Jump to content
  • Cyclone Boom
    Cyclone Boom

    EA Wants to Stop Being 'Hated'

    "Can a computer make you cry?" It's 30 years since video games giant Electronic Arts ran an advert asking that question, adding that it believed the medium had the potential to "bring people's thoughts and feelings closer together".

    Three decades on, if its audience is indeed weeping in unison, it may be in frustration.

    EA has been voted the "worst company in America" two years running in an online poll by Consumerist magazine, and comments posted by gamers to other sites - complaining of "price gouging" and "arrogance" - confirm many dislike it.

    Speaking to the BBC, Frank Gibeau, EA's president of labels, acknowledges his firm has an image problem.

    "That type of feedback is disappointing personally for people inside of EA because we love our company and the games that we make," he says.

    "We're in the business of entertaining and exciting people, and when our business policies get in the way of that and we hear this reaction and see this feedback we have to take note of it. We're not tone deaf."

    Read full article

    • Like 11

    Sign In to follow this  
    Sign In to follow this  

    User Feedback




    I think Microsoft is changing roles with EA.

    Oh, what makes you think so?  Microshaft isn't on my favourites list.

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    A perfect example why EA is hated is the new SimCity (as well as SC4). Here is a large community of players, many of which had been playing since the original or second games in the series. Add on top of that with us here in the information age with literally millions giving them ideas, making suggestions, and essentially handing them the keys to their own prosperity and image repair. Instead they put out some hacked out, dumbed down, restricted version. Essentially they went the OPPOSITE direction on 75% of the game than what the community suggested and wanted.

    In the end, EA sold a bunch of copies, within 2 months lost most of their customer base due to a broken game, and only now that a small portion of it is fixed and usable, they still continue to send out more and more DLC while not fixing the galaring problems.

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Their Obsession with DRM

     

    Yeah... I don't remember who said this originally, but that doesn't make it less true -

     

    "Every single method of preventing piracy is ineffective, save one: actually making a game people want to buy."

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    They might make it if they play Eye of the Tiger on the workfloor, if they regain their passion for gaming rather than their passion for money.

     

    However, I think that the damage in trust... well yea... Just fire all the word magicians and hire the coding & design magicians.

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I do agree with what people are saying here, and the figures tend to speak for themselves - BUT, I remember the same bad press at the release of SC4 before there was so much custom content, and 10 years later I'm still playing the same game. OK more should have been added from suggestion of dedicated players but think how much can be customised, it's half of the fun!

    As for online only & other features though, I'll stay with the majority & stick with SC4

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    What Mr Gibeau don't understand, is that their acts speak much more than their unrevelant speeches.

    If EA was really concerned about that and really listen to the public, SC would be offline already, and would not have so ridiculously tiny maps (among other things).

     

    They would also admit their lies, and lies from Maxis that went around Simcity, and appologies about them. Instead, they add more and more lies each time they speak about it.

    So basically, they do nothing to "not being hated".

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    EA please walk the talk and fix SimCity. It should be clear from the Forums what should be done.

     

    What would you like done? Let me guess, bigger city tiles? More rural features? ...... :-|

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Acts speaks more than words Mr Gibeau.

    SC is still broken, it's still pointlessly enforced online and the game engine prevents you from manually loading/saving your game, making try fail and retry impossible, watching disasters and rolling back impossible, ...

    If EA was sincere about their care for custommers and good will, they would have proven it already, by at least announcing the game will be offline later. There is still NO plan about that, custommers still want it from day one... No words about modding, no plan for bigger maps... Worse than everything, they keep pushing on features THEY want and most players don't care, "improving the multiplayer experience". Short version: They pretend to care but they keep camping on their opinion, not caring about what their custommers want. That's a good start for a third Worst Company trophy next year.

    And don't forget since launch, there have been more DLC released than really critical fixes in the game engine or granting custommers wishes.

     

    So, I don't buy it. EA, you're just plain liars, and all you do is killing all your blockbuster licences one by one. If you bankrupt, it would be deserved, and no one would cry you.

    If you really want to improve your image, stop plainly lying to your custommers, and give them what they want. Words don't prove anything. Acts do. and at this time, acts does not show your good will... it's the opposite.

    After all the fiascos during recent years, and after seing how you insulted some great licences (Syndicate, Simcity, Dungeon Keeper (even if not outside asia atm), and many more), I won't buy any EA game until they stop to: Online enforcing, Microtransactions enforcing, casualing your games, and removing content from base game to sell it as a dlc. There are enough other companies and even indies who does not do that, or in very low proportions compared to EA.

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    What it takes is to listen to the people- for god sake online Sim city- were they joking on that though- no wonder they are hated. Overpriced game, lots of servers yet none work, pay more money to do more for your game? Need I say more. If they want to be liked they need to make it more affordable, get rid of online, make bigger regions, ect... Thats why I won't buy the new one- until they get it through there heads that they are greedy they can continue to be hated..... I'll stick with SC 4 thanks.

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    If EA wants to stop being hated, they should split itself into two or three smaller companies. Maybe more. SimCity would be part of a new independent Maxis. They have a monopoly on sports games as well. They should allow other companies to make NFL games. I can think of other ways, but if there's no synergy at EA, it should be broken up.

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites



    Sign In or register to comment...

    To comment in reply, you must be a community member

    Sign In  

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now

    Create an Account  

    Sign up to join our friendly community. It's easy!  

    Register a New Account


×

Thank You for the Continued Support!

Simtropolis depends on donations to fund site maintenance costs.
Without your support, we just would not be in our 24th year online!  You really help make this a great community. *:thumb:

But we still need your support to stay online. If you're able to, please consider a donation to help us stay up and running. This helps sustain a platform where we can share our community creations for years to come.

Make a Donation, Get a Gift!

Expand your city with the best from the Simtropolis Exchange.
Make a Donation and get one or all three discs today!

STEX Collections

By way of a "Thank You" gift, we'd like to send you our STEX Collector's DVD. It's some of the best buildings, lots, maps and mods collected for you over the years. Check out the STEX Collections for more info.

Each donation helps keep Simtropolis online, open and free!

Thank you for reading and enjoy the site!

More About STEX Collections