This is just heresy, there is no proof of this. In fact in talking with DrFeelgood some EA studios are actually very independent from EA.
I know you hate Bioware, but honestly if you have nothing to back up your claims you shouldn't be arguing this.
I don't "hate" BioWare, and I do have friends both current and ex of both Activision and EA, though none directly involved in BioWare. You'd be naive to think that EA doesn't exert considerable influence over the studios. They may have relative creative freedom but that isn't the same thing as being independent. Having BF3 and SWTOR rushed out the door as a result of corporate pressure to meet set timetables is a good example. I don't hate the company but I dislike their tremendously shortsighted practices. It's not like they are making money (losing it, actually) hand over first, if you look at their quarterly reports. It would be one thing if all of their various practices and policies were tremendously successful but they clearly are not.
ActivisionBlizzard, by comparison, is a much healthier company at the moment. They've found a good balance between iteration (MW3) and innovation (Blizzard).
Nope. They fill their subsidiaries with stupid hires that come from EA that ensure their policies are followed. Everything the studio does has to be approved by EA. Casey Hudson has to listen to his handlers when designing the game. Timetable too aggressive? What a shame, now find another job if you don't like it. Plenty of people have abandoned ship.
You mean a publisher-side producer? That every non-independent studio in the world has? Are they stupid? Have you met all these people that you're calling the worst thing ever?
The fact that you think Activision's business practices are better for their employees completely writes you off.
You mean a publisher-side producer? That every non-independent studio in the world has? Are they stupid? Have you met all these people that you're calling the worst thing ever?
Not all producers are created equally. Some can be very heavy handed, which is what I am referring to. I'm not calling them "the worst thing ever." You should probably read more closely. This thread is about companies and their relationship with consumers. I don't think EA is half as bad as Paypal, for instance, but I'd still find it funny and refreshing if EA won. Might change a few policies.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jill Sandwich
The fact that you think Activision's business practices are better for their employees completely writes you off.
Where did I say that? Oh right, I didn't. Thanks for playing. And, FYI, my best guy friend was a 3D artist that got laid off from an Activision studio after they ran a certain musical franchise into the ground. I don't think you're in a position to lecture me about what's good for employees.
I detest them, and I detest how they treat their customers and take away and "art" there is to a game.
Just spew out fast products, there's always people who buy crap based on name alone, go goggogogogo go.
Yes a meaningless internet poll will change policies.
Believe it or not, some companies give a **** about this sort of thing. Microsoft was quick to respond to a dustup over their Windows Phone challenge. A consumer goods company as small and as fan dependent as EA SHOULD care about this sort of thing. A government propped up monolith like B of A certainly won't, which is why I'm glad EA won.
Believe it or not, some companies give a **** about this sort of thing. Microsoft was quick to respond to a dustup over their Windows Phone challenge. A consumer goods company as small and as fan dependent as EA SHOULD care about this sort of thing. A government propped up monolith like B of A certainly won't, which is why I'm glad EA won.
We're sure that British Petroleum, AIG, Philip Morris, and Halliburton are all relieved they weren't nominated this year. We're going to continue making award-winning games and services played by more than 300 million people worldwide.
The fact BOA lost to EA should invalidate anything that was. Seriousl a ******* company like BOA that tons of people rely on, lost to EA which is in the entertainment business.
The fact BOA lost to EA should invalidate anything that was. Seriousl a ******* company like BOA that tons of people rely on, lost to EA which is in the entertainment business.
What a joke the internet lynch mob is sometimes.
Who cares about screwing people out of their houses, the ME3 ending was disappointing!
Yeah, how are your financials again? How about the stock price? I know you think this poll is cute and all, but fortunes have changed faster. Both for the good and the bad. The response is a great indicator of the broken culture at EA. Do you think you (or the company as a whole) is doing a great job or maximizing potential revenue? The only thing propping up EA on the balance sheet at this point is a 1.7 billion in claimed 'goodwill' which is total ********. Your brands are worth nothing if you run them straight into the ground.
EA lost (net) money despite Battlefield 3 and SWTOR. All of the prepared comments on the quarterly report refer to 'operating cash flow' which means ****-all. When EA's cash stockpile runs out (and it has been eroding for some time now) you guys are dead in the water.
Quote:
Originally Posted by parabola
The fact BOA lost to EA should invalidate anything that was. Seriousl a ******* company like BOA that tons of people rely on, lost to EA which is in the entertainment business.
What a joke the internet lynch mob is sometimes.
Every bank got caught up in that. Every major bank. You can't give an obvious award to an obviously broken system.
The fact BOA lost to EA should invalidate anything that was. Seriousl a ******* company like BOA that tons of people rely on, lost to EA which is in the entertainment business.
While that might be true, EA also has probably a bigger influence and market share compared to BoA. People can move away from Bank of America but can they really move away from EA who dominates the market?
While that might be true, EA also has probably a bigger influence and market share compared to BoA. People can move away from Bank of America but can they really move away from EA who dominates the market?
On an impact on the world or peoples lives level, obviously EA is not the worst (even their most underhanded business/employee treatment/effect practices pale in comparison to some of the others), but on a personal level and for how I feel they have treated many of their customers, takeovers and IPs on a entertainment level I am glad.
Yeah, how are your financials again? How about the stock price? I know you think this poll is cute and all, but fortunes have changed faster. Both for the good and the bad. The response is a great indicator of the broken culture at EA. Do you think you (or the company as a whole) is doing a great job or maximizing potential revenue? The only thing propping up EA on the balance sheet at this point is a 1.7 billion in claimed 'goodwill' which is total ********. Your brands are worth nothing if you run them straight into the ground.
EA lost (net) money despite Battlefield 3 and SWTOR. All of the prepared comments on the quarterly report refer to 'operating cash flow' which means ****-all. When EA's cash stockpile runs out (and it has been eroding for some time now) you guys are dead in the water.
I don't care about the financials myself, I don't answer to any of the suits
I'm aware EA a losing money, because they are spending a lot of money on a few titles. The team that I work with is great and has a great reputation, so really this poll and the EA hate in general means absolutely nothing to me.
I don't care about the financials myself, I don't answer to any of the suits
It's telling that you mention suits, by name, right off the bat. Here's the thing - not every gaming company has "suits" nor is it a requirement to be successful. Most every company that has gone public or become part of a publicly traded company has suffered an erosion of corporate culture. That which made you what you were before is simply lost. Google is a great example of this. "Google Time", the 20% freetime philosophy that has spawned so many successful products for Google, is facing scrutiny nowadays. Why? It's an inevitability. When you stop worrying about making a great product and start worrying more about the bottom line, things go to hell. You can look up any number of studies that show when there's a monetary incentive, creativity goes way down. That's very relevant to an entertainment company.
For EA to NOT corrupt BioWare would require an unprecedented hands-off approach. It'd have to be a subsidiary situation where EA has absolutely zero say about anything. We know that isn't true. There's a pile of smoldering studios that shows us that isn't the case.
Absolutely amazing video that sums up my viewpoint and why I dislike EA's practices and hope they change. I don't hate them. I just see a really badly managed company. There's so much potential there. Imagine a peak form BioWare with an unlimited budget and time frame. What could they deliver? They gave us KOTOR and Baldur's Gate. Those are, arguably, all-time classics. I think this is what pisses gamers off most. You're trying to turn something that's more grounded in art into something that follows MBA style thinking.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrFeelgood
I'm aware EA a losing money, because they are spending a lot of money on a few titles. The team that I work with is great and has a great reputation, so really this poll and the EA hate in general means absolutely nothing to me.
I just enjoy laughing at the bandwagon EA hate
You don't seem very invested in the company that you work for. It sounds like a textbook culture of fear, where you have to deliver a 'great' product/output and maintain your 'great' reputation for the sake of image. But I also realize it's easy to be jaded or to simply block out a lot of the 'hate' when it seems unwarranted or a lot of it is misguided. Steam vs Origin, for example. Maybe you are a contractor or can indeed land softly at another company. That's great for you, but this poll/the hate meaning nothing speaks to a larger problem within EA.
Bank of America isn't the only Bank in the US and certainly not the only financial institution in a state. There's dozens of different types of banks or credit unions.
EA has dominated the Sporting Game Market (Sega has a small, small percentage) and that's due to licensing.
If you're dissatisfied with BoA you can move to another bank and do business with them. If you're dissatisfied with EA over their sport games, where do you go?
Bank of America isn't the only Bank in the US and certainly not the only financial institution in a state. There's dozens of different types of banks or credit unions.
EA has dominated the Sporting Game Market (Sega has a small, small percentage) and that's due to licensing.
If you're dissatisfied with BoA you can move to another bank and do business with them. If you're dissatisfied with EA over their sport games, where do you go?
This is true. I don't like how EA started to consume promising companies either. Eliminate their competition.
BoA sucks, but so do a lot of banks. They wouldn't be banks if they didn't suck
Bank of America isn't the only Bank in the US and certainly not the only financial institution in a state. There's dozens of different types of banks or credit unions.
EA has dominated the Sporting Game Market (Sega has a small, small percentage) and that's due to licensing.
If you're dissatisfied with BoA you can move to another bank and do business with them. If you're dissatisfied with EA over their sport games, where do you go?
let's see: a company breaking federal law v. a bunch of whiny people complaining about a video game...
