What do you think of EA?, For personal research, please no spamming. Options

[Deathrider1991]

This is a poll purely for my own research on a subject of companies. Please, I beg you, do not flame this thread. If you do, I'll ask a mod to close it and delete flaming posts. If any moderators truly have a problem with this thread, then just delete it. Please vote.

This post has been edited by Team Black: Mar 6 2009, 04:10 PM

[KingByng]

What, no "Apathy" option?

[Deathrider1991]

Must I?

[Clazzy]

I have no strong feelings one way or the other. They've produced both good and bad games in the 15 or so years that I've followed the game industry.

[Corsair]

I'm mostly neutral to them but I did highly dislike them for a while. I have some issues with them with some games they made and others I feel like they handled decently. For instance Tiberium, I don't really understand why they canceled it--although I am aware of their reason--regardless, it was a silly conclusion. However, they do handle Battlefield rather well (even though they're milking the hell out of it). Obviously, just my opinion. I recall hearing that many despise Battlefield 2142, I like it.

The main reason for why I hated EA for a while was that I was continually having issues getting their games to work on my computer/console. They would be incompatible with my computer or glitch like hell on my console, even though I had no problems with any other games by any other company. So, perhaps the games and their stories were good but I couldn't play them to find out

There should be a fourth option, however. Or perhaps just replace the 'because they bought out Westwood option' with 'Don't care' or something.

This post has been edited by Corsair: Mar 6 2009, 03:59 AM

[Deathrider1991]

I meant to say EALA. Sorry.

[Roani52]

Damn, you're too late saying that. I vote 'I like them', since I do not dislike them, and don't think they suck because of Westwood.
EA produces nice games. Of course, there are other companies out there, making fine games as well.
Anyways, when talking about studios, EALA kinda sucks. It would've been better to just leave Westwood the way it was back then.
I think Westwood would've survived anyway, without the help of EA, but well... I can't know for sure, more like a feeling (hunch, or is that only for future?).
I think, that I like Infinity Ward the most atm. CoD4 I believe they also make 6...

[Crash]

I don't see things this black and white ...

While EA has failed at some genres/games, I like many of them. I don't like their business strategy, but hey, that's how business works!

I suppose I will go into "neutral".

[Nod Strike]

Where is the 'KILL THE NAZI' button?

[Team Black]

Added the poll option. I don't like EA, but I don't hate it.
It's a freaking game company, though it's just not as good as Blizzard, or bungie. Or Westwood.

[Rampastring]

In my opinion EA does a decent job as a publisher (although EA forces developers to rush their games EA also advertises them a lot), however they aren't that good in developing games.

Same thing for EALA.

This post has been edited by ^Rampastein: Mar 6 2009, 06:01 PM

[SeekSomethingNew]

People need to remove that dam halo around Westwoods head, they where not this uber company everyone thinks they are, they where as bad as EA, and both of them are as bad as all the others out there, its all about the MONEY.

[Rampastring]

Yeah, however, some companies support their fans and communities more than others. And Westwood was one that (or at least it seems so to me) supported it's fans, unlike EA (I remember checking some petition threads for a 1.03 patch for The First Decade on the EA forums - hundreds of forum members signed it and our "friends" at EA didn't even look at the thread).

For example, I have to buy multiple copies of some games if I want to play them in LAN between the two computers I have in my house. However, some games' developers/publishers decide to make it possible to install and play the game on multiple PCs. A quote from the C&C95 readme:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.6 Do I need to buy two copies of the game to play on two computers?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

We have designed the game so that you won't need to buy two separate
copies of the game in order to play with a friend. You can give away
one of your CDs so that you can both play over the modem. In order to
play the normal game, you'll need both CDs.

The reason we're doing it this way is so that you can enjoy the
multiplayer aspect of C&C more easily. Although we could have
designed it so that two copies of the game must be purchased in
order to use multiplayer, we are hoping that if we treat our fans
right, then they will in turn treat us right.

I think Deathrider could have put his new poll to this thread instead of making multiple new topics..

This post has been edited by ^Rampastein: Mar 6 2009, 09:42 PM

[Deathrider1991]

I think Deathrider could have put his new poll to this thread instead of making multiple new topics..

i would have, but I don't think anyone would have noticed it in here and re-voted. Also, thank you TeamBlack i thought I did put in the neutral one, sorry.

[Roani52]

People need to remove that dam halo around Westwoods head, they where not this uber company everyone thinks they are, they where as bad as EA, and both of them are as bad as all the others out there, its all about the MONEY.

Good point. But I think the quality of the games suffered from it. Of course, they want money. Still, I think TS, CnC3 and the rest could've been better.

[Orac]

Any game 'could have been better'. That's what modding is about!
We need to stop sitting around dissecting EALA's strategy, and instead do some good, constructive, modding.

[Deathrider1991]

Go mod KW then.

[Clazzy]

Yeah, however, some companies support their fans and communities more than others. And Westwood was one that (or at least it seems so to me) supported it's fans, unlike EA (I remember checking some petition threads for a 1.03 patch for The First Decade on the EA forums - hundreds of forum members signed it and our "friends" at EA didn't even look at the thread).

For example, I have to buy multiple copies of some games if I want to play them in LAN between the two computers I have in my house. However, some games' developers/publishers decide to make it possible to install and play the game on multiple PCs. A quote from the C&C95 readme:


I think Deathrider could have put his new poll to this thread instead of making multiple new topics..

Most games that had two discs could play online or on a LAN at the same time back in the day. In fact, it was more or less standard practice until ten years ago or so. Once CD burners became cheap and widely available along with faster internet, companies got scared that games could be copied very easily.

Everyone glosses over the fact that WW also never released any modding tools for any of their games. In fact, the only official piece of software was modified from a community-created piece of software and this wasn't really even done by WW. At the end of it, 90% of you weren't around when WW was still going, you're just going on second-hand knowledge. Besides, what are Petroglyph doing right now I ask? Since they're effectively WW with a different name, surely they're the natural evolution of WW as they once were?

[Deathrider1991]

I dunno, one of my favorite games is Start Wars Empire at War and i didnt know Petroglyph or whatever they are called made it.

[Rampastring]

Besides, what are Petroglyph doing right now I ask? Since they're effectively WW with a different name, surely they're the natural evolution of WW as they once were?

Petroglyph is a whole different company.. while it has some Westwood people left, most of the old WW employees have retired or moved into other companies (for example, Adam Isgreen and some other old WW employees just retired from Petroglyph and established a new company named "Jet Set Games").

I however still like Petroglyph's games, they just feel a bit rushed. Also, while Universe at War came with only one disc, I have the same copy installed on multiple computers and I can play LAN between them without any cd-key checks or anything other annoyances.. so they get my respect. Not only because of that, but the Petroglyph employees post in their forums quite often and support their community.

This post has been edited by ^Rampastein: Mar 7 2009, 06:55 AM

[Roani52]

Does anyone of you know "Emperior, Battle for Dune"?
I've played it for a while, a few years ago. It has pretty good graphics.


I think TS's graphics could have been more like Dune's. Afaik, WW wanted to make a Spaceport in TS just like in Dune. The SHP for it exists in the mix files, but the code is never finished, and even if we tried to make it work in a mod, it would never work like WW wanted it to work.

[Clazzy]

Petroglyph is a whole different company.. while it has some Westwood people left, most of the old WW employees have retired or moved into other companies (for example, Adam Isgreen and some other old WW employees just retired from Petroglyph and established a new company named "Jet Set Games").

Joe Bostic, Bret Ambrose, Steve Tall, Gary Cox, Greg Hjelstrom, Ted Morris, Frank Klepacki, Chris Rubyor, Elie Arabian. There may be more than this but this is a collection of developers/programmers/artists/designers who worked at Westwood. It's not all WW but it's enough people to have a massive impact, especially considering most of them have important roles within the company.

[KingByng]

Yeah Roani, I remember Emperor, Battle for Dune. Still have a copy of it lying around here somewhere. Was a fun game, Atreides were my fav faction.

[Rampastring]

I have two copies of it and I play it in LAN parties Too bad it never got the attention it would have had deserved. EA and WW just seemed to forget it soon after it's release when they made new C&C's.

It was a great game, both the SP campaign and the multiplayer are fun. Also, like Roani said, it has awesome graphics (for a 2001 game) and it's engine (Westwood 3D) is the predecessor for the SAGE Engine (although I'm not sure if there's any old Westwood 3D code left in the newest versions of SAGE).

This post has been edited by ^Rampastein: Mar 11 2009, 07:38 PM

[Roani52]

Yeah, Atreides was also my fav faction, along with Harkonen. I just loved those mongooses, and those bigger 'mongooses', just forgot how they were called again.

[KingByng]

those bigger 'mongooses' just forgot how they were called again.

Minotaurs.

It was fun to get a few dozen of them and roll over the enemy

[Rampastring]

..until some Theilaxu leeches attacked them and your Minotaurs transformed into new leeches

Fremen were also great at dealing with vehicles, since the Fedaykins were invisible, cheap and powerful. Oh, and I just loved the Ixians' Projector Tanks.. My favourite tactic was building a few dozen of them and then spamming holographic Ordos Laser Tanks

But I think it's time to stop this off-topicness.

[Roani52]

Maybe a good idea to start a EBfD topic...? And yeah, I also liked those projector tanks... and those nuclear things of Harkonen.