NationStates Jolt Archive

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First they buy Bioware now they want Take Two. By force if Take Two continues to say no. T2 makes games like Grand Theft Auto and Bioshock. Lets not forget the elder scrolls and civilization. Lets not forget the NBA 2k series and they were behind NFL 2k series until EA bought a exclusive contract with NFL. How much longer before this greedy empire becomes so large nobody can dare compete with it. Already there for sports, seems like a future with 2 3rd party game companies or maybe even EA saying fuck it all and make their own console.

I am neutral on this one ... while I think they need competition I do enjoy their products (at least some of them)

I don't know, the gaming industry could probably use some consolidation.

There will always be indie game producers.

Beyond that, I have no problem with this as long as EA keeps its standards high. They aren't interfering with the creative process of their workers and subdivisions as far as I can tell, so it really isn't a problem in my book.

I have to, my boyfriend works for 2kSports. And EA DOES monopolize shit... they've bought exclusive rights to the NFL, so no one CAN make a competitive game (at least, not using anything associated with the NFL).

There will always be indie game producers.

Beyond that, I have no problem with this as long as EA keeps its standards high. They aren't interfering with the creative process of their workers and subdivisions as far as I can tell, so it really isn't a problem in my book.

Except for all the slave labor... I have several friends who benefitted from the lawsuit a few years back for unpaid OT.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6186639.html?action=convert&om_clk=latestnews&tag=latestnews;title;0


http://www.gamespot.com/news/6186637.html?action=convert&om_clk=latestnews&tag=latestnews;title;1


http://www.gamespot.com/news/6186640.html?action=convert&om_clk=latestnews&tag=latestnews;title;3



First they buy Bioware now they want Take Two. By force if Take Two continues to say no. T2 makes games like Grand Theft Auto and Bioshock. Lets not forget the elder scrolls and civilization. Lets not forget the NBA 2k series and they were behind NFL 2k series until EA bought a exclusive contract with NFL. How much longer before this greedy empire becomes so large nobody can dare compete with it. Already there for sports, seems like a future with 2 3rd party game companies or maybe even EA saying fuck it all and make their own console.

Wow, I totally spewed hate on EA without even reading this. I second everything you said. My bf works for Visual Concepts, which used to be independent but had to sell to 2k to stay alive, which in turn will probably be gobbled up by EA... It's gross.

EA used to be a truly great developer, which is why it was so tragic when they stopped making good games and instead started to pump out an endless stream of generic ones. But EA has actually gotten better in recent years, so while it would be bad for competition to see EA grow even bigger, I don't think we gamers would be as screwed as many think.

I like The Sims.....


*runs*

One monopolistic company is indeed a bad thing...I don't think I have to speak about 'crosoft and the always shitty Windows.

Indie developpers would exist as long as enough people buy their products...
I'm not so optimist.

EA is evil, true.

I hope that the consolidation of gaming industry would not end with a big world monopol by EA.
I put some hope, in fact, in the first concurrent to EA: the fusion between Vivendi Games-Blizzard and Activision, who's going to create a giant able to catch up the financial challenge of EA.

PS: I hate game sports, so I have really no respect for EA...those bastards are going to kill Bioware just like they crushed Westwood...

One monopolistic company is indeed a bad thing...I don't think I have to speak about 'crosoft and the always shitty Windows.

Indie developpers would exist as long as enough people buy their products...
I'm not so optimist.

EA is evil, true.

I hope that the consolidation of gaming industry would not end with a big world monopol by EA.
I put some hope, in fact, in the first concurrent to EA: the fusion between Vivendi Games-Blizzard and Activision, who's going to create a giant able to catch up the financial challenge of EA.

PS: I hate game sports, so I have really no respect for EA...those bastards are going to kill Bioware just like they crushed Westwood...

Just like they crushed Maxis and seemingly every other company they've assimilated.

EA is the computer software equivalent of the Borg.

EA Games: Assimilate everything!

EA is trying to become the worst thing to ever come out of capitalism: a monopoly. EA wants to be in an industry where nobody can compete with them. Sure, you could say that Joe from accross the street can round up a hundred of his friends, take out a small $25 million loan, and make a game to compete with EA, but EA would prevail in the end and force Joe and all his 100+ friends into bankrupsy. That is EA's goal. Already, you can't make an NFL game because EA has all the rights to it. No telling what else EA is going to do.

EA is what is wrong with capitalism just like Stalin and post-WWII North Korea were and are what's wrong with Communism or arson is what is wrong with fire or how drowning is what is wrong with water...or people.

There will always be indie game producers.

Beyond that, I have no problem with this as long as EA keeps its standards high. They aren't interfering with the creative process of their workers and subdivisions as far as I can tell, so it really isn't a problem in my book.

Exactly... who ever heard of Bungie before they they through together a shooter for the Xbox?

If EA gets a 'monopoly' ad starts ruining the game industry (by not putting effort in to games) then small developers who can make good games will rise up and challenge EA... if EA does everything right, then a 'monopoly' would more than likely only benefit gamers, and the gaming industry.

EA is what is wrong with capitalism just like Stalin and post-WWII North Korea were and are what's wrong with Communism.

I think Communism had problems beyond a few bad people... human nature for example.

Also... what is wrong with 'monopoly' every empire has a rise and fall, should they atain a monopoly it wouldn't last forever... and who has ever complained about a new football game thats come out? I don't play them myself, or hang around their reviews... but I've also heard no mass complaints... could a monopoly possibly be good? Or did you not consider that aspect at all?

Everybody who loved Marathon.

It was intended as a rhetorical question to emphasize the point about inde game developers, and the possibility of their success....

Exactly... who ever heard of Bungie before they they through together a shooter for the Xbox?

Everybody who loved Marathon.

Everybody who loved Marathon.

Lets not ignore Bungie broke away from Microsoft to focus on other games outside Halo.

Lets not ignore Bungie broke away from Microsoft to focus on other games outside Halo.

Oh, of course, and I agree with that course of action... however Halo is what established them as one of the most known developers of both current, and last gen. gaming.

Although expanding their repertoire is a great idea, lets hope they don't repeat the same formula: Moderate Game --> crappy sequel --> repeat last game

Halo (one) was the only one with merit... then again I'm one of the few to feel that way... lol.

Welcome to the world of business people. Monopolies do occur but I hardly think EA will monolopise the gaming world; several PC component manufacturers, games designers, Microsoft etc have had talks about collaborating to produce bigger and better (and more profitable) games. Check out MSN news or google it for more info.

P.S. IF EA DOES manage to have almost total control over the gaming market then the government will no doubt impose restrictions over it and perhaps split it in a similar fashion to what happened to Microsoft; although I disagree with this because the companies have worked hard to get to where they are today, the consumer gets screwed over with extortionate prices.

The day E.A. achieves total monopoly of the gaming world is the day I stop playing any new games.

First, EA still produces some good games. They produce so many games that some of their games have to fall at the upper end of the bell curve.

Second, while EA is growing big, it is not the biggest fish in the industry by far. I can't see EA buying out Activision Blizzard, or even CCP White Wolf. And then there are the console makers - Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo.

Admittedly, indie studios will have problems. But all it takes is skill and one good game for an indie company to make it big. Look at Valve or CCP. Indie studios may have difficulty surviving for a long time, but they will always be around.

Of course, if EA tries to buy Valve by force, I think we'll just raise a gamer army and wreck EA HQ with crowbars.

EA makes some good games, but as a publisher they have a tendency to forcibly rush games out to market. Ultima 7 Part II, Ultima 8, and Ultima 9 were all rushed out before they were complete.

I chose the first option thoug in fairness I should admit that I've spent many hours playing Sims2 (A.K.A. virtual dollhouse)

Oh, the things you can make them do...

And we even have an expansion where you can make them fight. FTW!

I like The Sims.....


*runs*

Me too! I also like the SimCity series!

*runs too*

Me too! I also like the SimCity series!

*runs too*

I think EA has mostly been letting Maxis run autonomously because that gets them results.

Ugh, I hate EA Games.

They bought Westwood Studios and shut down Earth and Beyond to have its employees work on Ultima Online.

I spent days playing Earth and Beyond for recreation purposes and EA had the nerve to throw it away as if it was nothing. I was a longtime subscriber. :mad:

*edit*

Information about it can be reviewed here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_&_Beyond

...T2 makes games like Grand Theft Auto and Bioshock. Lets not forget the elder scrolls and civilization... Actually, no. The Elder Scrolls series is made by Bethesda Softworks which is in turn owned by ZeniMax Media.

Ugh, I hate EA Games.

They bought Westwood Studios and shut down Earth and Beyond to have its employees work on Ultima Online.

I spent days playing Earth and Beyond for recreation purposes and EA had the nerve to throw it away as if it was nothing. I was a longtime subscriber. :mad:

*edit*

Information about it can be reviewed here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_&_Beyond

I miss that game. I currently play EVE Online, which actually profited from E&B's downfall. While I wasn't one of them, I understand that many E&B players left for EVE. It's the only spaceship-based game around right now.

On one end, I don't like the idea of monopolization and think that Take Two should be independent- they're the only competition Electronic Arts has left in the sports market and I always liked having "an option". On the other hand, the Madden series hasn't gone downhill since EA gained exclusivity rights, so I'm not terribly troubled...not yet anyway.

I miss that game. I currently play EVE Online, which actually profited from E&B's downfall. While I wasn't one of them, I understand that many E&B players left for EVE. It's the only spaceship-based game around right now.

Aye, many went to EVE Online for that reason. I tried the trial and it's so complex. I am aware that once I am into it, it should be easy to play.

However, the simplicity of Earth and Beyond is what got me playing. It's always fun, the best part of the game is to work with teams using spaceship formations. God I miss it.

Aye, many went to EVE Online for that reason. I tried the trial and it's so complex. I am aware that once I am into it, it should be easy to play.


If you think that's complex, try organizing a 30 ship convoy through a 50 system trip with multi-billion dollar strategic assets in hostile territory where cloakers, stealth bombers, warp interdictors, tacklers (engine killers), snipers and assorted capital ships are the norm in terms of kit.

Most experienced corporation heads plan this thing weeks in advance, use secret channels, trusted members and misdirection just to get the highest possible chance of safe passage. Forum spying and teamspeak channel infiltration is the norm between rival corporations.

Or if combat isn't your cup of tea, you could try organizing a complex supply chain of some dozen odd different minerals from various suppliers to feed a chain of factories in the outskirts (for cheaper rent), in order to produce high end equipment which you then ship to wherever they're going the hottest.

EVE is a game that rewards advanced spreadsheet use and multiple timers to keep tabs on everything.

Remember Bullfrog! Remember Westwood!
We shall not forgive, we shall not forget!

Seriously though, EA may be 'reforming' a bit in recent years, but thats only because people are starting to catch on that theyre the gaming industry equivalent of a Korean car manufacturer, building stuff cheaply and selling dearly.
If the competition goes away (which it may well, given the way theyre acting), EA is going to end up buying Microsoft and then we'll ALL be screwed.

If you think that's complex, try organizing a 30 ship convoy through a 50 system trip with multi-billion dollar strategic assets in hostile territory where cloakers, stealth bombers, warp interdictors, tacklers (engine killers), snipers and assorted capital ships are the norm in terms of kit.

Most experienced corporation heads plan this thing weeks in advance, use secret channels, trusted members and misdirection just to get the highest possible chance of safe passage. Forum spying and teamspeak channel infiltration is the norm between rival corporations.

Or if combat isn't your cup of tea, you could try organizing a complex supply chain of some dozen odd different minerals from various suppliers to feed a chain of factories in the outskirts (for cheaper rent), in order to produce high end equipment which you then ship to wherever they're going the hottest.

EVE is a game that rewards advanced spreadsheet use and multiple timers to keep tabs on everything.

^why I am just a footsoldier in a battlecruiser.

EVE is tough to get into. I'm rather patient with games, since I often find that an initial investment of time is needed to get my enjoyment. This was true with EVE. I've been in my current corp for over a year, and I don't see myself leaving anytime soon.

The majority of games EA produce, as well as their track record on ruining other previously decent games before the company was taken over by EA, makes me dislike EA. However I will concede that Skate was a good game.

why don't they use some of their money on their servers for once

why don't they use some of their money on their servers for once
Because then they won't have as much money to hostilely take over and crush their competition.

I don't tend to notice who makes the games - if the games are crap, people will always hunt out the good ones

Because then they won't have as much money to hostilely take over and crush their competition.

stuff them and look i lost their server again :mad:

^why I am just a footsoldier in a battlecruiser.

EVE is tough to get into. I'm rather patient with games, since I often find that an initial investment of time is needed to get my enjoyment. This was true with EVE. I've been in my current corp for over a year, and I don't see myself leaving anytime soon.

I was a raw minerals supplier for a while, then took up combat in a stealth bomber, in between complex raids in a torpedo kitted Raven when the corporation I was in took up with a large alliance.

Most of my money came from mining in the early days though. Ice, tritanium, isogen, pyerite and a bunch of simple base minerals were the big money pulls, especially in semi-safe areas. I had tables and charts running on where the best fields were, and when they'd repop. It was a good time, since the game was multi-window friendly, made enough on my own to start fielding Charon class freighters in a month or two.

I have to, my boyfriend works for 2kSports. And EA DOES monopolize shit... they've bought exclusive rights to the NFL, so no one CAN make a competitive game (at least, not using anything associated with the NFL).

Look at soccer. EA had the exclusive rights for years but Konami (I think) made a competitive (and often superior) Pro Evo series.

^why I am just a footsoldier in a battlecruiser.

EVE is tough to get into. I'm rather patient with games, since I often find that an initial investment of time is needed to get my enjoyment. This was true with EVE. I've been in my current corp for over a year, and I don't see myself leaving anytime soon.
EVE's learning curve is basically vertical.

And I think that makes the game better. The sorts of players who would make the game unpleasant to play never get that far into it, because they lack the necessary persistance.

One monopolistic company is indeed a bad thing...I don't think I have to speak about 'crosoft and the always shitty Windows.

Indie developpers would exist as long as enough people buy their products...
I'm not so optimist.

EA is evil, true.

I hope that the consolidation of gaming industry would not end with a big world monopol by EA.
I put some hope, in fact, in the first concurrent to EA: the fusion between Vivendi Games-Blizzard and Activision, who's going to create a giant able to catch up the financial challenge of EA.

PS: I hate game sports, so I have really no respect for EA...those bastards are going to kill Bioware just like they crushed Westwood...
To EA's credit, they seem to be aware that they screwed up with Westwood and Bullfrog. Their public statements following the acquisition of BioWare said things like "Our experience with Westwood showed us that we don't know how to run an independent development studio, so we're going to stop trying." This bodes well for BioWare as long as the current EA executive stays intact.

Future EA execs, of course, won't care what their predecessors did, and will probably kill BioWare. But that will probably just make studios like Obsidian bigger as the devs jump ship.

To EA's credit, they seem to be aware that they screwed up with Westwood and Bullfrog. Their public statements following the acquisition of BioWare said things like "Our experience with Westwood showed us that we don't know how to run an independent development studio, so we're going to stop trying." This bodes well for BioWare as long as the current EA executive stays intact.

Future EA execs, of course, won't care what their predecessors did, and will probably kill BioWare. But that will probably just make studios like Obsidian bigger as the devs jump ship.

If they really wanted to apologize they'd be making Dungeon Keeper 3 right now. Bastards.

There will always be indie game producers.

Beyond that, I have no problem with this as long as EA keeps its standards high. They aren't interfering with the creative process of their workers and subdivisions as far as I can tell, so it really isn't a problem in my book.

Uh, WRONG. EA's standards are low, they routinely pump out awful games, and they constantly screw with the production. Not to mention that they frequently fire a whole division if the terrible game they were forced to pump out doesn't meet the sales requirements. They are a HORRIBLE game company and they are ruining the industry. They're a big part of the reason I'm leaving console games forever. They're already fast at work ruining Mass Effect, by the way; they plan to change it from a set, planned trilogy to however many games they can shit out of their gaping game-dropping orifice.

As for those of you who claim monopolies are somehow a good thing: You are idiots. Plain and simple. Utter and complete morons.

I don't know, the gaming industry could probably use some consolidation.

I'd have preferred it if EA hadn't snapped up Bullfrog, though.
DK3 could've been so good... *sighs*

Uh, WRONG. EA's standards are low, they routinely pump out awful games, and they constantly screw with the production. Not to mention that they frequently fire a whole division if the terrible game they were forced to pump out doesn't meet the sales requirements. They are a HORRIBLE game company and they are ruining the industry. They're a big part of the reason I'm leaving console games forever. They're already fast at work ruining Mass Effect, by the way; they plan to change it from a set, planned trilogy to however many games they can shit out of their gaping game-dropping orifice.

As for those of you who claim monopolies are somehow a good thing: You are idiots. Plain and simple. Utter and complete morons.
Yeah! But a monopoly wouldn't be as bad if it was by a better gaming co.

Ever been to a used video game store like Gamestop/EB? Half their games are EA sports titles from previous years! And the guys who buy the 2008 version for $60 USD will trade 'em in for $5 USD and buy the 2009 edition in a few months. I'm glas I'm not addicted to virtual football/soccer/baseball/basketball/watre polo/everything else they produce. I liked C&C (Westwood) and the old Sim City (Maxis, on Mac no less) but most of their newer games are missing what ever it is that makes games great. Smaller companies like Bethesda and Insomniac make awesome games, and I hope they don't become crap spewers as part of EA.

Uh, WRONG. EA's standards are low, they routinely pump out awful games, and they constantly screw with the production.
They're better now than they were a few years ago. They're improving, you have to admit that.
Not to mention that they frequently fire a whole division if the terrible game they were forced to pump out doesn't meet the sales requirements.
EA may be one of the worse companies, but this is pretty much par for the course in the games biz. A lot of people are hired for one project, worked to death for little pay and then they're out.
They're already fast at work ruining Mass Effect, by the way; they plan to change it from a set, planned trilogy to however many games they can shit out of their gaping game-dropping orifice.
I'm not worried. Mass Effect may have been planned as a trilogy (and it probably still is), but that doesn't mean that other stories can't be told in the same universe. Just look at the many stories told in the Star Wars universe, and of course Bioware's own KotOR sub-universe which is now going to get another mostly unrelated sequel to the first KotOR. And you can't really be unhappy with that, right?

You also have to remember that even if owned by EA, "their gaping game-dropping orifice" is Bioware. They didn't just fire everyone and replaced them with people from other EA divisions.

Does EA own Steam?

No, Steam is Valve's thing.

Then I'm safe.



For now.

eta: Jolt needs to harness these warps, maybe some kind of gun . . .

Does EA own Steam?

No, Steam is Valve's thing.

They're better now than they were a few years ago. They're improving, you have to admit that.

EA may be one of the worse companies, but this is pretty much par for the course in the games biz. A lot of people are hired for one project, worked to death for little pay and then they're out.

I'm not worried. Mass Effect may have been planned as a trilogy (and it probably still is), but that doesn't mean that other stories can't be told in the same universe. Just look at the many stories told in the Star Wars universe, and of course Bioware's own KotOR sub-universe which is now going to get another mostly unrelated sequel to the first KotOR. And you can't really be unhappy with that, right?

You also have to remember that even if owned by EA, "their gaping game-dropping orifice" is Bioware. They didn't just fire everyone and replaced them with people from other EA divisions.
As the CEOs of BioWare like to joke, they've sold the company three times now and still get the run the place.

I hadn't heard anything firm about another KotOR sequel.

Look at soccer. EA had the exclusive rights for years but Konami (I think) made a competitive (and often superior) Pro Evo series.

It is true that Winning 11 is wildly popular, but I think that may work because... well, no offense to the rest of the world, but it's soccer. Yes, you can have an NFL game without Tom Brady or Lambeau Field, but it's hard.