EA is going to die - and that will improve gaming

[Windcaler]

That said, as much as I despise EA's business practices I do not believe them crashing would be a good thing for the industry. The biggest problem would be the loss of thousands perhaps millions of jobs. The second problem is less competition in the market. Competition breeds innovation and can only help the industry and the consumer. So no, even though I despise EA I dont think them crashing would be good overall.

That said, the best thing that could happen is for them to becomes a respectable company again but thats probably a pipe dream.

I very much doubt EA employs millions of people. I think the last I saw was 10,000+/-. I also doubt they'd lose their jobs; EA's assets would be split up and sold off to other publishers/developers. And frankly those hacks in management don't deserve their jobs anyway. Don't you usually get fired for performing badly in any industry?

I've not seen a great deal of innovation... well, any from EA in a while. Seems not many companies are willing to take too great a risk in new ideas either, focusing on a 'guaranteed to sell' model. It's a pity Dead Space 3 was so disappointing. And it's a shame we've not seen anything from Valve in a while, but they're making way too much money off TF2 anyway.

I dont know what the numbers are which is why I said thousands and maybe millions of employee's. However when you talk about it being pieced out to other companies generally this will not include employee's unless its a specific studio.

As far as innovation, EA publishes. They dont develop. So of course we dont see much innovation from them. However like it or not Simcity being converted into a service is some innovation. Its bad innovation but still innovation because it helps lay some groundwork for other people who want to have interconnected simulations. Imagine a master of orion game where everything was interconnected like simcity, that would be awesome as a mulitplayer experience

 

[Tom Waits' hat]

People just need to realised, it just a video game guys.

I'm sorry, I forgot "It's just a video game" rendered bad business immune to criticism.
I wonder what else could be justified with that line of thinking...

No, it is not immune to criticism, but let's be fair, gamers can be a little dramatic sometime. Also, have you seen some of the so-called "criticism" out there?

 

[Atmos Duality]

No, it is not immune to criticism, but let's be fair, gamers can be a little dramatic sometime. Also, have you seen some of the so-called "criticism" out there?

Yeah I have seen some of it. It's quite irrational.
But it doesn't mean I'm just going to dismiss bad business when I see it.

 

[templar1138a]

Interesting. I was not aware of the 1983 industry crisis. Then again, I was born in 1988.

I already do my part. I use great scrutiny when buying games and DLC and never buy for more than thirty bucks, usually sticking to less than twenty. When I bought Mass Effect 3 (my favorite game to date) and the day-one DLC on the Xbox, I spent a total of forty-five and it was worth it. I don't intend to buy any of the other DLC unless the game's released on Steam and I can buy the whole thing on sale for less than thirty.

Off-topic: American Express can kiss my ass.

 

[Baneat]

I buy Crysis games because it demonstrates my support for high-spec PC gaming and the market for that. I haven't ever been shafted in a Crysis game like with any of the "casual" ones like the Sims stuff

 

[IamLEAM1983]

I buy Crysis games because it demonstrates my support for high-spec PC gaming and the market for that. I haven't ever been shafted in a Crysis game like with any of the "casual" ones like the Sims stuff

"Casual" gaming isn't the sole factor. High-end PC gaming is just as noxious towards the industry, seeing as structural innovation is killed in favour of pushing more polygons and shaders in your face. It isn't inherently bad, but when the industry as a whole tends to think that shinier graphics will elevate a mediocre product to a higher status, there's a problem.

As for Crysis - you'd probably be better off with FarCry 3. It's less bleeding-edge, sure, but the mechanics are much more refined. Crytek can't manage a decent AI to save its life - nor can they manage a decent plot.

 

[LiquidGrape]

EA dying would be disastrous for games as a whole. Stop kidding yourself, OP. I'm not defending each and every business practice of theirs, but to ignore how pivotal a publisher they have been throughout the history of the medium and *continues* to be to this day would be an abject error. EA actually bothered to invest in a plethora of new IP's the past 5 or so years, with titles such as Mirror's Edge, Dead Space, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, etc.

If you want to point to a publisher as a generally corrosive influence on gaming, I'd set my eyes on Activision first and foremost. But even that would be incredibly reductionist.

 

[Aeshi]

Just out of curiosity would this be the same way PC gaming is meant to drop dead any day now?

 

[GrimHeaper]

All developers are still struggling after the Recession of 2008, but EA is the one who's hurting the very most, looking at their still falling stock prices and growing hatred from gamers.

This needs to continue.

Personally, I despise EA and will absolutely not associate with them. I will never again be one of their customers; the last EA-published title I purchased was the last Sims2 expansion.

I grew up with the SimCity franchise. I absolutely adore it, right up until SC4. I really do want to play this new one - it looks like the game I remember and love, and that I'd have a barrel of fun playing it. This goes the same for The Sims 3 and Battlefield 3.

But I will not do business with EA. I am boycotting EA until they have filed for bankruptcy and have sold off their assets to better companies. I'm willing to give up games I love because I cannot morally justify doing business with such a horrible corporate entity.

I don't understand why people are surprised by the unacceptable server issues, crippling DRM and compromises in the gameplay from EA. I don't understand why people are still giving them dollars in exchange for the garbage they're firing out, their borderline sociopathic customer service and ridiculous PR, seen in interviews, press releases, putting the blame on piracy and excuses for their shitty behavior.

Why does any of this still surprise you?

Why do you still purchase EA-published titles? To support their real developers, or because you don't care and don't mind allowing this to happen?

I believe the second gaming crash is coming, and while the titanic names from history will barely survive, Valve will come out still on top, for their exemplary business practices, customer service, quality games and, of course, Steam.

But the only way this situation will actually improve is if you, like the gamers of the 80's, stand up for quality and breathing life into the industry you love. Not rolling over and accepting shitty releases and being given broken promises by customer service.

EA is trying desperately, clawing at the cracks in the well, trying to keep from drowning, but really they deserve to die, and I'm proud to be one of few contributing to its demise by refusing to add my string to its lifeline.

I love gaming far too much to stand for this shit any longer.

EA isn't evil. EA isn't going to die anytime soon. Now, I know many have said this and I may just be repeating it, but it seems it needs to be engraved in your skull with an icepick! The ENTIRE POINT of a Company is to MAKE MONEY. Now you may not believe this, but EA is making money. They will continue to do whatever they can to make more money.

Also, here is another thing: EA doesn't hold every little creative right over the games. It wasn't EA's fault for the changes in the new SimCity: It was designed that way by Maxis itself. Not EA. MAXIS. The servers? Owned by EA, but managed by Maxis. There are many ways you can manage a huge load on a handful of servers. Mind you, none of them are easy and I am still learning myself, but the fact of the matter is that Maxis, NOT EA, was the one mismanaging the servers. They even admitted to it.

Refusing to buy games that you would enjoy just because of the company? Stupid. Very stupid. That lowers the chance of that franchise having future installments. It is even worse if it is a special-type of genre like say Horror or Turn-Based Strategy. Have your petty boycott. I will be over here, playing good games and having fun.

EDIT: Please note, the Sim City rant was just a recent example*

I'd like to point out this video.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/6814-Companies-Exist-To-Make-Money
And I hope EA dies they are indeed evil.

People just need to realised, it just a video game guys.

I'm sorry, I forgot "It's just a video game" rendered bad business immune to criticism.
I wonder what else could be justified with that line of thinking...

Companies exist to make money perhaps?

 

[Pink Gregory]

Cut one down, and two will rise to take its place.

Just sayin'

 

[GrimHeaper]

Cut one down, and two will rise to take its place.

Just sayin'

Better two than one.
Those new ones should learn from it's mistake better should they not?
Not even mentioning the fact that is 2 more chances for a good company to arise.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

EA actually bothered to invest in a plethora of new IP's the past 5 or so years, with titles such as Mirror's Edge, Dead Space, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, etc.

Wow that is quite a list, lets go through it shell we?

Mirrors Edge: DICE's only non Battlefield game, no reports of a sequel and DICE is releasing Battlefield 4 this year.

Dead Space: Third game introduced us to the joys of micro-transactions for a AAA game that we have to pay up to $100 in local currency to play already. EA stated that it needed 5 million copies for it to remain in production, aprox 1 million copies have been sold.

Source: http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2013/03/15/dead-space-3-moves-605000-copies-in-february-crysis-3-does-260000/
Source: http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/06/15/dead-space-needs-around-five-million-fans-to-survive-according-to-ea/

Mass Effect: Announced in 2005 (before EA bought out Bioware in 2007), the last game released turned many gaming sites into raging firestorms and even had multiple articles about it and its handling in Forbes, (and not it the good 'its sold millions' way). Multiple allegations involving Day One DLC swirled around the game even before the release.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/03/10/the-problem-with-biowares-mass-effect-3-day-one-dlc-from-ashes/

Dragon Age: Announced in 2004 (again before EA) the second game was marred by copy/paste dungeons and a rushed development schedule.

Source: http://kotaku.com/5780870/ever-wonder-why-dragon-age-ii-came-out-so-soon

Spoiler: Comment in full

IGN: After the game is finished, do you go back through a play it again with all of the music in place?

Zur: Sure thing. I'm actually really anxious for the game right now, so I can pop it in and start playing. I'm really looking forward to see it. I know there are a few bugs that still need to be fixed. Unlike other titles from Bioware, this [score] was kind of a rush job. EA really wanted to capitalize on the success of Origins, so the game was really being pushed hard to be released now. So I'd like to know if there are bugs, or if there's anything we could patch or fix. [Editor's note: Zur is speaking about bugs in the score only; he had no involvement with the rest of the game's development.]

Yes EA has bought a company with good ideas, then ran those ideas into the ground.

You are right about Activision being as bad as EA. The difference between the two however is that Activision is at least competent, EA is just stupid.

 

[Perry Boekestijn]

I was like this once. Now I enjoy games and have a healthy perspective on it (games were really not that much better 10 or 20 years ago)..

 

[Sansha]

I buy Crysis games because it demonstrates my support for high-spec PC gaming and the market for that. I haven't ever been shafted in a Crysis game like with any of the "casual" ones like the Sims stuff

As for Crysis - you'd probably be better off with FarCry 3. It's less bleeding-edge, sure, but the mechanics are much more refined. Crytek can't manage a decent AI to save its life - nor can they manage a decent plot.

Who cares? Try Just Cause 2. The most fun I've ever had with a game. The plot is ridiculous and barely there, the AI is pathetic and the characters are paper thin. Most fun I've ever had - basically says "Here's some stuff to destroy and an awesome, unrestricted way to get around. Enjoy."

 

[Chefsbrian]

Props on Sticking up for something you believe in, but I really doubt that simply decided that EA has to completely die is really the best approach.

When you boycott everything they make period, you don't really fix much. When you boycott the bad stuff they turn out and buy the stuff you like, and only that, they continue with those practices. Example, I bought Dead Space Three. Why? Dead space is a title that's sufficiently different from others I play that I want it part of my library. However, I never touched the micro transactions, and I'd be surprised if many people did. What does EA learn? That the Dead space titles in that form sell, but that Micro transactions didn't.

Its less of a "Down with the System" approach, more of a "Don't eat the shit" approach. Flawless? No, but nothing ever is.

Captcha: Ding A Ling. Seems something agree's with me.

 

[Frostbite3789]

i wish they would go bankrupt already, would be nice to have an industry without greedy shit heads like ea and ubisoft making everything horrible.

I hate having games I enjoy made! Argh! It enrages me so much!

 

[romxxii]

huh? Where'd you get your data? It closed 2% lower on NASDAQ, but they're still higher than what they were last month, and still higher than where they were a year ago. This isn't a dying company. God knows they just managed to sucker a couple million gamers into buying their always online singleplayer game.

Not only are their stocks not taking a one-way trip to hell, but they're better off than some of their competitors, like Actiblizz or Take Two. The only other publisher who's doing far better than them? Microsoft.

Yes, they've got bad publicity now, but will it stick? I say it won't. Their bad publicity back during the ME3 debacle did little to slow down the sales of SimCity, did it? Unless someone successfully files a class-action suit against them, they're just going to weather this storm, and then make gamers complain again next spring.

 

[Sansha]

Props on Sticking up for something you believe in, but I really doubt that simply decided that EA has to completely die is really the best approach.

When you boycott everything they make period, you don't really fix much. When you boycott the bad stuff they turn out and buy the stuff you like, and only that, they continue with those practices. Example, I bought Dead Space Three. Why? Dead space is a title that's sufficiently different from others I play that I want it part of my library. However, I never touched the micro transactions, and I'd be surprised if many people did. What does EA learn? That the Dead space titles in that form sell, but that Micro transactions didn't.

Its less of a "Down with the System" approach, more of a "Don't eat the shit" approach. Flawless? No, but nothing ever is.

I disagree. I'm all about EA going down, or at least shattering and their assets going into competent hands. I thoroughly enjoyed the Battlefield series, but my custom ends with 2142. I want to play Battlefield 3, but I don't believe in EA being given any kind of financial reward so that I can play. I wouldn't enjoy the game knowing I'm supporting EA, and knowing that that fucking appalling Origin - which already somehow installed itself on my PC - is cancering my system. I've already told my antivirus to consider it malicious software. Haven't seen it since.

That was it for me; that Origin somehow weaseled its way onto my PC without my intention. I'll not associate with them further since that.