I, like many gamers, have a big problem with EA.
'How big a problem?', you may ask. Well, put it this way. If I have one more of my favorite games and developers bought out it is highly likely that I will be so disheartened by the news that I will lapse into a near-comatose state whereby the majority of my brain functions will shut down. In that state, I will, in all probability, become one of the mindless, drooling, knuckledraggers who continually purchase EAs banal software and thus perpetuate the unending cycle.


Command and Conquer, by Westwood Studios. Pure, unrequited awesome. Westwood acquired by EA in 1998. Late 1999, Tiberian Sun released. Suckage ensues.

Battlefield 1942, made by DICE. To my knowledge EA played a minimal role in the final product. Result: I played this game to death. DICE fully acquired by EA in 2004-5. Result: Battlefield: Vietnam, Battlefield 2. Noob tubes abound. Skill and fun take a holiday.

Bullfrog, who crafted Syndicate, amongst other classic software? Bought out.

The Medal of Honor franchise has suffered too. Allied Assault, IMO the best of the series, was made by 2015. EA bought the title rights directly after. Furthermore, many of the members of 2015 who worked on the project later joined Infinity Ward and ended up producing the excellent Call of Duty series.

Even its Bond licensing has produced nothing but crap.

As far as I can see, EA seems to have a kind of Midas Touch. Except every phenomenal franchise they buy out turns to shit. But profitable shit nevertheless.

Their money-grabbing, cross-platform, sequelitis is damaging to the entire industry.

But yet the juggernaut shows no signs of slowing.

So now that my rant is reaching its conclusion, im going to address the inevitable counterpoint that im sure some fanboys are going to posit. EA has made some good games. And yes, I agree.

I hated Need for Speed with a passion, until EA bought it and took the series in a radical new direction with underground. And I loved it.

And much the same after the title that corrupted the C&C Tiberium series, Tiberium Sun. We were given the flawed yet strangely playable Generals, which shoved all sensibility out the door and somehow worked. And after that the very mediocre Tiberium Wars captured my imagination and attention at least for a week or so (although i attribute this mostly to the FMV's :P)*.

So does that mean EA is getting better? Are they finally going to please fans instead of their bankers?

Perhaps, perhaps not. I believe EA is alot like hollywood. They make movies. And the vast majority suck complete ass. But sometimes all you want is to just sit there and be entertained. Like an certain director who wont be named and a certain franchise featuring robots that will also not be named, it wont be intelligent. It wont be compelling. It wont leave you with a sense of accomplishment or a lasting appreciation. As a matter of fact it will have so little bearing on the material from which it was derived that you can scarcely recognise it. But perhaps mediocre entertainment is better than no entertainment at all.

You can make up your own mind.
Until EA ressurects all of my beloved franchises to their former glory, my hate will continue to burn.




*I might be defending EA based on their decision to release, for free, the original Command and Conquer '95. Squee!

http://www.commandandconquer.com/intel/default.aspx?id=61#NewsMain)