EA brand "tarnished" according to analyst

[Gimli]

Article here

 

Discussion here

 

I strongly suggest you join in on the discussion if you have free time. I'll comment later, when I get more time.

[FullAuto]

I don't think there's anything new to say about EA. Their innovation level is zero, they have a destructive business model that swallows up innovative creators and other companies (like Ubisoft) are forced to become more like them in order to compete. They will, eventually, drown in their own shit, but they have such a big chunk of the market that it may take a long time unless a lot of gamers wise up and stop being shat on.

[Crazy Gringo]

I must admit....I do own quite the number of EA titles....

But most of them are games from the former companies that EA assimilated (Good old Maxis to name one).

I don't know much about their business model so I can't pile so much fuel on the burning EA-pyre.

I buy games that I want to play not because some company releases it. But even if I only pick up the the I like from EA they spit out product of varying quality depending on who the buyer is.

Business and economics are just two things that I don't care that much about (as a result of as desillusioned year on business school. Just don't ask me about it or I'll be forced to commit crimes against humanity). Even if it is the two things that makes the world spin some would say.

[Matri]

Despite all that, you know you'll be getting C&C3. There's just no way around it.

[Accounting Troll]

As long as EA keep on assimilating small companies with a handful of hits to their names, they should be okay. Then there is the practice of becoming a major advertiser with a gaming site or magazine and then threatening to cancel the contract if they get a bad review. EA aren't going to get their comeuppance until after the current strategy makers leave the company with a big pile of money.

[FullAuto]

I haven't bought an EA game in I-don't-know-how-long. No future plans to buy any, either.

[Crazy Gringo]

I just found this review on Gamespy.

I guess it says something about EA's thoughts on it's legacy.

[Bomb Bloke]

Let's face it, console ROMs are easier to port then PC versions.

 

Since the demise of Origin, Bullfrog and Looking Glass I've tried to keep my distance, but one EA title I've had respect for was Need For Speed. The first Underground game was awesome; the sequal was more or less as good. Then came Most Wanted, with unremarkable music and far less visual customisation of cars (though the graphics, rendered in daylight for a change, were awesome).

 

The latest release, Carbon, doesn't do much to improve on that, while taking a massive chunk out of the play time. Given the lack of other features (back to night time rendering: "Let's design cars no one can see") and stability, a lot of mainstream fans are now pissed off at EA as well.

[Matri]

Let's face it, console ROMs are easier to port then PC versions.

 

So instead of doing good work, they did easy work?

 

"Hey, we don't have anything for this console." "Just see what you can put together. Here's your budget *hands a fistful of bills*"

[Crazy Gringo]

Let's face it, console ROMs are easier to port then PC versions.

 

Since the demise of Origin, Bullfrog and Looking Glass I've tried to keep my distance, but one EA title I've had respect for was Need For Speed. The first Underground game was awesome; the sequal was more or less as good. Then came Most Wanted, with unremarkable music and far less visual customisation of cars (though the graphics, rendered in daylight for a change, were awesome).

 

The latest release, Carbon, doesn't do much to improve on that, while taking a massive chunk out of the play time. Given the lack of other features (back to night time rendering: "Let's design cars no one can see") and stability, a lot of mainstream fans are now pissed off at EA as well.

 

I got Need for Speed too...I think that it is Underground 2 that is the best due to the fact that you can just about tweak everything on the cars and just cruise around the city. I was hoping that they'd bring that feature back in Carbon but no. Us motor gearheads are just doomed with 3x3 options due to the fact that the target group is main stream gamers and not underground racing fanatics with just a bit of knowledge on how you can tweak a car.