific marketing campaign for Dead Space 2.
- Origin and the controversy surrounding it.
- (Along with Origin) - Them removing their games from Steam, being immature about it, and restricting Battlefield 3 and future games to Origin use only.
- Lying about bonuses for games. (Where is Battlefield 1943 for the PS3 users?)
- The support of SOPA.
- Shitty customer service and horrible working conditions for their employees.

It really sucks cause a lot of the titles they publish I enjoy immensely. Such as Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Battlefield...I'm looking forward to Kingdom of Amalur as well.

Wow, this really hit every base for me. I'd add in their penchant for ultra-restrictive DRM. I bought Spore on launch day and loved it. I can't play it any more due to their stupid limited installs.
I live off of the ability to copy games from computer to computer. The games I enjoy the most are the ones I can trick into running on multiple computers simultaneously for playing LAN games with my little brother.
I'm no pirate per se as I always purchase at least one copy of every game I intend to play in LAN with my little brother. However, EA hates my guts for that and I know it. Like the guy/gal I quoted, I enjoy many of EA's published games, but EA is pretty much the best example of a company that treats its customers like cattle. Dirty, thieving cattle, who are mean to the parts of their games that aren't great. If EA could, they'd sell us their games mission by mission as DLC for 60 bucks a pop, playable only in one place at one time, tied to an account that authorizes them to access every byte of our computers/consoles at all times, with full authority to take all of its games back without compensation at any time. That's a dark future, and I oppose their vision vehemently.

 

[vrbtny]

Well Ubisoft are definitely the biggest assholes in gaming right now
But...

EA, because they caused the death of Pandemic Studios.

http://www.unreasonablegamers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/pandemic-studios-closed.jpg
Never Forgive, Never Forget!

Ubisoft are being called ass-holes?

Sorry, had to use that gif. I'm trying to post it on every day for a week(Started Wednesday) and use it for something that Ubisoft have done.

But, yes, I stand solidly behind you. Pandemic was one of the best companies in the whole of gaming. I can always remember wasting many-a-hour I should have been doing homework playing Battefield 1 or 2 with a group of friends(who also should have been doing homework)

Also, I loved The Saboteur.

Alas poor Pandemic, I knew thy well :'(

 

[vrbtny]

Curse you Double Post!!

Gif for the hell of it

 

[Memoriae]

Don't actually have a single "evil" one, but Squeenix will be on the top of my shitlist if they go ahead with their plans to make Final Fantasy into a yearly thing...

 

[bakan]

Activision, EA, Ubisoft and 'Bamco'/Capcom in this order?

 

[yourbeliefs]

Online pass + exclusive NFL contract leading to shitty Madden games year after year = EA.

 

[IrateDonnie]

You forgot Mojang!
They may not be evil yet, but dammed if they don't have the potential for evil.

I agree, I've had a bad feeling about them ever since I heard what the "full" version of Minecraft will include. I'm still wondering where the game is, last time I checked games usually have a story and quests, hell I can play with my old legos & have more fun than that horrible excuse for a game.
BTW the op forgot Valve, they're evil for killing a really fun game (TF2) & turning it into Fashion Fortress.

 

[ejb626]

Activision for being a bunch of penny-pinchers who continually milk a franchise year-after-year and in all take about 200 or so dollars out of people by charging fifteen dollars for a measley four mulitplayer maps when other companies like Epic in the case of Gears of War, give out the same thing for free. Yeah, lately I haven't been a fan of Activision's annual CoD Donation Drive.

 

[tmande2nd]

EA.

Just EA.
I can say anything I want to but I will just say:
I hope that EA crashes and burns and dies off before it can ruin more games.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

No Apple?

Honestly, there's very little in between them at the moment. EA's advertising, Activision's cloning, Ubisoft's PR, Microsoft's control fixation, Apple's comfort dealers...they're all as bad as each other. Each of them have near illegal practices, profit based morals and an army of slathering fanzombies.

Valve may be utter bastards in real life - but against their peers, they shine like angels.

 

[Jakub324]

EA. They have a record of fucking things up, like the Dead Space 2 marketing catastrophe and leading the online pass charge.

 

[FoolKiller]

Its unfortunate that your poll list is going to be affected by your own bias. Listing them in the order you have basically guarantees people will vote for EA. While I think they are the worst offenders, you should list something like this alphabetically to avoid influencing the poll. Cheers.

 

[pwnatornr1]

Those mother fuckers who decided that they wouldn't show all those who made L.A. Noire in the credits of the game.

 

[Marcus Kehoe]

Nintendo, they have the titnacity to make a good rpg and give it to everyone except america, that's just not fare and really doesn't make sense.
I'm still very mad at them.

 

[Ethan Asia]

Valve. Any dev that witholds Meet the Pyro and Half Life 2: Episode 3 is clearly dining on babies and puppies with Skeletor.