EA is Consumerist's Worst Company in America for 2012

[btarunr]

EA bagged another "achievement", Consumerist's Golden Poo Award for "worst company in America" for 2012. EA managed to beat Bank of America in getting there. Considering BoA has real potential to strip people of their savings, one can understand just how much of an effort EA put in winning this. Some might argue that EA and the video-games industry are too trivial compared to BoA and the finance industry, but this is exactly the argument that allows people to "ignore the complaints as companies like EA to nickel and dime consumers to death," according to Consumerist's consensus. People are particularly distraught with EA's practice of sandbagging game content and later selling it as DLCs that augment the main game, for a fee. Consumerist's "worst company in America" is an annual user-choice award given to companies with the worst business practices.

EA took the pains to respond to its achievement, by taunting The Consumerist for its choice of nominations for people to vote on, in a statement given to Kotaku.

We're sure that British Petroleum, AIG, Philip Morris, and Halliburton are all relieved they weren't nominated this year. We're going to continue making award-winning games and services played by more than 300 million people worldwide.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[reverze]

you need to be bad to beat activision

 

[btarunr]

you need to be bad to beat activision

Or Ubisoft.

Added a poll.

 

[entropy13]

Well, EA IS right with their response though. Are they really so bad that spilling oil in a big gulf, causing lung cancer with your products, bankrupting several of your own clients while your own top employees get richer, be part of a large industrial complex that is essentially a global cartel, are "less worse" than what EA did to their GAMES?

Looks like priorities have been misplaced, or arranged...differently, among the voters.

 

[Legacy-ZA]

Keep it up EA, yes you may continue to make those "award winning games" but some of us still won't support any game where you use your unethical business practices. Most gamers are ignorant to the fact that they hold the power, it truly is sad, that they lack the self-discipline to boycott a product where it is required.

Oh yes, just so you know, there are other ways we can play your "award winning games" without supporting you.

 

[entropy13]

Keep it up EA, yes you may continue to make those "award winning games" but some of us still won't support any game where you use your unethical business practices. Most gamers are ignorant to the fact that they hold the power, it truly is sad, that they lack the self-discipline to boycott a product where it is required.

Oh yes, just so you know, there are other ways we can play your "award winning games" without supporting you.

This is proof of what I've just said.

Looks like making bad games and bad practices in the GAMING industry is MUCH MUCH WORSE than offering bad telecom services and bad practices in the telecom industry, cartel-like control of oil prices and bad practices in the oil industry, f**king up economies of various countries, spending money they don't have by giving it away to people who don't have the means to pay, too much focus on speculation, greediness in the banking industry... :shadedshu

 

[reverze]

whats with trying to defend EA? i suggest you go play EA game after swimming in an oil spill , you will survive the oil spill, but you will be scarred for life after playing EA game.

 

[entropy13]

whats with trying to defend EA? i suggest you go play EA game after swimming in an oil spill , you will survive the oil spill, but you will be scarred for life after playing EA game.

I'll survive swimming in an oil spill?

And looks like you intentionally ignored the other things I've mentioned as well.

And now I'm "defending" them? LOL I've just said they're doing bad things, and have done bad things, and have done bad games...that constitutes a "defense" of them now?

 

[Depth]

I'll survive swimming in an oil spill?

Yep. As long as you don't stick around for an hour to breathe the fumes.

 

[entropy13]

Yep. As long as you don't stick around for an hour to breathe the fumes.

You mean there won't be any of the oil that would go through my ears, mouth, nose, eye sockets, for starters?

Or are you under the assumption that I'd be wearing diving gear and a helmet? Then that's not swimming then.

 

[Shurakai]

They really shouldn't of won this, no way in hell are they worse than a bank that illegally forecloses on peoples loans.

 

[Lionheart]

I approve this

 

[Legacy-ZA]

This is proof of what I've just said.

Looks like making bad games and bad practices in the GAMING industry is MUCH MUCH WORSE than offering bad telecom services and bad practices in the telecom industry, cartel-like control of oil prices and bad practices in the oil industry, f**king up economies of various countries, spending money they don't have by giving it away to people who don't have the means to pay, too much focus on speculation, greediness in the banking industry... :shadedshu

Bad practices, still remain bad practices, regardless of the industry. I agree, there are far worse companies out there, some of them were not even listed. But you just went right ahead and assumed on my behalf, that I said, they are "MUCH MUCH WORSE" than the other companies out there.

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

I'm surprised Sony didn't win. I mean everything they have ever touched they've fucked to death. From infecting pcs to this very day with rootkits to hipster spiderman. Their idiocy and arrogance is unrelenting.

 

[NC37]

Bad practices, still remain bad practices, regardless of the industry. I agree, there are far worse companies out there, some of them were not even listed. But you just went right ahead and assumed on my behalf, that I said, they are "MUCH MUCH WORSE" than the other companies out there.

Sadly EA gets away with it. Consumers just cave. But EA isn't alone. Activision does it with CoD. Ubisoft too with their titles. Course Ubisoft just doesn't have the talent much anymore.

Forbes article on this held the best point. Polls and contests mean nothing compared to wallets. Even if you end up buying later on discount, companies only really care about the craze at launch. A game can sell millions of copies later at discount price, but what the execs want to see is those huge numbers before discount. So stick it to them.

I haven't bought 1 Mass Effect or Dragon Age game at launch. Always a year later on discount. Same with just about any EA title except for BF3 but I only got that on a special deal.

Will EA change from this. No. Till they start feeling some monetary backlash, a golden poo means squat. Hurt EA in the wallet. Don't buy on Origin, don't buy at launch, and don't buy DLC at launch either. If you must, wait for sales. You can live without that brand new EA game for awhile.

 

[Nihilus]

EA took the pains to respond to its achievement, by taunting The Consumerist for its choice of nominations for people to vote on, in a statement given to Kotaku.

"We're sure that British Petroleum, AIG, Philip Morris, and Halliburton are all relieved they weren't nominated this year. We're going to continue making award-winning games and services played by more than 300 million people worldwide."

[url]http://www.techpowerup.com/img/12-04-05/37a_thm.jpg[/URL]

Source: The Consumerist, Kotaku

And those companies will provide world class petroleum and security to millions of customers worldwide as well

EA is garbage and it is about time they are recognized for the sneaky little creeps that they are

 

[btarunr]

And those companies will provide world class petroleum and security to millions of customers worldwide as well

Yeah, world class oil-spills, lung cancers, economy-raep, and double-dealing in US Congress-blacklisted nations.

 

[thematrix606]

It's still justified that they lose all their customers and go bankrupt. It's about fucking time, EA.

But yes I agree there are much much worse companies out there, however in the tech world, EA tops the list indeed.

EA: go fuck yourselves you gold digging leeches.

 

[joyman]

Well I am not an american to say which is worst in America, also I don't think that EA is the worst, but in the gaming industry I would say yes, and yes globally worst of them. How many good titles they ruined... Not to start with the other shit they produce. Capitalism, the worshiping of the money is in the heart of this corporate menace out there. His majesty the profit.

 

[Fx]

Well, EA IS right with their response though. Are they really so bad that spilling oil in a big gulf, causing lung cancer with your products, bankrupting several of your own clients while your own top employees get richer, be part of a large industrial complex that is essentially a global cartel, are "less worse" than what EA did to their GAMES?

Looks like priorities have been misplaced, or arranged...differently, among the voters.

bingo.

 

[jihadjoe]

In a discussion about "Who's Bad?", I think we should refrain from defending any of these companies on their merits, whether deserved or not, and instead focus on how BAD they are!

My vote goes to BP. EA was never bad enough to make a brown pelican.

 

[thematrix606]

In a discussion about "Who's Bad?", I think we should refrain from defending any of these companies on their merits, whether deserved or not, and instead focus on how BAD they are!

My vote goes to BP. EA was never bad enough to make a brown pelican.
http://i.imgur.com/yMF39.jpg

But if they did, they would copy paste it in 15 different games, and include 5 DLCs upon release which all require separate DRM.

Then sue you. For posting a screenshot of their game.

 

[Ikaruga]

......Looks like priorities have been misplaced, or arranged...differently, among the voters.

Or they just know that those companies (except one, but that was not an option) already won the award?

edit.: btw, I'm not an EA hater at all, nor I agree with the result, just simply pointing out facts.

 

[MicroUnC]

Now i see who destroyed NFS series!!!

 

[H82LUZ73]

Well, EA IS right with their response though. Are they really so bad that spilling oil in a big gulf, causing lung cancer with your products, bankrupting several of your own clients while your own top employees get richer, be part of a large industrial complex that is essentially a global cartel, are "less worse" than what EA did to their GAMES?

Looks like priorities have been misplaced, or arranged...differently, among the voters.

yeah you said it all.All the guys who basically said Origin suck we want BF3 on Steam wha wha wha ...You old goats won this round ,But come on several of us here use Origin did we loose our lives,Have EA come to our doors with extortion`s,Did they ruin thousands of lives no....Get off the high horse bha bha bha goating of NO BF3 on Steam.....

Watch when Valve announces CC-GS in store all these goats will buy the DVD and see EA on the box ....Like this lower right hand corner http://pics.mobygames.com/images/covers/large/1267925825-01.jpg

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