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[Rei no Otaku]

I liked both Dragon Ages and all three Mass Effects. I don't see how you can use the term "dog shit" with any of those games, even if you might have been somewhat disappointed in them. Mass Effect 2 was the best of the series, imo, and I never understood the overreaction over the third game. I think your opinions might be a little extreme.

So, no, EA is not a cancer, it is just fun for some people to hate on them.

Agree with this. The only one of those games I haven't played is Dead Space 3 (should be here on Thursday), but I've enjoyed all the others. Mass Effect 3 was my GOTY last year and while I feel DA2 had problems it was still an enjoyable game. I really don't see the problem there. The only issue I've had with them is the lack of advertising for their partner titles.

 

[PedroLumpy]

Seriously, what's so gross about this? You don't have to pay a dime. You can get everything in the game by playing it, and doing so is no different from progression in any other FPS. And the people who do pay are funding the DLC for everyone.

It's a completely pointless and unnecessary barrier that was put in to hold back fun in an attempt to squeeze more money out of people. They purposefully made their game worse so they could micro transact people.

Now I'm not going to say that the multi isn't worth playing or anything, but there is no redeeming good thing about that freemium model in a retail game. We could argue about the degree it's bad, 'not a big deal' vs 'EA is the worst company in America', but there is no part of it that's good. Is it worth arguing about how bad it is if there's no redeeming value to weigh it against?

 

[A Twisty Fluken]

Becoming?

 

[Meatvillain]

EA still publish a bunch of games I wind up really enjoying every year, but their business practices are shoddy for sure. "Publishing cancer" is goofy Internet hyperbole.

 

[aeolist]

Well, let's see. Most people use "a cancer on ___" interchangeably with "blight" or possibly "open festering gangrenous sore". Taken more literally, a cancer is a group of cells that have stopped working as designed. They do nothing but grow uncontrollably and starve healthy cells of resources. Eventually they get their tendrils into lots of other parts of the body and destroy the otherwise healthy organism from which they grew.

So I guess it works either way.

 

[test_account]

Mass Effect 3. From Ashes was originally meant to be part of the released game, but was made into DLC in order to make EA more money.

Mass Effect 3 is the most recent example with the Prothean DLC, as well as left-over code of the Leviathan DLC. ME2 also had left-over code from the Kasumi DLC.

Ah yes. I remembered something about this when you mentioned it. Thanks.

Google "EA spouses" -> http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=4543

Thanks. That is however an anonymous blog post, and as Gamasutra mentions, it is unsure if this is universal or true. Although the gaming industry as a whole can be a though business where overtime/crunch time isnt that uncommon.


On the positive side, if charging for DLC and stuff like that grants someone the worse company in USA, at least it shows that people have it pretty good there The work situation is the most serious thing, but i guess it would be a lot more talk about it if it was more universal.

 

[Krecik]

I actually agree with OP.

Even disregarding the quality of their recent games (I really enjoyed ME3) most of the things they do are simply bad and are IMO a really bad influence on gaming. I'm talking about microtransactions in 60$ AAA single player games. I'm talking about C&C Generals - let's go F2P, the game will be more expensive this way! All that DLC and all that, I hate it.

 

[Mr.Wreckless]

I'm seriously disheartened and I'm coming to the point where I see EA as the same trash Activision is.

Think about it:


Mass Effect-Great
Mass Effect 2-Good to Great (depending on how you looked at the dumb'd down aspects)
Mass Effect 3-Dog Shit that just dropped the ball completely.

ME 3 was better than ME 2 in every way other than the ending. People have let that ending skew every single thing about the game.

It's a completely pointless and unnecessary barrier that was put in to hold back fun in an attempt to squeeze more money out of people. They purposefully made their game worse so they could micro transact people.

Now I'm not going to say that the multi isn't worth playing or anything, but there is no redeeming good thing about that freemium model in a retail game. We could argue about the degree it's bad, 'not a big deal' vs 'EA is the worst company in America', but there is no part of it that's good. Is it worth arguing about how bad it is if there's no redeeming value to weigh it against?

You would have preferred all the initial characters and weapons be available from the beginning and then requiring pay DLC for the other 20+ characters and 13 maps? Sorry, i got by just fine with the free DLC.

 

[aeolist]

ME 3 was better than ME 2 in every way other than the ending. People have let that ending skew every single thing about the game.

Other than the ending, and the dialogue, and the characters, and the level design, and the main plotline (though the Collectors were pretty dumb to be sure), and all the quests

 

[PedroLumpy]

You would have preferred all the initial characters and weapons be available from the beginning and then requiring pay DLC for the other 20+ characters and 13 maps? Sorry, i got by just fine with the free DLC.

Well, that's an interesting possible scenario. Do you believe that your example, and how ME3 multi works now are the only 2 possibilities?

 

[Tallshortman]

IF anything, that just shows the disconnect between the game industry and the "journalists" that cover the industry, and the consumer.

Assuming the outspoken members of GAF who think EA is the devil accurately represents the average EA consumer.

I don't know why OP brought up NFS MW when it was a great game and Criterion continues to embarrass other arcade racing devs. Also, ME3 was a very good game even though the ending wasn't. It's called trying to project his opinions on others by stating opinion as fact.

GAF contains a lot of hyperbole.

 

[Sanctuary]

I personally didn't have a problem with Dragon Age 2, I had fun with it... but at least with DA2 I can understand the hate.

Same. You'd think it was the worst game ever created by the various reactions around the internet. But it wasn't. Not even close, it simply didn't live up to expectations, and regressed in a lot of areas that it shouldn't have.

ME 3 was better than ME 2 in every way other than the ending.

Then how can you explain my desire to replay ME2 over twelve times, while I couldn't muster enough willpower to replay ME3 once? The endings had absolutely nothing at all to do with it for me. The actual gameplay just felt too much like a carnival shooting gallery. Even if some of the actual mechanics had been improved, it was just a non stop barrage that made it feel way too much like any other generic TPS.

Oh I know; the narrative, setting and characters were infinitely more interesting in ME2.

 

[Ducktail]

EA business practices are ridiculous. I couldn't agree more with GAF. But is not just EA who comes up with this bullshit DLC and microtransactions. We are to blame. Cast a stone if you have never bought a shitty DLC or supported a fremium app.


In fact, not entirely related, but I CAN'T DEAL with the fact you can't hoster your weapons in ME3. What's up with that? Killed the game for me.

 

[antitrop]

I don't think so at all.

As long as they can continue to produce quality software, such as Medal of Honor: Warfighter, they are a credit to our fine industry.

 

[Deitus]

EA was always a Cancer. They were just in remission for a couple years when Dead Space 1, Mirror's Edge, etc. came out.

 

[dgrdsv]

The funny thing with EA is that they seemed to be right on point in the beginning of this generation. But then they somehow got impatient again and effectively ruined most of their new IPs started in 2005-2008.

The problem with EA (and industry in general) is that it's always better to make a new IP if you're thinking that the one you have has reached it's sales potential instead of turning it into some shitty abomination of a game. And here's where I'm most sceptical for EA because from everything we've heard right now they're planning to continue like all of their current gen IPs (BF, ME, DS, NFS, DA) into the next generation instead of making something new. And if the current trend of quality of games in these IPs also continue, that will lead them nowhere.

ME 3 was better than ME 2 in every way other than the ending.

No.

 

[maverick40]

I would hate EA but too many of their franchises are awesome! Especially battlefield 3. Oh I cant wait to see bungies next title, lets see you all hate EA then.

 

[Aquamarine]

EA was always a Cancer. They were just in remission for a couple years when Dead Space 1, Mirror's Edge, etc. came out.

Yep. The closure of Westwood, Origin, Bullfrog, etc. is proof of this.

 

[Mr.Wreckless]

Other than the ending, and the dialogue, and the characters, and the level design, and the main plotline (though the Collectors were pretty dumb to be sure), and all the quests

The characters in 2 never even said anything unless you clicked on certain points in a hub. In 3 they talked throughout the missions, they had interesting things to say on the ship and they actually moved around in it, and mission dialog changed quite a bit depending on who was with you.

More dialog choices on the wheel in 2 doesnt mean it was better.

The plot in 2 was bashed endlessly before the ending of 3 was discovered. Everyone was complaining about the collect-a-gang story.

 

[RMI]

EA only got slightly more likable during the height of Activision hatred. They've always been awful.

They're an abysmal company that takes good IPs and drives them into the ground with sequels that get progressively worse and worse. I'm kind of glad there hasn't been a sequel to Mirror's Edge, because it means that they haven't gotten another chance to put their grubby fucking paws all over it.

 

[LuchaShaq]

If you charge microtransactions on top of 60$ you fucked up.

Either have the balls to

A. Charge more than 60 because you think you can make a game worth it.

or

B. Charge 0 and have tons of micro because you think you have enough intelligence to make it work.


60+ micro is just fucking insulting and gross.

 

[Mr.Wreckless]

Well, that's an interesting possible scenario. Do you believe that your example, and how ME3 multi works now are the only 2 possibilities?

They are the only 2 that exist on consoles. Off the top of my head i cant think of any games that gave you 20 free characters and 13 maps for free.

 

[mikeGFG]

They gave me Dragon Age, Burnout Paradise, Dead Space, Dead Space 2, Mirror's Edge, Battlefield Bad Company 2, BF3 and Mass Effect 3's Multiplayer. That list is a good chunk of some of the best games to come out of this entire generation.

OP is a haterrrr

 

[Sanctuary]

The characters in 2 never even said anything unless you clicked on certain points in a hub. In 3 they talked throughout the missions, they had interesting things to say on the ship and they actually moved around in it, and mission dialog changed quite a bit depending on who was with you.

More dialog choices on the wheel in 2 doesnt mean it was better.

The plot in 2 was bashed endlessly before the ending of 3 was discovered. Everyone was complaining about the collect-a-gang story.

Congrats, you find mediocrity to be exciting. ME3 had the least interesting roster of all three, and it even had more to choose from over the first. Some of the dialogue was good, but much of it came from completely boring characters that gave you no compelling reason to give a shit about.

It doesn't really matter that the second game had a "weak plot" when it had a superior narrative on a mission by mission basis. It was also the most personal of the three. It's also kind of hard to have a true "ending" to something that was always meant to be a bridge to begin with.

 

[GavinGT]

I think their studios are still capable of blowing us away next gen with new IP. And by the end of the next generation those IP will be stale as well.

 

[unbias]

I personally didn't have a problem with Dragon Age 2, I had fun with it... but at least with DA2 I can understand the hate.

I could understand peoples hate over the direction of DA2, but as a whole, the setting is still in tact and I'm still interested in the world they created, despite their incredibly obvious rushed time table.

ME3 on the other hand broke and ruined the setting. I agree it was better then ME2 as far as a "game" is concerned, but as part of the MEU it was the worse thing to happen to it, outside of the Lazarus Project and the superhappy fun time mission in ME2.

Nothing in DA2 ruined DA in general, so it is fixable all their obvious mistakes in 2(Using frostbite is obviously a good thing, specially for PC users). DA2 was an unfinished mess, what excuse does ME3 have for making the MEU setting as a whole worse off?

I can only think of 2 things, Mac and EA, in that order.

 

[Mr.Wreckless]

I could understand peoples hate over the direction of DA2, but as a whole, the setting is still in tact and I'm still interested in the world they created, despite their incredibly obvious rushed time table.

ME3 on the other hand broke and ruined the setting. I agree it was better then ME2 as far as a "game" is concerned, but as part of the MEU it was the worse thing to happen to it, outside of the Lazarus Project and the superhappy fun time mission in ME2.

Nothing in DA2 ruined DA in general, so it is fixable all their obvious mistakes in 2(Using frostbite is obviously a good thing, specially for PC users). DA2 was an unfinished mess, what excuse does ME3 have for making the MEU setting as a whole worse off?

I can only think of 2 things, Mac and EA, in that order.

This i agree with 100%. This was the one instance where i did want a cliche happy ending in a game just so the universe could go on but they ruined that in a way i didnt think was possible.

But, i spent over 100 hours on the multiplayer mode, so if they can deliver on that again in the next entry ill definitely give it a shot.

 

[ScepticMatt]

EA have good IPs, and they made quite some good games as well.
But they milk their games way too much, and kill innovation.
Also they have taken some very anti-consumerist measures lately (DRM etc.)

never forget

 

[Trogdor1123]

Mass Effect 3 and DS3 are not bad games at all, infact they are very good games.

 

[PedroLumpy]

They are the only 2 that exist on consoles. Off the top of my head i cant think of any games that gave you 20 free characters and 13 maps for free.

Even if those are the only 2 that possibilities that have been done now, there could still be other models that could work. Arguably ME3 ignored previous convention and introduced something new with it's freemium model in a retail game. Could be other options out there aside from these 2 scenarios. You really feel DLC implementation is limited to these 2 examples?

 

[Punkster_NY]

you forgot to include battlefield in that list.

 

[FairXchange]

A lot of EA hate, but look at Battlefield 3 and how they handled DLC. Members of premium get a substantial amount of content that stretches the game further than I could have imagined with the new game modes, maps and vehicles. It was a very well organized way to go about monetizing additional content, and extending the game life.

I don't agree with all their practices, actually Dead Space was one of my favourite franchises but it looks like DS3 has missed the mark, I prefer horror than action/shooter. Really wish the didn't try and change the direction for that title.

 

[unbias]

This was the one instance where i did want a cliche happy ending in a game just so the universe could go on but they ruined that in a way i didnt think was possible.

I dont care about cliche happy endings, the problem with the endings is, the MEU is now officially broke, without a massive handwave or a retcon. That is a very bad thing to do, specially if you plan on milking the franchise or trying to turn it into a true setting, much like Dragon Age.

Happy endings, with those 3 choices still being somewhat the same wouldn't have fixed the game. Not only was the reaper story arc a bad thing for the setting as a whole, in 3, but the 3 endings make the MEU so fundamentally different, that it is now forever broke, with nonsensical or horribly explained choices to an ending.

It is like they accidentally burned down their own franchise and only realized a month later that it was burned down.

 

[RooMHM]

never forget

Truth has been spoken.

Spoiler

Microsoft is even worse

 

[unbias]

they milk their games way too much, and kill innovation.

It is ok if you are going to milk a franchise, but if you are going to do it, you sure as hell better treat it well, otherwise you are either going to spoil the milk or it will end up tasting like cow shit.

 

[electroplankton]

Ah yes. I remembered something about this when you mentioned it. Thanks.



Thanks. That is however an anonymous blog post, and as Gamasutra mentions, it is unsure if this is universal or true. Although the gaming industry as a whole can be a though business where overtime/crunch time isnt that uncommon.


On the positive side, if charging for DLC and stuff like that grants someone the worse company in USA, at least it shows that people have it pretty good there The work situation is the most serious thing, but i guess it would be a lot more talk about it if it was more universal.

The fact that EA is such a big company, and has hence much power on video gamers because of their IPs just simplify the way how they can actually mismanage their games. Are you happy to buy DLC over DLC? Are you happy about how the new SimCity is managed? Then you are happy of literally throwing away money.

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

Activision~the market leader of garbage. they have what, 1 IP that sells and then WoW

Activision has many IPs that sell very well.

Stacraft, Skylanders, Diablo, Call of Duty, etc.

 

[Mr.Wreckless]

I dont care about cliche happy endings, the problem with the endings is, the MEU is now officially broke, without a massive handwave or a retcon. That is a very bad thing to do, specially if you plan on milking the franchise or trying to turn it into a true setting, much like Dragon Age.

Happy endings, with those 3 choices still being somewhat the same wouldn't have fixed the game. Not only was the reaper story arc a bad thing for the setting as a whole, in 3, but the 3 endings make the MEU so fundamentally different, that it is now forever broke, with nonsensical or horribly explained choices to an ending.

It is like they accidentally burned down their own franchise and only realized a month later that it was burned down.

NO, they would have to have gotten rid of those endings all together. What i mean by happy ending is that the reapers are defeated and some of the races can then go on about their business. Each one of those endings made that impossible. Some of the races are going to go extinct and now the relays are gone too so deep space travel is over.

Even if those are the only 2 that possibilities that have been done now, there could still be other models that could work. Arguably ME3 ignored previous convention and introduced something new with it's freemium model in a retail game. Could be other options out there aside from these 2 scenarios. You really feel DLC implementation is limited to these 2 examples?

What would you have implemented?

 

[Askherserenity]

To the people posting the metacritic picture, who cares? The OP clearly isn't talking about the games not getting high review scores and you know it. And in some cases like Dead Space, I think the originals are even rated higher before they go all actiony anyways. It really bothers me that some people seem to hold a high metacritic score to such a high regard.

Dead Space>Dead Space 2>Dead Space 3
Dragon Age>Dragon Age 2
Not even going to mention Mass Effect.
AND THEY ALL LOOK THE SAME NOW.

 

[Partition]

I wonder what that EA Metacritic score would be if you removed all the sports games

 

[EinSof]

This is quite amusing. I was at EA for a short period, during the time when Riccitello took over, and I still keep in contact with a lot of friends. I do not work in the game industry anymore, but I find it funny people are still bitter about certain things. I actually remember more good things EA has done to be honest, but maybe its because I am not as much of a gamer as I use to be and I am actually fine with DLC content. I buy it all the time on Steam or iOS. Cosmetic, or non-Cosmetic.

I understand why EA had to do Origin. I think their execution was not as great with all the DRM stuff. I actually did not mind buying Sim City 3 on Origin, I do not see the problem with having Sim City 3 exclusive only Deluxe edition on Origin. Its their way or promoting Origin. If I had a product I wanted to promote, I would do the same thing and provide exclusive content.

EA working environment has improved tremendously since the dark days. I know plenty of friends who are happy working at EA. I think pulling up stuff that has happened close to a decade ago is not very convincing evidence.

http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Electronic-Arts-Reviews-E1628.htm
http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Ubisoft-Reviews-E12717.htm
http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Sony-PlayStation-Reviews-E117138.htm

Couldn't find much for Activision or Microsoft.

That metacritic is score has mixed feelings for me. EA does care about their Metacritic score... a lot. They put a lot of pride in making sure their sequels do very well, and improve on their old games. I've been in meetings where they pushed for more content on the sports games because they did not think it was enough to cement a release. One of my good friends was a major figure on the Need for Speed series and she put a lot of pride in making sure those games were fun to play. On the other hand I do know first-hand that money does play a lot into how games get rated as a former-producer from Ubisoft once told me about some underhanded dealings in the publishing world.

Personally I think EA gets a lot more crap than it deserves (It does deserve some crap). EA Partners has been a blessing for many companies, including Double Fine, Harmonix, Respawn, Crytek, and so much more. I do not think people understand how vicious and demanding the the video game industry is. Naming 4 series and providing a subjective opinion on their "quality" is not an objective look into a company, how it operates, and how it effects an industry.

People talk about how EA does not create more original gaming titles now, but a lot of it has to do with the consumer. I was surprised that Dead Space got a sequel considering the first game did not do that well financially. Mirrors Edge is never getting a Sequel because that game bombed for all intents and purposes, and its not because marketing. Brutal Legends that came out from Double Fine bombed. Activision knew that game was going to bomb, and they cut it loose when they merged with Vivendi. EA Partners picked it up and I'm pretty sure out of charity or something because Double Fine games rarely make money, if any. When a well-known developer has to go to kickstarter to get funding for something, you know their studio is not doing alright.

A lot of times I feel sorry for the video game industry. It has a hard job of listening to a consumer base that evolves its dichotomic taste very quickly and rapidly.

The last point I wanted to get into was that EA has a history of destroying studios and their creative talent. This is probably a much longer blog post and conversation than I really have time for so I'll leave it at that. I can say that closing a studio is never an easy decision, and sometimes it needs to be done for the better. A lot of people have no idea how easily that regardless of how many good selling games you have released, it just takes one bad selling game to bring a company to the ground.

 

[PBalfredo]

If you charge microtransactions on top of 60$ you fucked up.

Either have the balls to

A. Charge more than 60 because you think you can make a game worth it.

or

B. Charge 0 and have tons of micro because you think you have enough intelligence to make it work.


60+ micro is just fucking insulting and gross.

You mean $60 plus free DLC and optional microtransactions.

And seeing how this includes a full single player campaign equal to the first two games which everyone happily paid $60 for, but without the multiplayer in those games, the multiplayer in ME3 is just gravy.

 

[test_account]

The fact that EA is such a big company, and has hence much power on video gamers because of their IPs just simplify the way how they can actually mismanage their games. Are you happy to buy DLC over DLC? Are you happy about how the new SimCity is managed? Then you are happy of literally throwing away money.

Personally i dont really buy much DLC, so i'm pretty much indifference to it. But i can say this, i cant remember buying a game and then have thought "i feel this game is missing a lot of content that i can only get through DLC" (have anyone here ever felt this way by the way? If yes, which game(s) was it?). I've pretty much always felt that the game i buy have enough content to begin with to justify the price i payed.

About Sim City, i havnt been much interested in this serie. I played the original Sim City back in the 90s, after that i've hardly tried a Sim City game. I wont buy the new Sim City game, so i'm pretty neutral to whats going on with that game =) But if i was going to buy it, i wouldnt worry much about the in-game store before i see how much content the game originally has.

But if this is what makes a company the worse in USA, then at least it is a positive thing that shows how great things are in general over there regarding companies

 

[PedroLumpy]

What would you have implemented?

First things first, do you believe those were the only 2 options?

 

[TreasureHunterG]

EA always sucked. What keep them alive for all this long time is the money from their EA Sports brand.

 

[Duxxy3]

I don't think so at all.

As long as they can continue to produce quality software, such as Medal of Honor: Warfighter, they are a credit to our fine industry.

 

[nbthedude]

GAF <3

If we had a list of biggest publishers how much different would this list be?

I am not suggesting conspiratory money hats but the idea thr companies with most $$$ = companies w/ best games us suspect.

 

[PBalfredo]

First things first, do you believe those were the only 2 options?

Season pass? Subscription? Hats? Though the first two are just permutations of pay-for-DLC/content-outright and the later is just a variant on optional-stuff-funds-DLC/content. So when you really get down to it, yeah, those are the two options.

 

[speculawyer]

GAF <3

Where is Take-Two on that?

 

[unbias]

Where is Take-Two on that?

"Major Publisher" means something specific, seeing as none of those companies are at the top, in terms of metacritic scores. I'm not sure what those specifics are though.