Is EA the Mcdonalds of gaming?

[KempStar]

No, what's 'cool' is trying to defend EA whilst making its detractors out to be 'hardcore snobs' or something. The same kinda tip Edge was on a few issues ago.

It's like people who think they're being radical and subversive by defending manufactured pop music jihad-style.

I sit on the fence. I realise there are some good games in the EA stable, but as there's plenty of stuff out there that I like, I really couldn't care less what they do.

There's an EA in every 'industry' you can think of and that'll never change. Viva la capitalism.

I would hardly call most of the people on this board hardcore

Im dont think im being radical nor subversive, I just base my opinions on the games I play. I dont feel the need to bash EA just for the sake of it, or because other people are doing it.

Who gives a **** if they produce crappy games and recycle sequels with little improvement (sometimes). Only a handful of developers dont these days.

[Inertia_]

+ fight night and knockout kings were great
+ they've finally come round to xbox live
+ they published the lotr games, which were also great
+ their heritage is, in parts, both innovative and impressive

- that ****ing bling bling music fetish
- general habit of pandering to the rude boy / pikey crowd
- bit slow on the uptake regarding things like widescreen / PS support
- yearly updates persistently fail to justify themselves or their pricing
- lack of respect for any system that isn't the PS2 (i.e. a cash-cow)

[KempStar]

Well done Inertia, thats the most balanced post here

Regarding their heritage, EA in the megadrive days were nothing short of stunning. Easily one of the best publishers on the system.

Robocod
Desert Strike
The Immortal
John Maddens
EA Hockey
Interceptor

etc, etc....

[James Harvey]

Well done Inertia, thats the most balanced post here

Regarding their heritage, EA in the megadrive days were nothing short of stunning. Easily one of the best publishers on the system.

Robocod
Desert Strike
The Immortal
John Maddens
EA Hockey
Interceptor

etc, etc....

How many of those games are still being played today? None of those are even worth considering porting to the GBA.

[SharkAttack]

Wasn't James Pond in dev for the GBA not long ago?

[James Harvey]

Would you have bought it?

[Crispin]

You can slag me off. You can call me a whore. A cheap slut. A floozy.
But leave the Penguins out of this.
And yes, until I threw away the old 486 last year, I still played James Pond 2: Robocod

Cos it rocked.
BEST USE OF CHOCOLATE BAR LICENCE EVER!

[gossi the dog]

I'm sorry but I just don't see how you can compare EA to McDonald's? Tell me what they have in common, as I can't think of anything.

[Ady]

Maybe they put cow eyelids in the cds or something...

And if EA = McDs, then who's Burger King?

[TheShend]

Undoubtedly EA have a very succesful business formula going for them.

But is the EA way of dong things beneficial in the long term for creativity of the medium?

Do EA not run the possibilty of stangnating the industry with it's safe year on year addition policy which others follow?

In my mind, EA would do itself and the industry a favour by encouraging external original development. Actively seeking it out and offer publishing.
Giving these games a chance with some decent exposure in stores, creating an indie label to highlight that these games aren't the norm and set at an impulse purchase price of around ?15.

I believe this sort of re-investment into industry creativity is necessary, as all i hear and read is an industry in decline, developers folding to the power ten and a cross the board lack of originality.

My two cents

[MD]

Well done Inertia, thats the most balanced post here

Regarding their heritage, EA in the megadrive days were nothing short of stunning. Easily one of the best publishers on the system.

Robocod

Megadrive version was published by EA but originally it was produced by Millenium Interactive... however the other games listed are all EA (or at least EA funded...)

Although EA own Maxis now, the Sims don't feel like an EA game mainly because Maxis still do there own thing (at least in the beginning....). Ditto Black and White. Still give it a few more years and we'll be saying how great Fifa Soccer '27 is now that EA own Konami...

[Concept]

Undoubtedly EA have a very succesful business formula going for them.

But is the EA way of dong things beneficial in the long term for creativity of the medium?

Do EA not run the possibilty of stangnating the industry with it's safe year on year addition policy which others follow?

In my mind, EA would do itself and the industry a favour by encouraging external original development. Actively seeking it out and offer publishing.
Giving these games a chance with some decent exposure in stores, creating an indie label to highlight that these games aren't the norm and set at an impulse purchase price of around ?15.

I believe this sort of re-investment into industry creativity is necessary, as all i hear and read is an industry in decline, developers folding to the power ten and a cross the board lack of originality.

My two cents

I think something has to inherently change within EA itself at the management level...

There has to be a willful desire to start internally developing games that are more than just yearly updates of already existing formulas. That isn't to say such formulas aren't successful in their own right, but that they're effectively starting to cloud the image of how many see the company.

I agree with KempStar that EA shouldn't be bashed for the sake of it - Nor should we berate them for the all the success which has been achieved... It's quite an achievement.

But just take a look at Capcom as of late... Yes, you see huge amount of shovelware coming out of the company. Lots and lots of by-the-numbers sequel games that usually take the if it ain't broke don't fix it approach to the limit...

Yet those games fund the creative side of Capcom that so obviously wants to produce titles which are beautifully inventive, imaginative and determined to try out new things...

I really just don't see the same level of methodology over at EA, and for me it speaks volumes in revealing a lack of vision when it comes to grasping the bigger picture. While EA shows a wonder level of professionalism in many areas which a lot of the industry could learn from, there's also a distinct lack of maturity in terms of conceptualising a wider cultural goal. I think the likes of Ubisoft, Capcom and Nintendo realise that to support their talent compromise has to be made to operate within some form of financial realism... But I believe EA's management isn't supporting the levels of talent present in the company... I could be wrong... Maybe everyone at boardroom level are gaming nutters, yet the frequent decisions and choices made seem to indicate otherwise.

Yes, EA make huge amounts of money from their produce, but they don't seem to use the income earned to fund any kind of overt passion that rumbles deep inside. It almost appears certain parts of the organisation are separated, like a cut up worm...

So again, I think there has to be a philosophical transformation with the future direction EA takes if it is to win a lot of the cynics over. I'm not against shovelware if it serves a purpose to help provide the resources to try and form titles which matter... But from my point of view, the management of EA only seem interested in pursuing a certain demographic, and it's one that I'm not part of unfortunately.

Let me just say again though - I have nothing against EA the publisher... I think they're already pretty decent at locating interesting titles worth publishing...

No... What bothers me is the talent they have inside, (the likes of which produce the beautifully crisp presentation evident in their franchises), and how such professionalism goes to waste on games that are frankly not going to be remembered or talked about in years to come.

Eventually I feel this will harm EA's reputation.

Maybe if people who are severly passionate about videogaming could integrate within the already successful management structure, if there was a blend of sorts, then we'd see more internal pressure in the right places to exert a conscious change in moving towards fantastic creativity.

[James Harvey]

I'm sorry but I just don't see how you can compare EA to McDonald's? Tell me what they have in common, as I can't think of anything.

Gossi - They are purveyors of cheap, easy to produce low-grade product that is gobbled up by the masses. Discerning customers are aware that there are better and less boring things for them to spend their money on out there.

Their wares are made quickly and easily, without care or attention. They care more about making money than about making something worthwhile for the customers to enjoy. They use hip-hop stylings to attempt to buy into a cool youth market which their company actually has no real ties to. Most smart people avoid buying from this company for these reasons.

BUT AM I TALKING ABOUT EA OR MCDONALDS?????/ (do you see what I did there?)

[TheShend]

I think concept has summed up the EA thing pretty well.

At least McDonalds is trying to change it's image to show a more mature attitude to it's customers by offering more than vCJD in buns.

So i suppose EA is McDonalds 5 years ago, happy to peddle the same thing year in year out until now when people got sick of it and tastes changed.

I imagine it'll happen to EA at some point.

Here's hoping.

[Inertia_]

Their wares are made quickly and easily, without care or attention. They care more about making money than about making something worthwhile for the customers to enjoy. They use hip-hop stylings to attempt to buy into a cool youth market which their company actually has no real ties to.

Fight Night
Command & Conquer: Generals
Return Of The King
Battlefield 1942
Sim City 4
Def Jam Vendetta
NBA Street 2

Not that I'm one to leap blindly to EA's defence, but are you seriously trying to suggest that the above titles have been made 'without care or attention'. Or should you maybe refine your statement to encompass the EA Sports brand alone? Or are you referring purely to EA's achievements as a development studio rather than a publishing house?