Support NeoGAF

[Pikawil]

http://consumerist.com/2014/02/28/t...atuettes-the-worst-company-in-america-trophy/

It's that time of the year again. With Battlefield 4-gate and Dungeon Keeper-gate having come since that last second Golden Poo, the chance for EA to be named by readers like you for the third chance to stink it up again at The Consumerist is even higher.

Of course, if you disagree and believe some other as-bad-as-EA publisher like King.com or a genuinely harmful company like Monsanto should have the chance to be given the nod instead, now is your chance too, especially with the new nomination rules filtering irrational blind hatred, as detailed below.

Starting… now! and continuing through 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 13, write to us to let us know about those companies that most deserve to be honored with the Golden Poo.

As always, nominated companies must regularly provide goods and services to American consumers.

!!! NOTE: VERY IMPORTANT UPDATE TO THE NOMINATIONS PROCESS !!!
In order for a nomination to be considered, your e-mail must not simply name the company being nominated, but must include a sentence or two that contains actual information on why you’re nominating.

So a nomination that reads “Company X sucks!” would not be considered, but one that states, “Company X sucks because it [fill in the blanks with reasons for sucking]” would be considered a valid nomination.

You can still nominate multiple companies, but each nominee must have its own explanation.

Once you have your nominations ready, e-mail them to WCIA@consumerist.com before 5 p.m. ET on March 13.

This year’s WCIA bracket will be revealed Monday, March 17 with voting kicking off the next day.

 

[fredrancour]

Hopefully an actually-harmful company wins this year instead of just an offputting entertainment company.

I know it doesn't really do anything but seeing peoples' priorities so screwed irritates me.

 

[jabuseika]

I know I want a real harmful company to win... but Sim City...

 

[RS4-]

Vote the chumps behind candy crush

 

[antitrop]

Hopefully an actually-harmful company wins this year instead of just an offputting entertainment company.

I know it doesn't really do anything but seeing peoples' priorities so screwed irritates me.

I used to think like this, but then I realized that the award is called the "Golden Poo" and the whole thing is just a big joke anyway.

 

[Finn of Ooo]

Or you know maybe an actually harmful company could win? Maybe one engaged in frakking or something like that. But instead let's nominate a video game publisher cause they're mildly annoying...

 

[Arksy]

Agreed. It should go to a way more deserving company. Maybe that cable company that just destroyed net neutrality in the US?

 

[Anion]

Hopefully an actually-harmful company wins this year instead of just an offputting entertainment company.

I know it doesn't really do anything but seeing peoples' priorities so screwed irritates me.

I agree. EA might screw up games, but Comcas/Verizon/Time Warner (lol) should be nominated for their crap

 

[Shogun1337]

Well who are the competitors? Sure you can bitch and say "let an actual harmful company win you losers", but might as well let EA win again.

 

[Jblanks]

Vote the chumps behind candy crush

.

 

[Eusis]

If we're going to name companies based on what they did in gaming may as well stick with Microsoft I think, though they responded better to the issues. But then there's that NSA scandal over their heads (though that too was reportedly responded to) and the other angle that they've simply been a mess as a company to the point it took forever to actually find a replacement for Ballmer.

 

[Neuromancer]

Hopefully an actually-harmful company wins this year instead of just an offputting entertainment company.

I know it doesn't really do anything but seeing peoples' priorities so screwed irritates me.

Well the poll is run by the Consumerist, so the point of the poll really is what companies have given you the worst consumer experience over the last year.

 

[Kerned]

EA sucks and all, but there are companies out there who are actually fucking up the world.

 

[antitrop]

Agreed. It should go to a way more deserving company. Maybe that cable company that just destroyed net neutrality in the US?

I agree. EA might screw up games, but Comcas/Verizon/Time Warner (lol) should be nominated for their crap

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c38fb80a0d/comcast-doesn-t-give-a-f-ck

 

[border]

They really ought to just retire EA after a three-peat.

I have to imagine the staff of Consumerist are perpetually annoyed to see this contest twisted to fit the petty whims of a bunch of videogame whiners.

 

[Hiccup]

Comcast or EA. But I don't see Comcast caring.

 

[MR BLACKMAGIK]

So if I wanted to nominate the creators of NBA 2K14 do I nominate 2K, 2K Sports, or Take Two?

 

[Madness]

Hopefully an actually-harmful company wins this year instead of just an offputting entertainment company.

I know it doesn't really do anything but seeing peoples' priorities so screwed irritates me.

Why? If it doesn't do anything, what's the difference? Why would a 16 year old having trouble playing Battlefield 4 care about Monsanto and their GMO food programs or high Bank of America finance rates? Get some perspective yourself man.

 

[hornetpie]

this is stupid

as far as i can tell EA hasn't killed anybody and other companies have

gamers need to get over it, EA is NOT the worst company in the USA, not by a long shot

 

[Anion]

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c38fb80a0d/comcast-doesn-t-give-a-f-ck

Lol, that was good

 

[BennyBlanco]

So many companies deserve this more than EA. Videogame companies even. The fucking deplorable King.com for starters.

 

[Eusis]

And... actually, yeah, there's a lot of companies we can meet in the middle for, EA pretty much just screws over anyone who actually comes to them for their entertainment specifically, but you could go to Verizon Fios for some of the fastest internet only to get absurd Netflix throttles, and have no choice BUT to go with Comcast and get hit with those throttles. Then there's the stupid mistakes they pull that can screw you out of money with no easy fix doable.

The REAL worst are undoubtedly the banks, but good luck getting anyone to actually vote for those, never mind the angle they may not be receptive to such backlash anyway.

 

[Quote]

Comcast is far worse than EA. Comcast also doesn't give a fuck.

 

[Kazerei]

Nobody actually thinks EA is the worst company. It's just a way of trolling EA.

 

[Eidan]

Comcast or EA. But I don't see Comcast caring.

EA "caring" was used by some to justify putting a video game company ahead of the likes of Bank of America. What has changed since the previous two victories? If something had changed, why would people be clamoring for a third victory?

 

[Deadbeat]

Uh oh people against genetically modified food have arrived.

 

[Mushroomer25]

This survey is absolutely moronic, because it only gathers attention when people use it to punish a company ironically. If Comcast won this award, nobody would care - because the award doesn't mean a goddamn thing. But because it's become some sort of in-joke among the gaming community to give it to EA every year, people are fooled into thinking this actually somehow does damage to their reputation.

Also, show of hands - how many people nominating EA this year will be picking up Titanfall at launch?

 

[Eusis]

It was also rather interesting what someone said about EA while back, that they can be sort of self loathing really. Maybe it's better to view the whole company as being in some cases kind of passive aggressive with one another, though that does possibly count for "worst" as in "most dysfunctional" even if I imagine Microsoft's probably the hardest to top there.

This survey is absolutely moronic, because it only gathers attention when people use it to punish a company ironically. If Comcast won this award, nobody would care - because the award doesn't mean a goddamn thing. But because it's become some sort of in-joke among the gaming community to give it to EA every year, people are fooled into thinking this actually somehow does damage to their reputation.

Also, show of hands - how many people nominating EA this year will be picking up Titanfall at launch?

An alternate question may be who never, ever gets EA games, or at least only gets a few from developers they bought.

... Which might be a big source of the hate, really. If they never bought the likes of Origin Systems, Bullfrog, Bioware, Popcap, or Criterion there probably wouldn't really be much of a reason for some people to bother with their products, but they did, and each of those has in some fashion declined afterwards. Hell, only Bioware and Popcap REALLY exist currently, the rest are dead or at least ghosts (... whoops) of their former selves. Though I guess at least they TRIED to be supportive for each of those initially, whereas with King they're content to go trademark trolling while completely abusing the word they trademarked. While designing derivative games meant to suck money out of people, and frustratingly enough succeeding at it.

 

[Hip Hop]

It's time for these companies like Comcast and Time Warner Cable to win.

It's a joke that a company like EA wins. It feels rigged now.

We got way bigger problems than EA ahead of us.

 

[hornetpie]

Uh oh people against genetically modified food have arrived.

not necessarily against GMO, am against Monasatos bullshit

 

[Veezy]

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c38fb80a0d/comcast-doesn-t-give-a-f-ck

This is brilliant.

 

[fedexpeon]

Vote the chumps behind candy crush

I am going to vote for King too.
Trademarking common English words...come on now.

 

[Fragamemnon]

how on earth people could vote EA, a inept and clumsy company whose slights to its customers are only due to their missteps, over some other options is beyond me. Please vote for any of the following:

- anitcompetitive, malevolent of US broadband providers
- poverty-inducing financial institutions
- a health care industry that is half responsible for the depressed wages of workers in the US for decades.

EA isn't your friend. Their worst products are easily ignored with little aggregate societal harm. Not so for other options.

 

[JoeyJungle]

Make them pay for NBA Live 14!

Spoiler

/s

 

[antitrop]

This is brilliant.

They really don't give a fuck.

 

[AcademicSaucer]

vote for the texaco pricks, EA doesnt even compare

 

[Shogun1337]

Here's the thing:

Comcast is universally disgusted and despised.
They know it, but it doesn't fucking matter, because they run a massive monopoly. An online award won't change anything, won't even make the news.

We can just let EA win again for funsies then.

 

[Prototype Viktor]

EA pre-ordered into the competition wback in November
Tho Comcast should win seeing as I don't see that merger being stopped

 

[Kriken]

Comcast or EA. But I don't see Comcast caring.

EA has won it twice and here we are talking about giving it to them for a third time. Do you think EA cares?

 

[hornetpie]

Here's the thing:

Comcast is universally disgusted and despised.
They know it, but it doesn't fucking matter, because they run a massive monopoly. An online award won't change anything, won't even make the news.

We can just let EA win again for funsies then.

and people wonder why gamers have the stereotypes they do

it is ridiculous anyone even considers voting for EA when there are companies literally doing things that kill people (health funds etc)

 

[Eusis]

Here's the thing:

Comcast is universally disgusted and despised.
They know it, but it doesn't fucking matter, because they run a massive monopoly. An online award won't change anything, won't even make the news.

We can just let EA win again for funsies then.

Except there's companies that are in the middle, ones that aren't so monolithic they can't be toppled, yet are doing enough, more legitimate harm than EA typically does.

 

[MR BLACKMAGIK]

Ah fuck it, I just nominated all three.

2K
2K Sports
Take-Two
and Comcast

 

[Gxgear]

EA's going to be a top contender again I think, regardless of who thinks who is more deserving of the award. And personally I think that's a good thing, because it's most likely the rest of the nominees are companies that wouldn't give two shits about getting the top honours based on the popular opinion on the internet.

 

[antitrop]

If Mass Effect 3's ending was bad enough to secure them the 1st victory, then Battlefield 4 absolutely guarantees it.

I'm not voting, because like I said, the whole thing is a joke, but I think their victory is pretty much a foregone conclusion at this point.

 

[Makai]

MtGOX. At least the others in this thread provide a real service.

nvm: wrong country

 

[SolidSnakex]

and people wonder why gamers have the stereotypes they do

it is ridiculous anyone even considers voting for EA when there are companies literally doing things that kill people (health funds etc)

It's an award named "Golden Poo", it seems like some take it far more seriously than it really is.

 

[Steel]

Ya know, I have to agree that EA isn't really the worst company in America. That being said, you can be sure that EA will take it as a good sign that they've improved their image if they don't get voted for this again, which is the exact opposite of the truth.

And so, I'm not gonna vote at all.

 

[Hatty]

I think a telecom company should win this year
Maybe comcast?

 

[Mooreberg]

Vote the chumps behind candy crush

British company.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see which fringe organization consisting of a dozen inbred people EA manage to pin it on this time.

 

[Goddard]

I still think Microsoft deserves it for the shit they tried to pull around the announcement of the xbone.