Poll: (Re)Evaluating EA: where does EA stand now?

[4RM3D]

Because [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.825871-EA-Offers-Full-Refunds-For-Unsatisfied-Origin-Customers]
I do [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.825342-Humble-Bundle-Teams-Up-With-Origin]
wonder, [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.826081-Origin-Sale-Takes-up-to-70-Off-Titles]
then again [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/127171-EA-Plans-Free-To-Play-For-Every-Major-Franchise]

Origin is still Origin
EA is still ... well, maybe they are changing for the better.

I personally dislike EA, but even I was surprise with some of the stuns EA has pulled, recently. I wouldn't start worshiping EA just yet. But at least there is some good. Better than the couple of news articles before about how every release got ***** slapped (MOH: Warfighter, Dead Space 3, Sim City, etc).

So where does EA stand now?

 

[jehk]

EA can earn back my trust if they produce games that I enjoy playing.

I don't think they are evil but I don't see any improvement either.

Dragon Age Inquistion will probably be the first product they can earn my trust back with.

 

[Doom972]

The only game EA is going to release that I'm interested in at the moment is Dragon Age 3, so I'm keeping an open mind until I see the reviews.

As for the recent Origin related stuff - they are making steps in the right direction but still have a way to go. The prices outside of the US are much more expensive to the point of even the recent 70% sale being useless. They still need to implement many features like gifts and wishlists, but I guess that it's better if they take their time and do it right, as long as they do it.

 

[Genocidicles]

A few sales and a charity event aren't going to convince me.

Back in 2007 they started turning around and being a good publisher, and then they became worse than they were in the first place, so I'm wary of them 'changing' again.

Plus, them making Dungeon Keeper into a shitty tablet game, making every new game have a F2P component and brutally fucking the reanimated corpse of Command and Conquer is enough to convince me they aren't even trying to change in the first place.

 

[TehCookie]

The same as I've always seen them, a company with bad policies and makes mediocre games. I never saw them as evil because they don't force you to do anything. If you don't like their policies don't buy their games. If they do something you like, then support them.

 

[Gameguy20100]

Why are the options on such opposite sides of the spectrum?

can I not have a "I like EA but I'm not loyal" option?

 

[Saidan]

Whenever in doubt about EA's standing in the balance, the only reminder I need is Command & Conquer. Very, very evil.

 

[Caiphus]

The Origin refund policy is probably their best move recently for me.

The news today that they aren't making offline experiences for games, whatever that means, isn't great news.

Will probably just wait for DAIII to come out to see how they're doing. For the moment they're doing OK.

 

[SecondPrize]

I've seen screencaps from folks showing origin attempting to use their computers to dial out to a lgtb website and screenshots from folks showing dozens of identical messages in support of EA on that website. It's not a matter of evil, it's a matter of not wanting my computer to be part of a fucking botnet and not wanting anything to do with a company who thinks such behavior is acceptable.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

All companies exist to make money. Faulting EA for wanting to make money is ridiculous. I think they finally realized after winning the "worst company in america award" for the second year running that their policy of putting the consumer dead fucking last wasn't doing them any favors. There's actually profit in your consumer base LIKING you. Valve has proven that pretty damn thoroughly. Regardless of motivation EA is making pretty big overhauls to the way they do business, and I honestly hope it works out for them. If one of, if not the largest game publisher learns that treating consumers good is beneficial, i think this industry as a whole would benefit from that.

 

[Thebazilly]

It seems like EA has been starting to be less obtusely customer-hating lately. But that certainly doesn't make them a great company, and I still don't like them. EA will need to loosen up on DRM and improve Origin before I'll start to respect the company at all.

We'll see what the future holds, I suppose.

 

[Simple Bluff]

I never really disliked them. I wouldn't necessarily disagree with their detractors most of the time however, but as far as I remember the only thing they ever did that actually annoyed me was the Simcity thing. That was a pretty big deal, in my opinion. The PC port of the first Mass Effect game was dickish too, if that was them (or was it Microsoft?).

To be fair, I like most of the games that they've published (that I've played) and the project ten dollar thing really never bothered me.

"I HAVE NO STRONG FEELINGS ONE WAY etc"

EDIT: My opinion isn't catered to in the polls! WHAT DO CLICK?!?!?

EDIT 2 - REVELATIONS: Nevermind, I'm an idiot.

Also, spellcheck just informed me that "Nevermind" isn't a word... nor is "spellcheck," for that matter. Good stuff.

 

[ZZoMBiE13]

They're only "doing better" because there was no way to go BUT up. I can't conceive of a worse gaming company than EA around March of this year. You know, Sim City debacle and what not.

So sorry for them, but doing nothing but fixing stuff they broke earns them no points with me.

 

[Rastrelly]

Reputation is hard to earn and easy to lose. For me, EA fell far too deep to be ever redeemed [in my eyes]. A new [awesome] Dune RTS would do the trick, possibly.

Also -
1) Free to play for every title - AWFUL news.
2) Sales are a good stuff, but Origin is not getting any more comfortable as a software/platform, so I don't care
3) Humble Bundle are great guys, but from EA perspective this sale is nothing but a cheap way to make some positive PR
4) Where was this refunds program when ME3 came out? It's far too late now.

 

[Raikas]

Where's the "none of the above" option?

My opinion was never terribly positive or negative - I'm neutral. Sometimes they have policies that make me roll my eyes, but sometimes they publish games that interest me and so I buy them. Sometimes they put out games that have zero interest for me, so I neither buy them nor read about the issues surrounding them.

And they're in the entertainment business, so calling them evil has always struck me as absurdly over the top. There are companies out there that do actual social and/or environmental damage, and people want to say that a games publisher is the worst of them all? Really?

 

[V8 Ninja]

They definitely seem to be changing, but there are too many unusual happenings in the game industry for me to believe that EA is permanently altering their ways. Crowdfunding has become a viable option for developers, the mobile market has significantly warped the definition of many concepts, and of course the new consoles are coming up. Coming into the last console cycle, EA seemed to be getting better but we all know tat change was only temporary.

 

[rednose1]

Oh EA, you had me worried, what with your sales, Bundles, and your return policy that you had come to your senses. I didn't like that feeling. It was like seeing the Wicked witch of the West doing charity work. It just felt wrong. Glad to see you woke up and returned to your douchebag ways. I'm sure the devil thanks you as well, as Hell had to have been getting mighty cold.

 

[Fox12]

They're only "doing better" because there was no way to go BUT up. I can't conceive of a worse gaming company than EA around March of this year. You know, Sim City debacle and what not.

So sorry for them, but doing nothing but fixing stuff they broke earns them no points with me.

Pretty much this. Being marginally less horrible doesn't change much for me. They're not helping me more, their hurting me less.

"Oh, they're going to beat me with a regular bat instead of the big metal one with spikes on it? Okay, I guess..."

If they make good games I'll buy them. Used. But that hasn't happened in a long time, and it probably won't happen again any time soon.

 

[lacktheknack]

You get the best results (and are happiest) when you tempt a mule with a carrot AS WELL as threaten it with a stick.

Currently, EA deserves carrots. Ergo, I shall give them carrots.

When they deserve the stick, they shall get the stick.

 

[Hero of Lime]

I don't hate them, but I don't like them either. If they make a good game now and then, that's more power to them. They haven't screwed me over, but I understand others don't feel the same, and for good reason. I haven't bought a game from them since Dead Space 2, and the only thing I might be looking forward to of theirs is Star Wars Battlefront III. For better or worse, they don't affect me in any way enough for me to hate them, yet I don't like them for their policies.