The Games Industry Is Its Own Citizen Kane

SecondPrize

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Mar 12, 2012
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UNHchabo said:
SecondPrize said:
You seem to be stating that EA owns Valve, but isn't giving them the ol' EA treatment. Did I miss something?
"and puts greater emphasis on preserving subsidiary and partner studios"

Valve isn't a subsidiary, but they are a partner studio. To my knowledge, EA has handled all physical-copy distribution for Valve starting with HL2:Ep 1.
Okay, that makes sense. That's not really much of a thing though. Distributors don't make a habit of fucking the studios they distribute for, do they?
 

weirdee

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Apr 11, 2011
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considering how easy it was to construct a web of half truths to appear to resolve issues that people have had with consoles in general, I think it wasn't actually that hard to lie after all, it just actually took more effort

but look where that got us, a console generation where only two machines appear to exist, and both of them as dumb as ever

the confidence people have in these things is about as real as the things that confidence is based on

as for EA and Valve, as much as they can act nice and shit, at the end of the day Origin exists, and is basically a monument that represents an overblown sense of pride that places itself before actual business sense
 

octafish

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Apr 23, 2010
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Is Video Games governor yet?

There are certain watershed games like Wolfenstein 3D , Civilization, and Defender but nothing that changed the creative output of the entire industry like Citizen Kane and there never will be. Games are still feeling the influence of Kane.
 

Reyold

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Jun 18, 2012
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Great stuff, Mr. Rath. Always appreciate your insight.

Atmos Duality said:
Good article, though I don't share nearly the same level of optimism for some companies as you.
Same here. Didn't EA say they wanted to be voted the best company? Something they haven't been doing too well, especially with the whole Dungeon Keeper fiasco.
 

Gezzer

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Jul 7, 2012
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Very well presented view point. I agree with everything you said, pretty much.
My only difference is while I'm cautiously hopeful that we've turned a corner and we're looking a new "golden age" of video games I'm afraid I've been once, no actually about thirty seven times bitten, and much more than twice shy. PR spin is still PR spin and only long term track record really speaks for any corporation. Much more than any current "see we're changing, we're not so bad" does.
With that said, currently I'm pretty sure EA is a lost cause. So my money is staying in my wallet no matter what they do. At least till I see that EA really does want to move back to when they weren't the big blundering monster company of video gaming and IP rape. And this won't be a do a couple of things and we're square thing. No, they'll have a lot of work and a long time before I trust them, they've just been too oily in the past to give in easily this time.
 

RhombusHatesYou

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Mar 21, 2010
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Between There and There.
Country
The Wide, Brown One.
As someone who's dropped a full size tower case on his foot I can attest to the fact that a computer can indeed make you cry... and swear... and hop about in an agonised frenzy.
 

WarpZone

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Robert Rath said:
EA is no longer the corporate raider it's been in the past,
Wait, seriously?

They won Worst Company Ever two years in a row, publicly promised to do better, and then kicked gamers squarely in the nuts with Dungeon Keeper.

If this is the "better" EA, just what the hell were they up to back when they *sucked!?*
 

Jburton9

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Great article, thank you for posting it : )

The comparison is a great one on so many different levels. Yes, people need to seen the film to understand "why" he was slow clapping.

Currently, I do not believe that these companies will turn out for the better unless they are forced, dragged down the hall kicking and screaming. We have to vote with our wallets as money is the only thing they care about. Oh and yes it is "ok" for companies to make a profit but not at the "obscene" expectations and profits levels they are currently demanding every quarter.

Unfortunately how the public is currently I do not think most are willing or even care what an actual boycott is. I love the steam screenshot in an earlier post showing the protesters and how they are logged in playing the game on day one. Caught red handed, when this happens - a false boycott, it undermines even speaking up in the forums as it will just be waved off as bluster and hot air.

Ultima Online and ID games all over again? The indy scene, greenlight, kickstarter, more direct path to the gaming community. Less overhead, newer development tools available, more willing to take risks on new game designs, really overall trying new things in general. Smaller more agile groups of developers passionate about games, this is a great thing and I look forward to seeing how it grows.

So looking back and then to present, it is a good day to be a gamer. We have many choices available to us thankfully and I feel that is important as it allows us to keep voting for what we enjoy.