What has EA done wrong?

[Wicky_42]

Everybody seems to slate EA these days, but I love them for their iPhone games, The Sims, Sim City. But apparently, EA is the devil..... How come?

They have a long history of poor quality, full price sport repeats and buying up interesting, dynamic studios and shutting them down or forcing them to produce unfinished, rushed games. In fact, the whole 'rushed' thing is pretty much a staple of EA's history - incomplete/buggy/reduced games that have to be supplemented by big patches or completed in expansions.

Take CnC Generals: the original was ok-ish, but the developers said with the release of the expansion pack that the game was only then coming close to represent what they had wanted to achieve initially, and even then they were missing three factions that they hadn't had time to develop.

What about BF2? That game engine is so bugged to hell that I'm amazed they ever got away with it. There's truly some fucked up hit-reg in that game, plus they couldn't stop messing around with the balance, jumping up some guns' power then completely nerfing it in between minor patches. The whole thing was piss-poorly managed and rushed - and then forcing you to buy the expansion to get access to the second tier of unlockable weapons?! Oh, and let's not forget their refusal to patch exploits in the maps (glitching through walls etc).

Need for Speed apparently died when EA bought it, according to one of my mates, and I'm sure that if you looked around you would find plenty of other examples of game licences bought up by EA then mindlessly rushed out to grab the biggest buck. Simply put, they have a shitty history to get over before I'll like them. Releases like mirror's Edge and Deadspace are great n all, but their obsession with intrusive DRM is just 1 step forward, flying jump backwards. Grr...

 

[Ormick]

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.

I actually think E2 put Savage 2 out for free. They have this rune system thingie now that lets you make special custom enhancements then buy them for 5 bucks. And I never said that Indie=good. I meant that you should give your money to them instead of the big companies, because there are some good indie games out right now that are actually worth buying.

 

[DragunovHUN]

They pull master servers of old games every year.
They don't patch their broken releases.
They used to re-release the exact same games every year
They buy up smaller companies and rape the excellent brands they acquired this way.
DRM
Their online registration system is criminal.

 

[DragonChi]

uh, Everything?

 

[Gormers1]

Yeah, I know most of that.
You clearly missed the part where I said "I have no problem with them, though." Those are just the complaints I commonly hear.
Also, there are no good sports games.
Absolutely none.

Maybe you should have posted your opinion about this then, to flame the haters etc. And yes, there are no good sports games, well no original and fun sports games except the extreme sports (unrealistic) ones, and those died a long time ago.

 

[Ghadente]

maybe i just missed but how has no one mentioned Skate?

 

[AkJay]

Bought out all the good companies that do original work and made them do the same old shit day after day.

 

[Gormers1]

maybe i just missed but how has no one mentioned Skate?

Im not sure if you mean that skate is a good or bad game. From what Ive seen of it, it is pretty decent, and has taken over the skater games throne (Tony hawks pro skater is dead man).

 

[Ghadente]

maybe i just missed but how has no one mentioned Skate?

Im not sure if you mean that skate is a good or bad game. From what Ive seen of it, it is pretty decent, and has taken over the skater games throne (Tony hawks pro skater is dead man).

yea sorry i meant as in defense for ea. Skate2 has some flaws but its still a great game and def killed tony hawk (which i've enjoyed playing all of them except for project 8).
i can certianly agree with those saying ea spews out the same crap for other sports though. you really only need one Football game, the next one will not be that different ya know

 

[Aunel]

They get all the "good" devopers to make games for them (Crytek, Dice) and they stagnate it with their brand, even though I am one of the people that liked Crysis, not just for space-age graphics, but for the awesome suit control mecanics.

 

[mythbuster343]

Mirrors edge. nuff said

 

[Laughing Man]

Sorry to be pedantic but their are some glaring errors being posted here.

First EA did not create or start producing DRM. DRM software is usually created by third party software developers and it is the right to use it which is then purchased by the games publisher. Securom was developed by Sony so if you want to blame someone for that then blame Sony.

By that measure EA may be able to patch their games to tell them not to phone home when you try to boot or reinstall them but they wouldn't be able to remove or disable the core programs as this would require a patch or uninstall from the original developer of the DRM software, hence the big issue with DRM remaining on your PC even when the game that installed it has been removed.

Oh and DRM is the big issue with EA right now. Not DRM directly but the implication by including it in all their games means they have automatically assumed that all their customers are thieves. Oh and Spore.

 

[Doug]

Sorry to be pedantic but their are some glaring errors being posted here.

First EA did not create or start producing DRM. DRM software is usually created by third party software developers and is the right to use it is then purchased by the games publisher. Securom was developed by Sony so if you want to blame someone for that then blame Sony.

By that measure EA may be able to patch their games to tell them not to phone home when you try to boot or reinstall them but they wouldn't be able to remove or disable the core programs as this would require a patch or uninstall from the original developer of the DRM software, hence the big issue with DRM remaining on your PC even when the game that installed it has been removed.

Oh and DRM is the big issue with EA right now. Not DRM directly but the implication by including it in all their games means they have automatically assumed that all their customers are thieves. Oh and Spore.

Nice post. It I said I thought EA made the SecuROM, my bad. Either way, they are heavy users of it, heh. And I think its not anti-piracy, its anti-second hand market. Its the only explaination for there nonsensical approach to combating piracy.

 

[Ghost]

over milking series, way too many sports games, in game advertising, buying out smaller companies

oh and DRM of course

 

[Undead Dragon King]

EA is the epitome of corporate greed. Bad customer service, horrible hyped games (Mirror's Edge, Dead Space, Spore), mindless expansions and remakes, rushed titles, and a dictatorial hold over installation numbers.

Why did you fall for their mountains of cash, BioWare?

WHY?!?!

 

[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.

I actually think E2 put Savage 2 out for free. They have this rune system thingie now that lets you make special custom enhancements then buy them for 5 bucks. And I never said that Indie=good. I meant that you should give your money to them instead of the big companies, because there are some good indie games out right now that are actually worth buying.

Well, I've looked at Savage 2 now (I did play Savage one for short time, but at that time in my life I was alittle too busy to get into it and left before it could make an impact) and you're right, it seems to be free minus microtransactions (fair enough). Downloading now. Anywho, true-true about indie, but the problem I have with indie that, typically, there isn't alot of content - primarily, its because they are, well, indie, and don't have alot of staff to assign to level design, etc, heh. Still, World of Goo was fun whilst it lasted. Also, alot of indie games go towards either exploration, or puzzles, neither of which lend themselves easily to replayablity, because...well, when you complete a puzzle, its the same puzzle - and when you explore, once you've explored an area once, there isn't anything more to explore in that area, heh.

 

[Doug]

EA is the epitome of corporate greed. Bad customer service, horrible hyped games (Mirror's Edge, Dead Space, Spore), mindless expansions and remakes, rushed titles, and a dictatorial hold over installation numbers.

Why did you fall for their mountains of cash, BioWare?

WHY?!?!

Erm...because they have mountains of cash? Lets be honest, most of us would go for the money, especially if we have wives and kids to feed and they won't accept the dog-food anymore

 

[Gormers1]

EA is the epitome of corporate greed. Bad customer service, horrible hyped games (Mirror's Edge, Dead Space, Spore), mindless expansions and remakes, rushed titles, and a dictatorial hold over installation numbers.

Why did you fall for their mountains of cash, BioWare?

WHY?!?!

Dead Space hyped? wat

 

[Pyrrian]

I'm a bit bummed still about the acquisition and subsequent slow deaths of Origin, Westwood, and Bullfrog, but it's been so long that I can't really hold that against EA anymore.
I actually like EA sports games, anyhow - especially the Fight Night series. I hope they get the fourth one done soon.

 

[Desaari]

Everybody seems to slate EA these days, but I love them for their iPhone games, The Sims, Sim City. But apparently, EA is the devil..... How come?

They have a long history of poor quality, full price sport repeats and buying up interesting, dynamic studios and shutting them down or forcing them to produce unfinished, rushed games. In fact, the whole 'rushed' thing is pretty much a staple of EA's history - incomplete/buggy/reduced games that have to be supplemented by big patches or completed in expansions.

Take CnC Generals: the original was ok-ish, but the developers said with the release of the expansion pack that the game was only then coming close to represent what they had wanted to achieve initially, and even then they were missing three factions that they hadn't had time to develop.

What about BF2? That game engine is so bugged to hell that I'm amazed they ever got away with it. There's truly some fucked up hit-reg in that game, plus they couldn't stop messing around with the balance, jumping up some guns' power then completely nerfing it in between minor patches. The whole thing was piss-poorly managed and rushed - and then forcing you to buy the expansion to get access to the second tier of unlockable weapons?! Oh, and let's not forget their refusal to patch exploits in the maps (glitching through walls etc).

Need for Speed apparently died when EA bought it, according to one of my mates, and I'm sure that if you looked around you would find plenty of other examples of game licences bought up by EA then mindlessly rushed out to grab the biggest buck. Simply put, they have a shitty history to get over before I'll like them. Releases like mirror's Edge and Deadspace are great n all, but their obsession with intrusive DRM is just 1 step forward, flying jump backwards. Grr...

You hit the nail on the head. The Battlefield series especially has terrible balance issues in their latest incarnations (eg: Medic has G36E in BF2, Soldier/Medic in 2142 has Voss + anti-personnel rockets + defib + medkit). Even then they've had hundreds of megabytes of patch come out yet they're STILL unbalanced as all hell.