I'd say the future of EA and pretty much all other Tripe-A publishers/developers is in the hands of the next gen consoles... (well a big slice)
EA is going to die - and that will improve gaming
- Thread starter Sansha
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I wouldn't mind seeing EA kick the bucket, but the developers they have are great. I enjoy the Dead Space series and dear god, Burnout Paradise is my favorite racing game of all time.
The way I see it, EA is the "Black Knight" of the gaming industry.
No matter what limbs you chop off, they will still keep trying.
The way I see it, EA is the "Black Knight" of the gaming industry.
No matter what limbs you chop off, they will still keep trying.
Uh oh, EA's going down in flames, run, everybody! Ru- *checks stock quote, EA's share price looks pretty good on a one year graph*. Oh, nevermind.
Rumors of EA's death would appear to be greatly exaggerated, thus far. Although I think we'll all agree they screwed the pooch with their handling of always-on DRM on Sim City.
I see Origin is running a "Gamer's Appreciation" sale today, which is an interesting gesture to take into context with everything else that's been going on.
Rumors of EA's death would appear to be greatly exaggerated, thus far. Although I think we'll all agree they screwed the pooch with their handling of always-on DRM on Sim City.
I see Origin is running a "Gamer's Appreciation" sale today, which is an interesting gesture to take into context with everything else that's been going on.
Here's the thing. I very rarely buy a game just based on the publisher/developer. The only exception is the upcoming Injustice: Gods Among Us, which I'm buying because Netherrealm Studios has demonstrated that they can make a damn good fighting game.
That said, you really think that EA is going to look at any sales losses and think "Wow! We're losing sales! We have to take more risks with our properties!"? That's not how it works. As for EA dying being good for the industry...just look at what happened to THQ's properties when they went bankrupt. All those IPs were either killed, or snatched up by other companies. And you can say that it would be a good thing, but who has the money to buy valuable IPs? Big corporations like Microsoft, Activision-Blizzard, and so on. Yeah, I can see how one corporation owning an IP is better than another corporation owning it.
That said, you really think that EA is going to look at any sales losses and think "Wow! We're losing sales! We have to take more risks with our properties!"? That's not how it works. As for EA dying being good for the industry...just look at what happened to THQ's properties when they went bankrupt. All those IPs were either killed, or snatched up by other companies. And you can say that it would be a good thing, but who has the money to buy valuable IPs? Big corporations like Microsoft, Activision-Blizzard, and so on. Yeah, I can see how one corporation owning an IP is better than another corporation owning it.
How about no.
They need to get back on their feet, publishers are the backbones of development companies. They pay all the bills and provide the funds.
Plus less competition will only allow the other publishers to push their weight around even more.
EA dying would only set every IP under its name back by years...
They need to get back on their feet, publishers are the backbones of development companies. They pay all the bills and provide the funds.
Plus less competition will only allow the other publishers to push their weight around even more.
EA dying would only set every IP under its name back by years...
EA aren't going to die. They have Battlefield, Fifa and Madden, and that's just a start. Fifa is basically always in the top few games sold every year, Battlefield is no CoD but sells well, and they have a ton of other franchises. Yes, they're performing less well than usual, and maybe they'll downsize, but they won't die. Not yet.
Also, for the record, it would not improve my gaming. A good proportion of my gaming time is spent on EA games, specifically Fifa mostly, and if I had to go and start playing PES instead... Urgh. I actually just bought two games from EA's Origin store today )BF3 for £10 and the excellent Burnout Paradise for £2.50)
Also, for the record, it would not improve my gaming. A good proportion of my gaming time is spent on EA games, specifically Fifa mostly, and if I had to go and start playing PES instead... Urgh. I actually just bought two games from EA's Origin store today )BF3 for £10 and the excellent Burnout Paradise for £2.50)
Dear me am I late to the party. Well no use reading seven pages worth of posts in one go (I am far too drunk at this point to bother) so allow me to ramble on regardless of my knowledge of what discussion has passed.
On the whole I agree. EA is a despicable company worth of every hate it gets. The service is laughable, the DRM is sinister and their excuses are nothing short of dickish. Plus DLC and how they handle that entire service (read content hostage and bribing your way to extra stuff to make it easy).
But there is this thing about companies, whose business practices even a hardcore moral relativist would call evil, that put out a lot of good stuff. Not sell-weapons-to-both-sides-of-war kind of evil but they lie and cheat, take no responsibility and keep on shitting on their customers when it gains them a buck because they believe that they can, and apparently they can. Just a few people are willing to take the responsibility that the consumer has and do something about it, mainly denying them the cash that they need to survive. Others shrug and think that the problem will just go away or more likely will be implemented into normal business and will no longer be questionable. That's what EA (and others) are counting on.
I'm afraid that unless they crash, they will be right. I've also noticed from other companies that what success they have they are running it into the ground Lost style for profit and ruining what would otherwise be a great, thought provoking series. (Assassin's Creed is what I'm looking at atm).
So keep it up consumers. Take the bait, be milked and left disappointed. Video games are so young, there is so much left to ruin. With luck we could end up like Hollywood (blessed be thy name) with nothing left but action packed nonsense filled with explosions and clichés.
On the whole I agree. EA is a despicable company worth of every hate it gets. The service is laughable, the DRM is sinister and their excuses are nothing short of dickish. Plus DLC and how they handle that entire service (read content hostage and bribing your way to extra stuff to make it easy).
But there is this thing about companies, whose business practices even a hardcore moral relativist would call evil, that put out a lot of good stuff. Not sell-weapons-to-both-sides-of-war kind of evil but they lie and cheat, take no responsibility and keep on shitting on their customers when it gains them a buck because they believe that they can, and apparently they can. Just a few people are willing to take the responsibility that the consumer has and do something about it, mainly denying them the cash that they need to survive. Others shrug and think that the problem will just go away or more likely will be implemented into normal business and will no longer be questionable. That's what EA (and others) are counting on.
I'm afraid that unless they crash, they will be right. I've also noticed from other companies that what success they have they are running it into the ground Lost style for profit and ruining what would otherwise be a great, thought provoking series. (Assassin's Creed is what I'm looking at atm).
So keep it up consumers. Take the bait, be milked and left disappointed. Video games are so young, there is so much left to ruin. With luck we could end up like Hollywood (blessed be thy name) with nothing left but action packed nonsense filled with explosions and clichés.
What we should be considering is how we feel about Ubisoft. They've been rising to fame rapidly and have several sturdy juggernaut franchises like Assassin's Creed. If EA falls, they'll take its place.
Without writing an angry letter to the internet, I'll just say that the last time I purchased an EA game, used or new, was probably 2006. The most recent EA game I own is Command and Conquer 3, and I received it as a gift for my birthday in 2007.
I guess my point is that some of us have been voting with our wallets for a few years now. Eventually, it'll get through to these publishers.
The truth is, EA isn't the only problem. In order to save time, I won't bore anyone with the details, but creating AAA titles with major publishers similar to EA, THQ, and ActiBlizz is simply not the most stable way to release a game. Deadlines are constraining. Budgets and expected profit margins set unattainable goals. There are other methods that, while smaller scale, can be more cost-effective when it comes to capital investment. For example, some games with crowd-funded development or independent development/publishing can flourish in today's markets with the advents of digital downloads and/or F2P models.
Most of any money I'm spending on games tends to be towards independent developers, whether in the form of stuff like IndieGala or Humble Bundle, or just using avenues such as Desura to acquire excellent "indie" games. I think it opens a lot of possibilities for the consumer and developer alike, but I digress.
Regardless, the truth is that while most games don't make insane amounts of money like Minecraft, plenty of them are successful enough for the creator to continue making games. I think just seeing the "Latest Content" section on The Escapist having a link for "Bastion Creator Reveals Transistor" proves that games can be successful enough to flourish without major publishers.
So, my answer, in short? Gaming will never truly die, and the industry won't collapse. It will adapt. If EA (or any other major publisher for that matter) falls, others will either rise to take their place. Or, possibly, the traditional role of a publisher will disappear. Developers don't need as much of a direct middle-man to distribute their games anymore, thanks to digital distribution.
The video in the original post has plenty of data to refer to, but suffice to say that the days of the $60 title are numbered. Especially the one that charges you $60, then more for DLC, more for a multiplayer pass, and more for micro-transactions that are simply cash-locked limiters.
This ended up longer than it was supposed to be, but suffice to say that developers will keep making games even if the audience is smaller, or if the amount of money involved is lower than it is today, or if the industry doesn't grow the way that stockholders and shareholders expect it to, as long as they can make a living doing it. Publishers, on the other hand, might not survive such a radical change in the usual cycle. Publishers who don't actually make anything will have a particularly rough time of it, especially if game design is rushed and sloppy in order to milk a cash cow IP.
Not going to try to predict the future, but if there is in fact a paradigm shift where consumers stop buying uninspired sequels, I'd expect that the average quality of each released title to be much higher than it is today.
I guess my point is that some of us have been voting with our wallets for a few years now. Eventually, it'll get through to these publishers.
The truth is, EA isn't the only problem. In order to save time, I won't bore anyone with the details, but creating AAA titles with major publishers similar to EA, THQ, and ActiBlizz is simply not the most stable way to release a game. Deadlines are constraining. Budgets and expected profit margins set unattainable goals. There are other methods that, while smaller scale, can be more cost-effective when it comes to capital investment. For example, some games with crowd-funded development or independent development/publishing can flourish in today's markets with the advents of digital downloads and/or F2P models.
Most of any money I'm spending on games tends to be towards independent developers, whether in the form of stuff like IndieGala or Humble Bundle, or just using avenues such as Desura to acquire excellent "indie" games. I think it opens a lot of possibilities for the consumer and developer alike, but I digress.
Regardless, the truth is that while most games don't make insane amounts of money like Minecraft, plenty of them are successful enough for the creator to continue making games. I think just seeing the "Latest Content" section on The Escapist having a link for "Bastion Creator Reveals Transistor" proves that games can be successful enough to flourish without major publishers.
So, my answer, in short? Gaming will never truly die, and the industry won't collapse. It will adapt. If EA (or any other major publisher for that matter) falls, others will either rise to take their place. Or, possibly, the traditional role of a publisher will disappear. Developers don't need as much of a direct middle-man to distribute their games anymore, thanks to digital distribution.
The video in the original post has plenty of data to refer to, but suffice to say that the days of the $60 title are numbered. Especially the one that charges you $60, then more for DLC, more for a multiplayer pass, and more for micro-transactions that are simply cash-locked limiters.
This ended up longer than it was supposed to be, but suffice to say that developers will keep making games even if the audience is smaller, or if the amount of money involved is lower than it is today, or if the industry doesn't grow the way that stockholders and shareholders expect it to, as long as they can make a living doing it. Publishers, on the other hand, might not survive such a radical change in the usual cycle. Publishers who don't actually make anything will have a particularly rough time of it, especially if game design is rushed and sloppy in order to milk a cash cow IP.
Not going to try to predict the future, but if there is in fact a paradigm shift where consumers stop buying uninspired sequels, I'd expect that the average quality of each released title to be much higher than it is today.
Well, EA CEO John Riccitiello DID announce his resignation at the end of the month. I have no doubt it was at the
"suggestion" of the board members and major shareholders.
He cites a very Chairmanly financial reason for his departure. But I like to think the company realizes it needs a new direction.
Whether that's good or bad remains to be seen.
Maybe Melissa Mayer will take over and demand all developers work from an official company designated office...
"suggestion" of the board members and major shareholders.
He cites a very Chairmanly financial reason for his departure. But I like to think the company realizes it needs a new direction.
Whether that's good or bad remains to be seen.
Maybe Melissa Mayer will take over and demand all developers work from an official company designated office...
EA is not going to die, as long as they keep making/publishing quality titles that consumers want to buy, EA will remain in the industry. Which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned, I don't think EA is a bad company. Sure they have a couple shady tactics like online pass and their origin BS, but they are not the only company to do those things, and aside from those they do a lot more good for the industry.
The EA "hate" is really just fabricated by the internet. I never see or hear about EA hate in real life.
The EA "hate" is really just fabricated by the internet. I never see or hear about EA hate in real life.
EA still releases the occasional game I like, so they'd be a poor example for what I'm about to say (though I sure miss EA Sports BIG... SSX might not been the mess it was if they were still around).
So... let's talk about Activision for a tick. I don't buy Activision games for one reason and one reason only: I could give an indefinite number of fucks less about their releases. The last game I played that they published was THPSHD. Before that, Prototype 2 (R.I.P. Radical Entertainment). Before that, Spidey: Web of Shadows, and I didn't even buy that one; it was a Christmas present from a co-worker a few years back. As far as I'm concerned, the rest of their releases can go fuck themselves. They may actually be decent enough games in their own right, but I simply don't care about the game itself (CoD... yeah, you see me).
Now I don't hate EA, Activision, Ubisoft, all them. But I do think the higher ups can go fuck themselves in the ass with a rusty Buster Sword (especially Bobby Kotick... fucking dickhole). Whether it be lacking faith in the general gaming populace [http://penny-arcade.com/report/article/games-with-female-heroes-dont-sell-because-publishers-dont-support-them], or inadvertently making yourself look like a jackass and clumsily apologizing for it later [http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/ea-president-frank-gibeau-explains-statement-about-single-player-games/], many president/CEOs of these AAA gaming developers/publishers seem to be doing far more harm than good.
Wait... what were we talking about again?
So... let's talk about Activision for a tick. I don't buy Activision games for one reason and one reason only: I could give an indefinite number of fucks less about their releases. The last game I played that they published was THPSHD. Before that, Prototype 2 (R.I.P. Radical Entertainment). Before that, Spidey: Web of Shadows, and I didn't even buy that one; it was a Christmas present from a co-worker a few years back. As far as I'm concerned, the rest of their releases can go fuck themselves. They may actually be decent enough games in their own right, but I simply don't care about the game itself (CoD... yeah, you see me).
Now I don't hate EA, Activision, Ubisoft, all them. But I do think the higher ups can go fuck themselves in the ass with a rusty Buster Sword (especially Bobby Kotick... fucking dickhole). Whether it be lacking faith in the general gaming populace [http://penny-arcade.com/report/article/games-with-female-heroes-dont-sell-because-publishers-dont-support-them], or inadvertently making yourself look like a jackass and clumsily apologizing for it later [http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/ea-president-frank-gibeau-explains-statement-about-single-player-games/], many president/CEOs of these AAA gaming developers/publishers seem to be doing far more harm than good.
Wait... what were we talking about again?