45 replies to this topic

[RicemanX]

http://consumerist.c...a-for-2012.html

After more than 250,000 votes, Consumerist readers ultimately decided that the type of greed exhibited by EA, which is supposed to be making the world a more fun place, is worse than Bank of America's avarice, which some would argue is the entire point of operating a bank.

To those who might sneer at something as "non-essential" as a video game company winning the Worst Company In America vote: It's that exact kind of attitude that allows people to ignore the complaints as companies like EA to nickel and dime consumers to death.

I absolutely hate EA. I think they are scum.

But bank of america ruined lives. Citibank ruined lives.

In the end, more gamers read that website, so it was not that surprising the vote went to EA

[parrot]

Normally I would find it asinine to call a video game company the worst company in America...

but since this company was responsible for killing my beloved 2K football series, I'm surprisingly okay with it.

[Bishop82]

I liked those fight night games, was that EA?

[nikki2200]

What is EA and how could they possibly be worse than Comcast?

[DankNuggs]

What is EA and how could they possibly be worse than Comcast?

They charge $60 for republishing the same sports games each year with updated rosters.

[drobeski]

The fleabaggers have a new parking lot to occupy

[MTSkiBum]

Its because of the mass effect 3 ending

[RicemanX]

What is EA and how could they possibly be worse than Comcast?

Like I said before, there are many other companies that are far worse. But EA is terrible.

- They bought the rights to the NFL and NFLPA so no other companies are allowed to make NFL video games. Taking monopoly of this gives them the power of making crappy NFL games annually with no improvements other than roster changes and know that the public will have to buy the games.

- Bought many independent video game companies and proceeded to crap on their products.

- Sell online "expansion packs" and "items" that should be included in the games.

- Every complaint from the customers have been replied with a "oh sorry, too bad, you're going to buy our games anyways so we don't need to change anything"

[Riddlen]

Its because of the mass effect 3 ending

nice work

[RicemanX]

Its because of the mass effect 3 ending

I thought it was bad, but I definitely was not going to cyber-riot over it.

[IAMWood]

Like I said before, there are many other companies that are far worse. But EA is terrible.

- They bought the rights to the NFL and NFLPA so no other companies are allowed to make NFL video games. Taking monopoly of this gives them the power of making crappy NFL games annually with no improvements other than roster changes and know that the public will have to buy the games.

- Bought many independent video game companies and proceeded to crap on their products.

- Sell online "expansion packs" and "items" that should be included in the games.

- Every complaint from the customers have been replied with a "oh sorry, too bad, you're going to buy our games anyways so we don't need to change anything"

You have some points, but the "worst". I love Madden, I don't buy the game every year and really $60 isn't a bad price for the hours played. You should also have a problem with the NFL and NFLPA for selling out. You can get roster updates without buying a new game for Madden anyway. If you don't like buying expansion packs and items for them, don't. I find reasons to dislike companies, but don't have a problem with EA at all. I don't play video games as much as I used, play some wii with the kids and Madden with my son.

[BLS]

Like I said before, there are many other companies that are far worse. But EA is terrible.

- They bought the rights to the NFL and NFLPA so no other companies are allowed to make NFL video games. Taking monopoly of this gives them the power of making crappy NFL games annually with no improvements other than roster changes and know that the public will have to buy the games.

- Bought many independent video game companies and proceeded to crap on their products.

- Sell online "expansion packs" and "items" that should be included in the games.

- Every complaint from the customers have been replied with a "oh sorry, too bad, you're going to buy our games anyways so we don't need to change anything"

Don't buy the fuckin game then, crybaby. That will hurt worse than whining about it on the innertubez.

[WhiteWonder]

i was all pumped to go out and buy and xbox, kinect and tiger woods 13 bundle was like 299. then i read reviews on tiger and how they focking hit you for more money withe very aspect of the game like unlocking courses. unless ofcourse you want to spend every waking minute playing to earn tokens.

plus i read kinect for it is garbage, slow response and terrible animation lag.

i guess this rant was about tiger/EA

[GettnHuge]

They are still sierra's beyotch

[shovelheadt]

A telling reflection of the current state of our society is when a video game company is voted worst company in America. Pathetic.

[Voltaire]

I like EA. I think they make good games.

Then again, I only buy pirated games and -as a result of that- never play any games online or download anything because I worry that once I log in, they'll detect that I'm a pirate and tramsmit me a virus or something. I prefer dealing with respectable, relaible pirates.

[gocolts]

Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight was horrid.

[GettnHuge]

Normally I would find it asinine to call a video game company the worst company in America...

but since this company was responsible for killing my beloved 2K football series, I'm surprisingly okay with it.

Front Page SPorts Football >>>>>>> madden

[DanXIII]

i was all pumped to go out and buy and xbox, kinect and tiger woods 13 bundle was like 299. then i read reviews on tiger and how they focking hit you for more money withe very aspect of the game like unlocking courses. unless ofcourse you want to spend every waking minute playing to earn tokens.

plus i read kinect for it is garbage, slow response and terrible animation lag.

i guess this rant was about tiger/EA

Tiger Woods 13 does indeed have a remarkably focked up DLC system.

This year's system revolves around the acquisition of coins, which you can use to purchase packs of pins that give temporary bonus stats. The XP multiplier for created golfers, at 5 or more times the standard rate, is extremely desirable. The problem is that the lowest pack is worth 4,000 coins and a full 18-hole course that takes around a half an hour earns about 600 coins. Doing a little math, that means you need to spend an average of 3.5 hours just for one pack. Compared to the unlockable system in Hot Shots Golf, this feels stingy and yawn-inducingly monotonous.

Certainly, the boost packs borders on being optional, and you can get value out of completing the usual career mode and the new Tiger Legacy mode, where you must accomplish goals set through Tiger's life from his television appearance at age 2 through to his dream future of beating Jack Nicklaus' 18 career majors. (Playing as Tiny Tiger is a little unsettling, actually.) But a large part of the new design centers around getting coins, not just for packs, but for earning the privilege of playing on downloadable courses.

Unlike last year's title, you don't have to skip an event in career mode just because you don't have the DLC course; you can either change the course entirely or purchase rounds for the DLC course, with the carrot being that you can earn unlimited rounds on it by achieving Gold Mastery. The objectives for getting Gold Mastery isn't so much difficult—in fact, they are much more doable than before—as they are exorbitantly laborious. Earning Gold Mastery requires that you play through a course at least six times because one objective asks you to get 100 pars or better. So how many coins do you need to purchase six rounds of a DLC course? 24,000 coins. That's about 20 hours of work, and that's just 1 of 16 DLC courses. I'm winded just talking about.

That's where the microtransaction model comes into play. The game makes it very clear that there's an option for you to spend additional money on coins. There's even a $75 transaction at a 25% discount for 280,000 coins. (You wanna buy the game over?) Perhaps it's too bold to accuse the developers for deliberately making the coin acquisition slow so that these microtransactions look that much more instantly gratifying. But it wouldn't be so troubling if these coins where used only to purchase clothing or something aesthetic, as they can be used toward boosts that can be applied to online tournaments. It just feels like there's a junkie selling "steroid" coins around every corner.

Do not want

[hoytdwow]

If this group of people actually thinks the worst company in America is a focking video game maker, or a cable company, or any company not a bank or wal-mart, or coal mines or somesuch they have serious problems.

[MTSkiBum]

If this group of people actually thinks the worst company in America is a focking video game maker, or a cable company, or any company not a bank or wal-mart, or coal mines or somesuch they have serious problems.

Those evil coal mines. How dare they provide us with the power that makes modern living affordable.

And walmart. What sort of evil genius thought to consolidate many different types of goods in one location and sell them at a low price. The audacity.

[hoytdwow]

Those evil coal mines. How dare they provide us with the power that makes modern living affordable.

And walmart. What sort of evil genius thought to consolidate many different types of goods in one location and sell them at a low price. The audacity.

My bad. Quality video games are of utmost concern.

[MTSkiBum]

My bad. Quality video games are of utmost concern.

That's not my point at all. I am saying coal mines and wal-mart are good companies.

[gocolts]

That's not my point at all. I am saying coal mines and wal-mart are good companies.

Somehow, I am not surprised your point flew over his head.

[kilroy69]

I prefer dealing with respectable, relaible pirates.

The ones that wear eye patches and have parrot's?

[IAMWood]

The ones that wear eye patches and have parrot's?

stay away from Jack sparrow, his hijinks is not worth it.

[kilroy69]

stay away from Jack sparrow, his hijinks is not worth it.

Might end up indentured to the flying dutchmen

[Chronic Husker]

Those evil coal mines. How dare they provide us with the power that makes modern living affordable.

And walmart. What sort of evil genius thought to consolidate many different types of goods in one location and sell them at a low price. The audacity.

Do yourself 2 favors:

1) Watch the Frontline WalMart episode.

2) Don't compare anything relating to your industry to WalMart. You don't want to be associated with them in any respect.

[IGotWorms]

That's not my point at all. I am saying coal mines and wal-mart are good companies.

What about the coal mines with hundreds of safety violations that culminate in accidents that kill scores of their workers? Are those companies good? Are they better than focking Electronic Arts?

As for Walmart, I'm sure you like getting cheap goods at cheap prices, but have you read how they treat their employees? And where their products come from? Again, not a good company. Maybe you want the cheapo goods enough to shop there anyway and that's your prerogative, but they are not a good company.

[penultimatestraw]

What about the coal mines with hundreds of safety violations that culminate in accidents that kill scores of their workers? Are those companies good? Are they better than focking Electronic Arts?

As for Walmart, I'm sure you like getting cheap goods at cheap prices, but have you read how they treat their employees? And where their products come from? Again, not a good company. Maybe you want the cheapo goods enough to shop there anyway and that's your prerogative, but they are not a good company.

Cheap now is all that is important. It's the American way.

[gocolts]

What about the coal mines with hundreds of safety violations that culminate in accidents that kill scores of their workers? Are those companies good? Are they better than focking Electronic Arts?

As for Walmart, I'm sure you like getting cheap goods at cheap prices, but have you read how they treat their employees? And where their products come from? Again, not a good company. Maybe you want the cheapo goods enough to shop there anyway and that's your prerogative, but they are not a good company.

Yeah, a bunch of ungrateful lazy focks are b1tching about their job. I'm shocked.

The Walmart near me has tons of people I have been seeing since it opened. ALL women. Lot of nice asses too. I look for them every time I go in the store hoping I might catch them stocking a shelf and bending over. Or maybe follow them down the main isle to watch it shake good.

Anyway, I know people who have worked for Walmart around here for years. Some even get their kids jobs when they get old enough. They pay better than most other places that don't require experience. I have a couple of aunts that even retired from Walmart. No freaking way all these people would stay working there and help their kids get jobs there if it was some hell hole.

Walmart provides a lot of jobs around here. Everyone I know that works at Walmart likes their job just fine. We even had a geek work there and he was getting good pay and promotions and sh1t.

[IGotWorms]

Yeah, a bunch of ungrateful lazy focks are b1tching about their job. I'm shocked.

The Walmart near me has tons of people I have been seeing since it opened. ALL women. Lot of nice asses too. I look for them every time I go in the store hoping I might catch them stocking a shelf and bending over. Or maybe follow them down the main isle to watch it shake good.

Anyway, I know people who have worked for Walmart around here for years. Some even get their kids jobs when they get old enough. They pay better than most other places that don't require experience. I have a couple of aunts that even retired from Walmart. No freaking way all these people would stay working there and help their kids get jobs there if it was some hell hole.

Walmart provides a lot of jobs around here. Everyone I know that works at Walmart likes their job just fine. We even had a geek work there and he was getting good pay and promotions and sh1t.

Well you must have an exceptional Walmart in your area because 70% of Walmart employees quit within their first year on the job. Probably because most Walmart employees live below the poverty line: http://www.pbs.org/i...rs/stores3.html

[shotsup]

phail

[edjr]

if it's in the game, who else puts it in the game?

[parrot]

Well you must have an exceptional Walmart in your area because 70% of Walmart employees quit within their first year on the job. Probably because most Walmart employees live below the poverty line: http://www.pbs.org/i...rs/stores3.html

Actually it says most employees "with children" live below the property line.

Also, how dated is that link?

The salary for full-time employees (called "associates") is $6 to $7.50 an hour for 28-40 hours a week

Federal minimum wage has been more than $6 for at least five years now.

[gocolts]

Well you must have an exceptional Walmart in your area because 70% of Walmart employees quit within their first year on the job. Probably because most Walmart employees live below the poverty line: http://www.pbs.org/i...rs/stores3.html

Thing is, it's not just one. There are Walmarts all over the place around here. I know folks who work in 3 different ones and they are doing just fine. Hell, one guy has a college degree and works there because it is the best paying job he can get and he doesn't have to work out in the element.

I have actually heard folks from three different stores tell me Walmart gets a bad rap in the press on how they treat their employees. Maybe it just all the stores around here in southern Indiana.

[IGotWorms]

Maybe everyone gets treated like garbage in southern Indiana so they don't even know the difference.

[gocolts]

Maybe everyone gets treated like garbage in southern Indiana so they don't even know the difference.

I doubt it, because most, except for the kids that got jobs with help from their parents, have worked dozens of jobs throughout their lives and quit them because they sucked ass. Hell, one of the girls I know couldn't even manage to graduate high school because it "Sucked" so bad. But she she has managed to work at Walmart for 15 years.

[Vikings4ever]

Well you must have an exceptional Walmart in your area because 70% of Walmart employees quit within their first year on the job. Probably because most Walmart employees live below the poverty line: http://www.pbs.org/i...rs/stores3.html

What's the turnover rate for Target or KMart? How about Dominos or McDonalds? Starbucks?

For any crap job, you're going to have high turnover.

[Saint Elistan]

I guarantee you that the majority of votes for EA was from Mass Effect players.

I'm not fan of EA, but I think they're far from the Worst Company in America.