I wonder what will happen if they ever make a vote about the worst video games company worldwide... I guess EA still wins. That's the price to pay when you only make sequels of sequels. (damn, I still can't believe they turned Syndicate into an effing FPS that can be beaten in only 2 hours)
BoA? It's a shame so few Americans have even tried to read Frank Dodd in order to learn why all the new fees are coming. There is not much a bank holding company can do when it gets screwed on the consumer and investment side of the industry. I understand the sentiment behind, "bank bonuses are too damn high", but we have our crazy corporate laws to thank for that.
@Neonz Well, that's part of it, there is also the that writer at Bio-ware, and the controversy around that.
I mean, ask yourself: If we modernized the technology of Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, NWN1, or Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, how would M/EII, M/EIII, DAO, or DAII stand in comparison?
Also, like it or not, Bio-ware's MMO is several years behind WoW and Cata. I played it, but ended my subscription pretty fast. It's story wasn't that special, its characters boring, and its gameplay was World of Warcraft in 2006 without the charm and, well, all of little things that made me love WoW.
I think gamers just feel neglected. I am really happy that Blizzard reached out the the mapping community(ies) with a plan to make our experiance better.
To add a little bit of clarity to the thread as well, the company wasn't picked in a showdown between just EA and Bank of America, as I first thought. Here's a bracket of all the companies EA beat to the punch;
I wonder what the chart would look like if they added highly public but specialized firms. I would think that Goldman Sachs would give BoA and EA a run for their money. PayPal is too bad. Peter Thiel had huge ambitious with that firm, but got closed out by the Feds. One thing I notice with alot of tech companies, and that might include video game companies, is this:
Some visionary comes up with a great product.
Company becomes massively successful, visionary becomes very wealthy.
Company IPOs.
Visionary leaves or is severed during or after the IPO.
Company stops producing new products and produces more polished versions of the same old product or new versions of competitor's products.
Of course, Apple got Jobs back when they acquired Next (and Pixar?) and in turn got what made apple great back. Hopefully Tim Cook can do the same. But I wonder if the same applies to video gaming. While is "entertainment", it is nothing like the larger entertainment business. It reminds me more of the Tech business. Small development studio gets really big, IPOs, starts a slow decline. In the case of some, the become really famous for establishing a large, but not massive, player base (NWN and BG had big player bases, but nothing like Pokemon Red/Blue.) Then they get picked up by a big publisher (E/A) and are told that they can stay independent. However, in the end they are working for the same shareholders and the same BoD, and eventually have to conform to the greater vision: market to this and that audience.
I hope this does not/has not been happening to Blizzard (some of the layoffs really scare me)! However, this should make independent and small gaming studios that have new ways of profiting from their projects (eg, find a way to make money despite piracy) step in and fill in the void that Bioware once reigned.
Heck, maybe it will be someone on these forums, one day.
You're very much right, and this is what I think is also the edge of truth in the whole hipster-sentiment. A lot of things, specifically companies, come up with great ideas and start losing it as they grow. For game companies such as the ones you pointed out, it's mostly the loss of visionairies combined with retaining capital that causes them to turn into a grinding machine, but there are also bands, tv-shows and what-have-you that simply become worse as a result of gathering more fans.
In that sense, I too am really doubtful about Blizzard's future, though am still hopeful as long as folks like Morhaime, Pearce, Pardo and Metzen are around.
I like the engine, but I don't like the fact that they're making yet another FPS out of it. Something tells me it will just be another multiplayer game with CTF, KotH, and the likes... So basically, the game will be boring anyway.
But I wonder if the same applies to video gaming. While is "entertainment", it is nothing like the larger entertainment business.
Maybe I'm just misunderstanding what you're trying to say, but video games are pretty close to being the #1 entertainment business worldwide. I just found a source to have some kind of proof:
http://vgsales.wikia.com/wiki/Video_game_industry
Quote:
It surpassed the U.S. movie and music industry in 2005 and 2007 respectively. In the 2008, the UK industry blew past the music industry and is expected top DVD sales in the near future.
Surprisingly though, the book industry is the real #1 and I didn't expect that at all... I was convinced the video games industry was #1 until I checked this page. Even though it's 4 years old now (more or less), I assume it's still pretty accurate.
Seriously, does anyone know what the hell happened during Dragon Age: Origins to Dragon Age II? Whole game was ruined totally. (Thanks EA for ruining good game?)
And yes EA... if you ruin good concept IT IS BAD FOR BUSINESS.
Well, what I meant was that the video game industry, while entertainment, remind me much more of the industry. Business models and strategies are closer to those of tech companies rather than Hollywood. Hollywood relies on patents and royalties to make money (but they are not making what they used to do to piracy. Thus why they loved SOPA). Video games suffer from the same problem, but it seems that there is a move away from relying on legal action, and a move toward maybe some of the free products that sell advertising (Zynga), alternative ways to make money (like donations), or they simply require that you are logged on some type of server (Blizzard Games).
@ZealNaga: GoI think most of the controversy with EA lately have been about the on-disc DLC?
On-disc DLC is the new normal for many games from many different publishers. It reduces required HDD space, cuts download times and reduces server bandwidth. Who cares how the content is unlocked if it was always intended to be a purchasable content add-on?
On-disc DLC is fine, that's not the problem. It's DLC that adds a mission in the middle of the campaign that adds content pretty much any mass effect fan would consider essential to the main campaign. In other words, they do not feel like they are paying extra for extra content. They feel like they are paying extra for content that their 60$ should have already purchased.
I mean, ask yourself: If we modernized the technology of Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, NWN1, or Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, how would M/EII, M/EIII, DAO, or DAII stand in comparison?
I still think ME1/2 were the better of all those bunch. Also, Icewind Dale was made by Black Isle, not Bioware. :P
Seriously, does anyone know what the hell happened during Dragon Age: Origins to Dragon Age II? Whole game was ruined totally. (Thanks EA for ruining good game?)
And yes EA... if you ruin good concept IT IS BAD FOR BUSINESS.
I heard DA2 was pushed out the door before it was even in alpha stage. Not that I expected it to be as good as Witcher 2 or anything, but EA is a poison on gaming. They buy out small successful developers, and force them to rehash their games with absurd deadlines. They nickel and dime their customers. And now they're doing damage control over the worst company in America deal by exploiting LGBT sympathy, calling their opponents homophobes, and trying their best to imply that the ONLY reason people hate them is because they allow homosexual romance in Bioware's games. The sad thing is that it's working. If the LGBT community had any idea what was really going on they would be pissed off EA is using them as a shield for damage control, so they can get away with horrible business practices.
On the bright side, EA's stocks are dropping. As a result, they're laying off 500-1000 people. Maybe it's not so good, because now it's the employees that are getting shafted and not the higher ups who are responsible for, I don't know, everything.
Just...lol. The internet just voted EA as the 2012 worst company in America.... Over 250,000 votes.... xD
Source: http://consumerist.com/2012/04/congratulations-ea-you-are-the-worst-company-in-america-for-2012.html
Haha, thats some serious finals: BOA VS EA.
I wonder what will happen if they ever make a vote about the worst video games company worldwide... I guess EA still wins. That's the price to pay when you only make sequels of sequels. (damn, I still can't believe they turned Syndicate into an effing FPS that can be beaten in only 2 hours)
BoA? It's a shame so few Americans have even tried to read Frank Dodd in order to learn why all the new fees are coming. There is not much a bank holding company can do when it gets screwed on the consumer and investment side of the industry. I understand the sentiment behind, "bank bonuses are too damn high", but we have our crazy corporate laws to thank for that.
As for EA, yeah, fuck EA.
@ZealNaga: Go
I think most of the controversy with EA lately have been about the on-disc DLC? Or am I wrong, I don't really know much about EA.
I hope indies one day crash EA. There some really good indie project, like this one:
That looks like an excellent game.
@Neonz Well, that's part of it, there is also the that writer at Bio-ware, and the controversy around that.
I mean, ask yourself: If we modernized the technology of Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, NWN1, or Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, how would M/EII, M/EIII, DAO, or DAII stand in comparison?
Also, like it or not, Bio-ware's MMO is several years behind WoW and Cata. I played it, but ended my subscription pretty fast. It's story wasn't that special, its characters boring, and its gameplay was World of Warcraft in 2006 without the charm and, well, all of little things that made me love WoW.
I think gamers just feel neglected. I am really happy that Blizzard reached out the the mapping community(ies) with a plan to make our experiance better.
To add a little bit of clarity to the thread as well, the company wasn't picked in a showdown between just EA and Bank of America, as I first thought. Here's a bracket of all the companies EA beat to the punch;
( http://consumerist.com/2012/04/worst-company-in-america-2012-final-death-match-bank-of-america-vs-ea.html )
I wonder what the chart would look like if they added highly public but specialized firms. I would think that Goldman Sachs would give BoA and EA a run for their money. PayPal is too bad. Peter Thiel had huge ambitious with that firm, but got closed out by the Feds. One thing I notice with alot of tech companies, and that might include video game companies, is this:
Some visionary comes up with a great product. Company becomes massively successful, visionary becomes very wealthy. Company IPOs. Visionary leaves or is severed during or after the IPO. Company stops producing new products and produces more polished versions of the same old product or new versions of competitor's products.
Of course, Apple got Jobs back when they acquired Next (and Pixar?) and in turn got what made apple great back. Hopefully Tim Cook can do the same. But I wonder if the same applies to video gaming. While is "entertainment", it is nothing like the larger entertainment business. It reminds me more of the Tech business. Small development studio gets really big, IPOs, starts a slow decline. In the case of some, the become really famous for establishing a large, but not massive, player base (NWN and BG had big player bases, but nothing like Pokemon Red/Blue.) Then they get picked up by a big publisher (E/A) and are told that they can stay independent. However, in the end they are working for the same shareholders and the same BoD, and eventually have to conform to the greater vision: market to this and that audience.
I hope this does not/has not been happening to Blizzard (some of the layoffs really scare me)! However, this should make independent and small gaming studios that have new ways of profiting from their projects (eg, find a way to make money despite piracy) step in and fill in the void that Bioware once reigned.
Heck, maybe it will be someone on these forums, one day.
@Yeti434: Go
You're very much right, and this is what I think is also the edge of truth in the whole hipster-sentiment. A lot of things, specifically companies, come up with great ideas and start losing it as they grow. For game companies such as the ones you pointed out, it's mostly the loss of visionairies combined with retaining capital that causes them to turn into a grinding machine, but there are also bands, tv-shows and what-have-you that simply become worse as a result of gathering more fans.
In that sense, I too am really doubtful about Blizzard's future, though am still hopeful as long as folks like Morhaime, Pearce, Pardo and Metzen are around.
@Mozared: Go
Does this graph mean EA whips Chinese puppies to make their games, then eats them?
@Hookah604: Go
I like the engine, but I don't like the fact that they're making yet another FPS out of it. Something tells me it will just be another multiplayer game with CTF, KotH, and the likes... So basically, the game will be boring anyway.
Maybe I'm just misunderstanding what you're trying to say, but video games are pretty close to being the #1 entertainment business worldwide. I just found a source to have some kind of proof: http://vgsales.wikia.com/wiki/Video_game_industry
Surprisingly though, the book industry is the real #1 and I didn't expect that at all... I was convinced the video games industry was #1 until I checked this page. Even though it's 4 years old now (more or less), I assume it's still pretty accurate.
Seriously, does anyone know what the hell happened during Dragon Age: Origins to Dragon Age II? Whole game was ruined totally. (Thanks EA for ruining good game?)
And yes EA... if you ruin good concept IT IS BAD FOR BUSINESS.
Oh... and I almost forget what happened between C&C3 and C&C4. Good concept ruined totally.
@ZealNaga:
Well, what I meant was that the video game industry, while entertainment, remind me much more of the industry. Business models and strategies are closer to those of tech companies rather than Hollywood. Hollywood relies on patents and royalties to make money (but they are not making what they used to do to piracy. Thus why they loved SOPA). Video games suffer from the same problem, but it seems that there is a move away from relying on legal action, and a move toward maybe some of the free products that sell advertising (Zynga), alternative ways to make money (like donations), or they simply require that you are logged on some type of server (Blizzard Games).
@ZealNaga: Go I think most of the controversy with EA lately have been about the on-disc DLC?
On-disc DLC is the new normal for many games from many different publishers. It reduces required HDD space, cuts download times and reduces server bandwidth. Who cares how the content is unlocked if it was always intended to be a purchasable content add-on?
On-disc DLC is fine, that's not the problem. It's DLC that adds a mission in the middle of the campaign that adds content pretty much any mass effect fan would consider essential to the main campaign. In other words, they do not feel like they are paying extra for extra content. They feel like they are paying extra for content that their 60$ should have already purchased.
I still think ME1/2 were the better of all those bunch. Also, Icewind Dale was made by Black Isle, not Bioware. :P
Go play Antioch Chronicles Remastered!
Also, coming soon, Antioch Episode 3: Thoughts in Chaos!
Dont like mapster's ugly white? Try Mapster's Classic Skin!
Dur, didn't realize that about IWD. Thanks for correcting me there.
I heard DA2 was pushed out the door before it was even in alpha stage. Not that I expected it to be as good as Witcher 2 or anything, but EA is a poison on gaming. They buy out small successful developers, and force them to rehash their games with absurd deadlines. They nickel and dime their customers. And now they're doing damage control over the worst company in America deal by exploiting LGBT sympathy, calling their opponents homophobes, and trying their best to imply that the ONLY reason people hate them is because they allow homosexual romance in Bioware's games. The sad thing is that it's working. If the LGBT community had any idea what was really going on they would be pissed off EA is using them as a shield for damage control, so they can get away with horrible business practices.
On the bright side, EA's stocks are dropping. As a result, they're laying off 500-1000 people. Maybe it's not so good, because now it's the employees that are getting shafted and not the higher ups who are responsible for, I don't know, everything.