What has EA done wrong?

[Gormers1]

Have you noticed how many expansion packs there are for The Sims, each priced at about $20, each containing only (I'm told) tiny bits of content?

The first game (the sims 2) contains more than enough content for gamers. You dont have to buy the expansion packs if you dont want, and you dont need to.

Or how about how they make the same (American) football game ten times, increasing the graphics a bit and updating the player rosters and charging $60 a copy?

As long as the games are actually good (they get better reviews than most other sports games out there), why complaint. You dont have to buy every game every year here either.

And EA is far from the only one using DRM. And as mentioned earlier, they are going away from DRM, and has released a patch to remove the limitation of installations for Spore.

But, they are not the best of the bunch (releasing a LOT of showelware), but Capcoms "make customers pay more for things already on the disc", or Activision/blizzards "kill small developers they own" are not better.

 

[Bored Tomatoe]

They've only recently begun to make games that don't suck. Like BF:BC, Dead Space, and Mirror's Edge. That is good but allow me to show you something:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madden_NFL each of these identical. Each $60.

 

[tk1989]

i think at one point in recent years public opinion of ea was improving; yes they are still releasing more and more Fifa and NFL games on a yearly basis, but the improvements each year have been more noticeable; they started loads of new ips, such as mirrors edge and Spore, and released Dead Space.
The publics perception of EA was on the up, but then there was all that DRM shit and now they have gone back down to the bottom of the barrel....

Mass Effect too, although its worth remembering most EA new IPs are externally developed.

And the DRM is really tanking public opinion, but will they listen? Nah.

They actually have listened on the DRM front, as they have decided to stop using DRM in all their PC games! They are going to patch all their games such as Spore, Mass Effect etc which use their DRM measures to remove said features.

....?! Since when? And how has this not been featured on the Escapist?! I knew The Sims 3 is going to have no DRM, but I hadn't heard they'd remove it from all games.

Umm, i am 100% sure i read it on Gamesindustry.biz, but i cant seem to find the article anywhere anymore...
here are a few links anyway:
http://boingboing.net/2009/03/31/electronic-arts-rele.html
http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/03/31/1917254&from=rss
http://activate.ea.com/deauthorize/

The first two are articles on it, the third is a link to the 'deactivation tool'. Seems i probably have miswritten the use of this tool; i dont think it removes the drm per se, but it allows you to 'de-authorise' the games from that computer which means you shouldnt run out of uses of said game.

Better than nothing though?

 

[PAGEToap44]

DRM and remakes of sport games every year

they're getting better though

Yes, they have clearly been very ill.

 

[gibboss28]

They brought out and destroyed alot of good companies. Westwood and Bullfrog come to mind.

 

[Agayek]

The problems with EA are quite simple:

1) DRM is the devil
2) They re-release the exact same content over and over again for the same price. Granted, people buy it so I can't fault them for it, but it's gay nonetheless.
3) They're kinda like Midas. Except instead of everything they touch turning to gold, it becomes a colossal pile of fecal matter.

 

[Doug]

i think at one point in recent years public opinion of ea was improving; yes they are still releasing more and more Fifa and NFL games on a yearly basis, but the improvements each year have been more noticeable; they started loads of new ips, such as mirrors edge and Spore, and released Dead Space.
The publics perception of EA was on the up, but then there was all that DRM shit and now they have gone back down to the bottom of the barrel....

Mass Effect too, although its worth remembering most EA new IPs are externally developed.

And the DRM is really tanking public opinion, but will they listen? Nah.

They actually have listened on the DRM front, as they have decided to stop using DRM in all their PC games! They are going to patch all their games such as Spore, Mass Effect etc which use their DRM measures to remove said features.

....?! Since when? And how has this not been featured on the Escapist?! I knew The Sims 3 is going to have no DRM, but I hadn't heard they'd remove it from all games.

Umm, i am 100% sure i read it on Gamesindustry.biz, but i cant seem to find the article anywhere anymore...
here are a few links anyway:
http://boingboing.net/2009/03/31/electronic-arts-rele.html
http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/03/31/1917254&from=rss
http://activate.ea.com/deauthorize/

The first two are articles on it, the third is a link to the 'deactivation tool'. Seems i probably have miswritten the use of this tool; i dont think it removes the drm per se, but it allows you to 'de-authorise' the games from that computer which means you shouldnt run out of uses of said game.

Better than nothing though?

Oh, I already knew about that. It should have been available AS SOON AS THE GAMES HAD DRM.

And even then, the DRM is fucking useless - Spore was pirated before release date!!! I, the paying customer, had to wait 2 weeks whilst the bastarding pirates had it weeks before everyone else. Add to that, they wouldn't release it over here until the exactly right day - so me, the paying customer, was beaten to the game by pirates and the Europeans! For no good reason, the Europeans get the games 1 day before us in the UK. And then for no good reason again, the US got it 3 days after.

 

[Arkengetorix]

EA is the epitome of evil. They are proof that god doesn't exist. They are proof that karma is a bullshit concept. They smell worse then my cock when I haven't showered in 4 weeks. They are the new Microsoft. They are probably part of some Illuminati/Freemason/Scientology conspiracy theory for world domination. They ran over your dog/cat when you were a child. They fucked your mum... and your dad... at the same time...and made your grandparents watch. They ate your liver with some fatha beans and a nice Chianti. They assassinated Kennedy from the grassy knoll.

All of that doesn't compare to DRM.

 

[Agayek]

The problems with EA are quite simple:

1) DRM is the devil
2) They re-release the exact same content over and over again for the same price. Granted, people buy it so I can't fault them for it, but it's gayNO nonetheless.
3) They're kinda like Midas. Except instead of everything they touch turning to gold, it becomes a colossal pile of fecal matter.

Very bad! F- see me after class.

Lies! I have to do what I can to promote homophobia!

 

[Ormick]

The minute they started calling franchises "brands", I lost all respect for them. Also, pretty much everything.

 

[Doug]

Ea hasn't really got better, its just that Activision decided it wanted to be a Nebulopus Evil Organisation, trying to spread itself out so it can be as evil as possible. Its perfected beaten with a sequel stick on a number of franchises, crushing creativity for exploiting sequels, and siphoning off souls with the worlds largest MMO thanks to Blizzard. How can EA compete?

The Sims

 

[BlackIronGuardian]

They don't make such bad games. They're just not particularly excellent.

But they do make alot of expansions, which only a handful of people really appreciate, apparently (MOHAA, Jesus Christ).

 

[Pimppeter2]

I love the sports games, but its difficult to pay for them every year. I have to rely on gretting them for a birthday or christmas

 

[Cheesebob]

THEY KILLED WESTWOOD

 

[Irridium]

Have you noticed how many expansion packs there are for The Sims, each priced at about $20, each containing only (I'm told) tiny bits of content?

Or how about how they make the same (American) football game ten times, increasing the graphics a bit and updating the player rosters and charging $60 a copy?

I think that's the problem people have with EA. Personally, I don't care about them.

but Activision does that with Guitar Hero, just teh same game only with new songs that they could have just as easily released as a downloadable pack and no one seems to think its bad.

 

[Ormick]

Here's a simple solution to the corporate problem:

SUPPORT INDIE COMPANIES!

Here's a small list to get you started: 2D Boy, E2 Games (Savage 2, FUCKING GET IT!), Popcap they hit the 7th digit so no, and despite the overwhelming faggotry that is present there, YoYoGames. Those guys are based in Europe and support the Game Maker software. Their site also has alot of fun games made by people in the community (with Game Maker), although finding the decent stuff there is like trying to find diamonds in rabbit shit. Oh, there's a little game thats out right now on Steam called ZENO CLASH! Maybe you've heard of it? No? Get stabbed by a mammoth's rib then.

 

[Ormick]

The problems with alot of companies, including EA, is that they bank too much on their name. People are more likely to buy a game from a company they know than some obscure company (or relatively obscure to the mainstream, like Valve).

 

[Agayek]

Lies! I have to do what I can to promote homophobia!

Don't make me throw you to the rapelions.

Just so long as they're not gay rapelions.

 

[KaZZaP]

I really enjoy the EA football game I have, but I had the privilege of finding it in the middle of the road instead of buying it. Sure it was scratched to shit but one good rub with vaseline and I've never had a problem with it once.

 

[Doug]

THEY KILLED WESTWOOD

Well, killed, skinned, then used their skin to release a porn game... sorry, freudian slip, I mean Red Alert 3's cutscenes.

Here's a simple solution to the corporate problem:

SUPPORT INDIE COMPANIES!

Here's a small list to get you started: 2D Boy, E2 Games (Savage 2, FUCKING GET IT!), Popcap they hit the 7th digit so no, and despite the overwhelming faggotry that is present there, YoYoGames. Those guys are based in Europe and support the Game Maker software. Their site also has alot of fun games made by people in the community (with Game Maker), although finding the decent stuff there is like trying to find diamonds in rabbit shit. Oh, there's a little game thats out right now on Steam called ZENO CLASH! Maybe you've heard of it? No? Get stabbed by a mammoth's rib then.

I have to point something out - just because its Indie doesn't make it good, nor does it fill the demand. World of Goo was great, but ultimately (and sadly), lacks long term content.

Savage 2 seems to get abit of a 'meh' overall, but I'm willing to try it if there's a demo. Zeno Clash I have.