Tell Us, Dammit!

140 responses to “Tell Us, Dammit!”

1. 

   1Life0Continues

   April 5, 2012 at 11:07 am

   This seems to be a matter of timing more than anything. If this vote hadn’t been this year, but 2 years ago, Activision may have topped the list. Before that, a company like BoA, or anything held by the Koch Brothers. The recent BS pulled by EA in the last 2 years has taken focus, and when asking on the Internet, where many gamers live, giving EA as an option will mean they will vote for it.

   Now, do I think they deserve it? Hell yes. I can’t deny they publish some great games, but their business practices are far from kosher in my view. Are they the most evil corporation around, no, but again, in light of recent actions , coupled with the activism seen over Mass Effect 3, and all the rest of the rigmarole, it’s not surprising they ‘won’, and maybe this will open their eyes a little (although I doubt it, and won’t be holding my breath).

   They aren’t the worst corporation out there, not by a long shot, and I doubt anyone would say otherwise, but if this ‘award’ serves to make EA hesitate about the things they’ve done, I say it may just be a good thing in the end.

   Reply
   1. 

      well said

      April 5, 2012 at 1:00 pm

      I agree with you completely. They are not the worst company of all time but their lack of respect for their customers, mixed with their poor choice in ethical business practices, especially over the last couple of years, has well and truly put them under a bad light.
      I’m as pessimistic as you about the message sinking in to their thick skulls but hope springs eternal.

      Reply
   2. 

      JezzK

      April 5, 2012 at 3:21 pm

      Agree with your statement that it is about timing but I also think a growing dissatisfaction with EA’s business practices and decisions is coming to a head with this poll presenting an opportunity to send another message.

      Day 1 DLC, Dragon Age 2, SWTOR and Mass Effect 3 are still fresh in people’s minds.

      Gaming is becoming more mainstream and accepted, WoW and MMO’s in general are no longer activities that are not to be discussed in public and more and more people use games as an outlet or an avenue of escape – possibly more so in the current economic environment (especially in the once mighty US).

      Should CUSTOMERS (deliberate choice of group categorisation instead of ‘players’) have a sense of entitlement? Absolutely. They pay for a product / service – and many people feel that they have not received a fair value exchange.

      With regard to the rules governing the poll itself – It doesn’t seem that there were any prerequisites on # of kittens killed, home repossessed etc. so it’s all fair game. Simply put, EA won worst company in America because voters felt they earned it.

      Reply
      1. 

         Lucas

         April 10, 2012 at 5:31 pm

         That might not be the case. In my opinion the poll is somewhat biased. It’s supposed to be “worst company in America” but I can assure you many thousands of people that voted for EA are not from America/Americans. Considering how much publicity this poll has been given (especially on Game sites and forums) many of those people aren’t from America and won’t be familiar with Bank of America or AT&T or Comcast, etc. Thus they will obviously vote for EA and because they are familiar with EA and have probably had a somewhat bad experience with them.

         Reply
   3. 

      hydrakana

      April 7, 2012 at 7:19 am

      You are supposed to vote from your personal experience, not from what you have seen over dramatized on the news.

      Personally I think it’s the games industry in general that’s shit, not just EA on their own.

      Reply
2. 

   Neo-Kaiser

   April 5, 2012 at 11:08 am

   With their recent drama, Capcom can compete against EA for their “Disc-Loaded Content” on their games. Also making the “true” ending as DLC for Asura’s Wrath.

   Reply
3. 

   Anon

   April 5, 2012 at 11:08 am

   Why are you covering for EA Tracey Lien?

   Reply
   1. 

      PuppyLicks

      April 5, 2012 at 11:15 am

      Because the internet has voted EA, a company that publishes videogames, as the worst company in America. It is the epitome of first world problems.

      Reply
      1. 

         PuppyLicks

         April 5, 2012 at 11:16 am

         Sure Bank of America has taken peoples houses and are selling them for peanuts, but Day One DLC is SO MUCH WORSE.

         Reply
         1. 

            Anon

            April 5, 2012 at 12:01 pm

            Who are you replying to buddy?

            Reply
         2. 

            Anon-kun~

            April 5, 2012 at 1:18 pm

            at least you have a house #evenmorefirstworldproblems

            Reply
         3. 

            poorredman

            April 5, 2012 at 1:33 pm

            Yes, damn the Banks for taking people’s houses. HOW DARE THEY reclaim property because people borrowed funds and did not repay them. It’s just not fair!

            Reply
            1. 

               Matthew K

               April 5, 2012 at 3:36 pm

               What about the mortgages they foreclsoed on even when people were making the repayments? What about the hidden fees they added to accounts because they could? What about the interest rates they jacked up to unreasonable levels without notice?

      2. 

         N0NEoftheAB0VE

         April 6, 2012 at 1:26 am

         Exactly. I reckon I’ve got 10 games in my collection (if not more) published by EA so obviously I like their products. Are they easy to deal with? NO. Do they put customer interests first? NO – well you could knock me down with a feather, who ever heard of a company that put their investors before their customers! Do they make stuff you the consumer want to buy? More than Likely s get over whatever dumb issue you have with DLC (ie – don’t buy it if you don’t want to) or Origin (get the console version therefore bypassing Origin altogether or Project $10 (If you can’t find a copy of an EA game new that costs less than your local EB Games Pre-owned copy then may I introduce you to internet shopping…) and enjoy life for a change! 😀

         Reply
   2. 

      don danbury

      April 5, 2012 at 11:16 am

      Gamers love their slactivism, ‘I’ll vote for EA in a poll then buy all their games, that’ll show them how much of a crappy company they are’.

      Reply
      1. 

         0x00FF0000

         April 5, 2012 at 1:52 pm

         Why would you buy EA’s games? I can’t even think of one I’ve wanted to play in the last few years.

         Reply
         1. 

            N0NEoftheAB0VE

            April 6, 2012 at 6:47 am

            I’m just saying – looking at my collection there’s the last 3 Battlefield games, Mirrors Edge, Bulletstorm, Crysis 2, Mass Effect 2, The Fancy Pants Adventures, NBA Jam.

            It would be hypocritical to willingly and continouosly buy a compay’s products (when you have a choice) and then turn around and bitch about how evil that company is.

            If the amount of bad mojo out on the internet for EA was reflected in their sales – then they’d be THQ

            Reply
   3. 

      Tracey Lien

      April 5, 2012 at 11:23 am

      I’m not “covering” for them as much as I don’t believe that a video game company could ever be bad as, say, a coal seam gas mining company that is endangering lives, the environment, and putting entire communities at risk with their drilling practices. That’s all.

      Reply
      1. 

         welbot

         April 5, 2012 at 11:34 am

         I agree that there are others out there who may be endangering lives and such, but I have friends who have worked for EA. After the horror stories I’ve heard from them, I think it’s well deserved.

         Reply
      2. 

         Anon

         April 5, 2012 at 11:38 am

         http://consumerist.com/2012/04/congratulations-ea-you-are-the-worst-company-in-america-for-2012.html

         “To those who might sneer at something as “non-essential” as a video game company winning the Worst Company In America vote: It’s that exact kind of attitude that allows people to ignore the complaints as companies like EA to nickel and dime consumers to death.”

         might help if you link the article you are referring to in your ‘piece’

         Reply
         1. 

            OZ Damien

            April 5, 2012 at 11:46 am

            I refer you to ndroste’s comment underneath. You have a choice to allow them to. Don’t like, don’t buy. I for one am very selective on which EA titles I get due to this, even to point of waiting 6 months after release to see all hidden nasties revealed. Video games are a luxury, there are more important things in this world to highlight about as “worst company”.

            Reply
         2. 

            El Kapitan

            April 5, 2012 at 11:49 am

            This is not a ‘piece’.

            It was a discussion starting line for a weekly segment which happens here on Kotaku, where people are encouraged to share their views on whatever they wish to say. Most of the time, this discussion sparked by an issue which has arisen in the last couple of days, such as this one. She did link to the actual Kotaku ‘piece’ which covered this issue, which, I assure you, will plenty satisfy your need for links.

            There are sometimes articles that deserve to be complained about on Kotaku. This is not one of them.

            Reply
         3. 

            Matthew K

            April 5, 2012 at 11:51 am

            That’s a ridiculous viewpoint. EA producing lesser problems doesn’t mean their faults get ignored, but they should be prioritised lower. Being voted the worst of all US companies is not necessary, and trivialises the problems the other, much worse companies, present.

            You can’t just slippery slope the reality to death by saying “well if we take more serious problems more seriously we’ll have to completely ignore the minor problems!”

            Reply
            1. 

               Anon

               April 5, 2012 at 11:57 am

               I’m not the one running the poll.

               My issue is that if EA didn’t get #1 spot then this article wouldn’t exist on Kotaku.

               EA get voted worst company in the U.S. and straight away Kotaku jump to their defense.

               For what? some exclusive reviews down the track?

            2. 

               Matthew K

               April 5, 2012 at 12:40 pm

               The reason this got mentioned on Kotaku is because it’s game-related news, and Kotaku aren’t jumping to their defence – they’re taking the reasonable and rational position that EA’s voted position is utterly ridiculous when put in the proper perspective.

               Just because they aren’t bashing EA relentlessly and agreeing with the poll results doesn’t mean they wholeheartedly approve of EA’s activities.

            3. 

               Tracey Lien

               April 5, 2012 at 1:19 pm

               Kotaku Australia doesn’t even do reviews. And “Tell Us Dammit” is a weekly post to spark discussion within our community.

            4. 

               Joshy206

               April 5, 2012 at 5:42 pm

               EVEN if it was an article, and EVEN if Kotaku AU did reviews, and EVEN if EA actually gave two shits about this, you couldn’t jump to the conclusion that Kotaku is corrupt. Tracey pointed out something that disagrees with you, and you just insult her? Great job, Anon.

         4. 

            PuppyLicks

            April 5, 2012 at 11:55 am

            Regardless of EA’s actions, your attitude stinks, buddy.
            You should get that looked at.

            Reply
            1. 

               lichbane

               April 5, 2012 at 2:48 pm

               Anon is trolling. Look at Monsanto, BP, Shell, Halliberton, Blackwater. EA just made a bunch of nerds angry. And God help anyone who makes a nerd angry.

         5. 

            Nigel

            April 5, 2012 at 12:51 pm

            No. I’m sorry, but no. If Americans (or Australians, for that matter) are in a position that they can, in fact, be ‘nickel and dimed’ to death by a company THAT SELLS GODDAMN VIDEO GAMES, then we might as well just keel over right now and be done with the stupidity of it all. It’s not the same as being ripped off by a water company, or a hospital or a supermarket. Those things sell services or goods that people need on a day to day basis, and on which we rely to survive .

            If you can’t live without videogames, then you need to get a life. I hear Syria is nice this time of year. I’m sure the people there would love to hear about how ruthless and dastardly Electronic Arts really are.

            Reply
      3. 

         me

         April 5, 2012 at 1:37 pm

         the thing is, with coal/mining/gas companies, they want to get as much as possible regardless of the methods because quantity-wise demand is really high and yet people don’t want to pay high prices for those resources. So part of the blame lies on people in general.

         Of course, part of the blame for EA’s business practices also falls on the people who still buy their products despite EA’s dodgy business practices. The main reason they won is really because of all the recent high profile dodgy crap that they’ve been up to. Plus the fact that a significant chunk of internet users are gamers.

         Reply
      4. 

         BR with 140 ping

         April 5, 2012 at 2:28 pm

         So, if you’re not covering for EA, could you explain why you aren’t discussing both sides of the argument? I get that you think that the results of the poll aren’t warranted and that this is article is simply designed to spark a discussion, but you’ve neglected to even mention why consumers are upset with EA in the first place. It just seems biased to me.

         Reply
         1. 

            Tracey Lien

            April 5, 2012 at 2:37 pm

            Last week’s “Tell Us Dammit” was about pizza flavours. Mark stated the kind of pizza he liked. Should he have spoken of the pros and cons of all the other flavours of pizza lest he be pizza biased?

            Tell Us Dammit isn’t about objectivity, it’s about kicking off a discussion that the community can partake in. Sometimes it can involve playing devil’s advocate, sometime’s it’s just about throwing an idea out there for people to debate. I chose this topic because I read about it this morning and thought it would be something people would have strong opinions about. I have no investment in any game companies. Anyone familiar with Kotaku Australia would know that our editorial is strictly independent and any sponsored content is clearly labelled as such.

            I apologise if people find this community post offensive for whatever reason; this is just meant to be a discussion thread.

            Reply
            1. 

               BR with 140 ping

               April 5, 2012 at 3:30 pm

               The key difference between Mark’s article about pizza and your article about the poll recently featured in The Consumerist is the tone of the article. In the pizza article, Mark simply stated that he liked pizza, and proceeded to list his favorite kinds of pizza before asking what pizza readers enjoyed. In your article, you stated your opinion regarding the results of the poll, but instead of then asking for the readers’ opinions, you proceeded to insult the opposing opinion. To roll with the pizza comparison, what you’ve written seems akin to Mark writing, “Many people like pepperoni, but I find that depressing. Cheese is obviously a better option– in fact, so is mushroom. There are so many better options than pepperoni. What flavor of pizza do you all like? All I’m saying is, people who like pepperoni really need to rethink their options.”

               I mean, you see the problem with that, right? That clearly crosses over the line of just kicking off a discussion.

               As an aside, I agree with your comment on last week’s “Tell Us Dammit”– videogame is my favorite flavor of pizza.

      5. 

         James SoupBeard

         April 5, 2012 at 4:46 pm

         you’re missing the point. The poll is not representative of the entire country or the amount of damage these companies have done. Its more a question of demographic. Internet polls are more likely to be utilized by Gamers, and EA’s bad business practices effect gamers, so of course it is in that area that they will be winning. If you seriously think that this internet poll is Representative of america as a whole, then you are either seriously stretching this or are just stupid.

         As far as who is worse, of course bank of america is far worse, I would not argue otherwise. But there are plenty of protests and journalists already covering the horrors of these companies. Wheras EA shuts down all criticism via banning people via forums and websites like IGN and Kotaku viciously defending their every move.

         I am more than willing to admit that this poll was the result of multiple (emphasis on that word) groups of people organized specifically to get EA to #1. But that alone says something, the fact that these people took the time out of their day to make sure that happened shows that EA is far from innocent. Go ahead and write these people off as “trolls” or “H8Rs” or “entitled gamers” (damn right we’re entitled, we pay good money for these games and we want decent products) but the fact is most of these people are former customers of EA who were screwed over in one way or another. Remember Westwood? Remember Origin Systems? Remember Bullfrog? Remember Bioware? i liked Baldurs Gate II dammit! If these names mean nothing to you then im sorry but you have no place as a gaming journalist. If you recognize these names then I think you can see just as clearly as I why people were angry enough to band together and make sure EA won this poll.

         TL:DR-Its not that EA is worse than bank of america, its that not enough people are willing to admit that EA are a bad company, so its about time someone got it out there.

         Reply
      6. 

         GetItStraight

         April 6, 2012 at 10:29 am

         CSG is not nearly as bad as you think. Those companies are pouring millions and millions of dollars into environmental safeguards. Katter got to you, didn’t he?
         Bagging out an industry that is creating jobs and economic growth – Free
         Looking bat-**** dumb for believing everything in the media – Priceless

         Reply
4. 

   ndroste

   April 5, 2012 at 11:18 am

   Its unbelievable. There is no consistent measure of badness here, merely a vocal majority and over-saturation of entitled, clueless gamers with no perspective. Video-games, no matter how rad they are and how much a company over-extends their right to charge you for the games’ base components, are A LUXURY ITEM. THEY ARE NON-ESSENTIAL TO YOUR SURVIVAL OR HEALTH. THEY ARE NOT THE EXORBITANTLY PRICED DRUGS WHICH KEEP YOU ALIVE, OR THE WEAPONS MANUFACTURERS PROFITING FROM CONFLICT AND THE DEATHS OF MILLIONS, OR THE FAST FOOD COMPANIES KNOWINGLY ENDANGERING PEOPLES HEALTH, OR THE TOBACCO COMPANIES UNDERMINING PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRESS. We’re talking about a company which charges people more than other companies for non-essential digital ether. The CEO’s of every company involved must be scoffing in disbelief at the bullet they’ve dodged, and will accept this as notice that they can continue doing whatever the fuck they want because peoples priorities are fucked.

   No apologies for rant etc.

   Reply
   1. 

      phonicpod

      April 5, 2012 at 11:47 am

      Couldn’t agree more…

      Reply
   2. 

      Shane

      April 5, 2012 at 12:34 pm

      This is pretty much spot on.

      A ridiculous result to an ultimately pointless study.

      Reply
   3. 

      me

      April 5, 2012 at 1:45 pm

      the average person does not need drugs if they would only take better care of themselves (people with hereditary /genetic problems are different of course). Think fast food is unhealthy? don’t eat it, simple as that. Think tobacco is unhealthy? don’t smoke it, simple as that. Weapons manufacturers? Go talk to your respective warmongering governments. Not saying I disagree with your overall sentiment, since I do agree, but pick better examples. All of your examples except for drug companies are non-essential stuff too.

      Reply
      1. 

         solidsnake

         April 5, 2012 at 3:58 pm

         Right go talk to the citizens of those warmongering governments and ask them if they think profiting of the death of their friends and families isn’t as bad as EA charging for DLC. Are you completely insane?

         Reply
5. 

   Dire Wolf

   April 5, 2012 at 11:18 am

   Even though selling first-day DLC isn’t as bad as say, forcing farmers off their land so you can mine for oil or testing lipstick on chimps (I honestly have no idea what shoddy practices US oil and pharmaceutical companies are involved in), it is still seen as poor business by a lot of people and it’s something that consumers are going to notice and care about more then say something like the previously mentioned lipstick on chimps, especially with net users, many of whom would likely dabble in gaming.

   Are they the worst company in America? Far from it. It’s no surprise however that they won this contest, especially when you consider how vindictive a lot of gamers can get.

   Reply
6. 

   Chuloopa

   April 5, 2012 at 11:18 am

   I’m not sure… but i know McGarnigal is the worst person on this site!

   Reply
   1. 

      El Kapitan

      April 5, 2012 at 11:20 am

      He’s got my vote!

      Reply
      1. 

         McGarnical

         April 5, 2012 at 1:01 pm

         You can all garn!

         Reply
         1. 

            Joshy206

            April 5, 2012 at 5:51 pm

            I’m McGarnical!

            No I’m McGarnical!

            Reply
7. 

   CyberXenomorph

   April 5, 2012 at 11:19 am

   It’s rediculous that ea “won” this, the “heinous crimes” they commited are so miniscule and irrelavant compared to things that walmart and bank of america have done that are actually criminal. While i dont like eas dlc policies and no i havent played me3 these thing should not have even been taken into consideration when looking at worst company in america

   Reply
8. 

   Chuloopa

   April 5, 2012 at 11:19 am

   Also.. worst company in America is just a joke

   There are probably dozens that are so so much worse…

   Reply
   1. 

      PiratePete1911

      April 5, 2012 at 8:59 pm

      In my book ALL those companies are winners!

      Reply
9. 

   m

   April 5, 2012 at 11:21 am

   BREAKING NEWS! An internet poll is not taken seriously!
   Oh, and by the way, day 1 DLC isn’t even a big mark on EA’s record.
   Somehow I think betraying your users privacy by adding trojans and data-miners to their online service to bleed every penny out of their consumer base is somewhat more insulting than cutting content from a game to sell. Especially since when they were caught in the act they updated the EULA because they KNOW what they do is wrong, and they just hope their customers are too lazy to catch them knee deep in their dirty, exploitative business practices. Even worse is that they’ve done it before. [http://youtu.be/mKAYPE66M-k]
   They’re untrustworthy, they will betray your privacy whenever they think they can get away with it, and let’s not even touch on their treatment of developers and franchises.
   Are they the worst company in the world? No. They’re not destroying the planet by being sneaky, covert bastards. They’re not hurting anyone. They’re just dicks. But remember you’re on the internet. No one cares about a stupid poll that is judged by popular vote. This isn’t news.

   Reply
   1. 

      ndroste

      April 5, 2012 at 11:25 am

      Agreed, I still think the result is outrageous but it will be forgotten about by monday.

      Reply
10. 

    Matthew K

    April 5, 2012 at 11:21 am

    I’m actually annoyed that gamers are apparently so egocentric that they’d vote EA, when companies like Halliburton and Bank of America are huge contributors to actual real world problems that continue to affect millions of people.

    I’m normally the last guy to be dismissive of issues gamers have, even if I personally disagree (i.e.: stuff like the DSE sale mishandling or the ending of Mass Effect 3). But this is really something else.

    Is it just that entitled gamers spammed the polls? Are disgruntled BoA customers just too apathetic to vote? Certainly EA should pay attention to this kind of negative press but at the same time I can’t help but feel that is the result of a poll being skewed by a company having a large audience with small problems as opposed to a smaller audience/customer base with real problems.

    EA is not America’s worst company, and this result really does make me a bit angry. EA is a morally questionable and greedy company, but they’re not actually hurting anyone. They produce entertainment which is a luxury. People in the US who are still feeling the effects of the recession have bigger problems than video games.

    Reply
    1. 

       OZ Damien

       April 5, 2012 at 11:50 am

       “I’m actually annoyed that gamers are apparently so egocentric that they’d vote EA, when companies like Halliburton and Bank of America are huge contributors to actual real world problems that continue to affect millions of people.”

       This is why i like compulsory voting in Australia, makes me actually have to take stock of what is going on and who to vote for. Most of them in America wouldnt even know who is president atm, or who the republicans are trying to put forward as potential to topple him, if he wasnt being parodied on TV.

       Reply
       1. 

          Arky

          April 5, 2012 at 4:02 pm

          The average talkback caller or newspaper site caller in Australia is as ignorant as the average American. I agree with compulsory voting but I don’t think it makes Australians more politically aware than the Yanks.

          Reply
    2. 

       Jake

       April 5, 2012 at 12:24 pm

       I stopped reading at “entitled”

       Reply
       1. 

          Matthew K

          April 5, 2012 at 12:43 pm

          Maybe you could justify why, or respond to my first two paragraphs. OH WAIT, it’s much easier to disregard my ENTIRE post because I referred to a sampling of gamers as having entitlement issues (which they DO) instead of actually contributing anything meaningful to the debate. Sorry, I forgot I was on the internet!

          Reply
    3. 

       JackFrost

       April 5, 2012 at 2:40 pm

       Can you please stop acting like Halliburton was even on the list? They’re not a company that deals with consumers, only governments.

       Please read the list
       http://consumerist.com/2012/04/worst-company-in-america-2012-final-death-match-bank-of-america-vs-ea.html

       As you can see, these are companies that are there due to their poor customer service. This has nothing to do with protesting for human rights, it’s about consumer goods and how they treat the people who buy their products. Does buying a product instantly make you “entitled” now? People seem to be using that word as nothing more than mere trolling now.

       Reply
       1. 

          Arky

          April 5, 2012 at 4:05 pm

          Fine. All the tobacco companies are companies which sell to consumers. Most of the companies which use sweatshops and dump toxic chemicals into rivers are companies which sell to consumers. EA just overprices games. Big whoop.

          The title of the list was “Worst Company In America” though, not “Worst Consumer-Sales Company In America”. If the list isn’t meant to include all companies, they shouldn’t have titled in Worst Company In America.

          Reply
          1. 

             Joshy206

             April 5, 2012 at 5:50 pm

             Yeah, I don’t see how tobacco companies are better than EA. They sell a product that is known to cause minor cases of death.

             Reply
          2. 

             JackFrost

             April 5, 2012 at 11:44 pm

             Yeah, it’s not like the website’s name is the CONSUMERist or anything.

             Reply
11. 

    Blomby

    April 5, 2012 at 11:22 am

    I think anyone who see’s this vote as anymore as a simple message to EA is probably taking the internet a tad too seriously.

    Reply
12. 

    D.C.

    April 5, 2012 at 11:24 am

    Pffft. Every one knows EA is just a front for some James Bond super villain scheme.

    Reply
13. 

    Braaains

    April 5, 2012 at 11:25 am

    Harvey Norman.

    That is all.

    Reply
    1. 

       El Kapitan

       April 5, 2012 at 11:30 am

       Oh Braaains, why do you make these posts when inevitably some mouthbreather is going to think you’re being serious?

       Just answered my own question ^^ #Success!

       Reply
14. 

    Izzy

    April 5, 2012 at 11:28 am

    What a horrible, and pretty much worthless list. The only reason that EA is even there is because gamer’s (strictly taking the vocal population here, i am in no way inferring that it is every gamer) have proven themselves to be self entitled, vocal bunch of idiots recently. When you compare EA to a number of companies on that list you start to realise that maybe, just maybe, the results were in some way skewed by a vocal minority. This “win” only goes to highlight just how petty some people can be. I mean sure, the BOfA took my house, but it was paid DLC that meant I couldn’t pay my mortgage in the first place!

    Reply
    1. 

       alphamone

       April 5, 2012 at 11:38 am

       not to mention that BoA have also been taking actions against people who have been paying back their loans, credit card bills, or mortgages.

       I totally agree, the people who voted for EA games in the final round are entitled idiots.

       Reply
15. 

    Glenn

    April 5, 2012 at 11:36 am

    “If you were to ask me which company I think should be voted the worst, I would probably name an oil or mining company, or a weapons manufacturer.”

    I think the voting was based on consumer companies, most consumers don’t deal directly with their oil, mining or weapons manufacturer.

    EA was voted this because of their appalling working conditions (Which they have been sued over in the past) and their downright unhelpful customer service team.

    Reply
    1. 

       Joshy206

       April 5, 2012 at 5:49 pm

       Just because they haven’t affected you directly doesn’t mean you can’t point out their immorality.

       Reply
16. 

    Liam Moushall

    April 5, 2012 at 11:45 am

    EA the worst company in America? I am not even sure if it merits mention in the top 100 worst companies. Let us attack the monster under the bed rather than face the real ones destroying people’s lives. I really can’t help but think the negative reaction over Mass Effect 3 has fueled this. If aggressive marketing and poor wiritng are what qualifies a company as the worst, I put forward Little, Brown and Company for publishing Twilight, the heartless bastards.

    Reply
17. 

    Fenixius

    April 5, 2012 at 11:48 am

    My preference would be the MPAA/RIAA who have corrupted democracy on a global scale, but even then, there are more quantifiably “evil” companies, I’m sure. Big Pharma, Big Tobacco, Big Oil, etc. Big Content is evil, too, but probably not the most…

    Reply
18. 

    Snacuum

    April 5, 2012 at 11:52 am

    A lot of you are no better than the voters for claiming that everybody is *buzzword* (because that’s what it is)

    This list is victim of its sociological context: It’s an Internet poll for a start, who likes hanging on the internet the most? Probably technologically minded people, chances are they like games and the money and the time to enjoy them. Also the poll is asking for ‘what is worst,’ seriously would we ever get an even non-biased debate about the negativity of things from a mass population? Of course not, people who want to cry about negatives will want to speak and be heard more often than the opposite. It’s poor to call these people entitled even if it’s clear they lack the big picture. First world problems are still problems for the people experiencing the context; unless they’ve lived in the position that would give them perspective they will have no reference.

    Reply
19. 

    oggob

    April 5, 2012 at 11:54 am

    I think they only won because the poll was thrown into the mainstream gaming media, factor in alot of annoyed ME3 customers and I would imagine everyone jumped on the hate wagon.

    EA were at one point the worst game company out there, but they really turned themselves around and started releasing some good titles. I think Activision has taken their crown in recent years and that CAPCOM are beginning to stake a challenge to Activision.

    That being said, there is no way that a game company is anywhere close to the “worse company ever” tag… unless of course, they kill puppies for breakfast!

    Reply
20. 

    James Mac

    April 5, 2012 at 11:59 am

    Meh… internet poll.
    You’re not going to get a well thought out answer.

    I’d think AT&T would be more unpopular.
    Some of the defence contractors have wasted billions of dollars with near impunity… so they should be included.
    There’s probably an HMO or two that could be on the list as well.

    Reply
21. 

    Peaky01

    April 5, 2012 at 12:02 pm

    In a ‘worst video game company’ poll, capcom would definitely have my vote over EA.

    Reply
22. 

    Effluvium Boy

    April 5, 2012 at 12:08 pm

    Nope.

    Reply
23. 

    Azza

    April 5, 2012 at 12:12 pm

    I honestly thought Zynga was more unpopular.

    Reply
    1. 

       Matthew K

       April 5, 2012 at 12:47 pm

       Well all Zynga did this week was by OMGPOP which means a handful of people have boycotted Draw Something, which was losing active players as the novelty wore off anyway.

       EA pissed people off slightly more and therefore get 100% of the negative attention.

       Reply
24. 

    Robbo

    April 5, 2012 at 12:40 pm

    I thought it should be fox. Surely their brain washing is up their with these other unethical companies.

    Reply
25. 

    Tristan Damen

    April 5, 2012 at 12:43 pm

    I think it all has to do with the demographic of people who voted. Ask most Americans and I reckon they would say Bank of America is worse because they foreclosed on many cars and houses thanks to their own greed. Ask some privileged people who have a roof over their head and (most importantly) internet access and the answer changes dramatically.

    This vote was decidied on First World Problems.

    Reply
    1. 

       You are correct sir!

       April 5, 2012 at 1:07 pm

       yup, agreed. Not saying I don’t agree with the fact EA suck, but the vote is very specific to a particular demographic.

       Reply
26. 

    RedditRidesAgain

    April 5, 2012 at 12:50 pm

    Damn I hate being such an entitled gamer!

    EA is horrible. Nothing you say about them will change that fact.

    Keep defending a company that could give less of a shit about you though you mindless drones.

    That’s for Westwood and Bullfrog you bastards.

    Reply
    1. 

       alphamone

       April 5, 2012 at 2:22 pm

       I would rather a company not care about me than actively try to deprive me of my home when they have no legal standing to do so (i.e. repossess my home when I am actively repaying my mortgage).

       Reply
    2. 

       Azza

       April 5, 2012 at 2:59 pm

       No one is defending EA?

       Reply
       1. 

          Joshy206

          April 5, 2012 at 5:55 pm

          Don’t you know Azza? You’re either with us or against us! Shades of grey can suck it!

          Reply
27. 

    Thom

    April 5, 2012 at 12:51 pm

    I don’t get the people saying this is too far. Sure, there are objectively worse companies, no doubt. But this was a subjective vote. EA is certainly the worst company I’ve had to deal with in the last year.

    On top of the nickel and diming, which gives me the shits, they also lost all my dlc in their online system (the one just before origin). They refused to help me, and that was after going to astonishing lengths just to get them to return my emails (I called their office number).

    To people saying this shows the sense of entitlement amongst gamers. W T F? Is entitlement inherently a bad thing now? Damn right I feel entitled, I give them money and I don’t get the service or quality of product I would expect for the amount I’m paying. I’ve basically learnt my lesson after ME3. I’m done with this company, which is getting tough as I haven’t bought a Ubisoft or Activision game in four years either.

    Looks like I’m pretty much exclusively an Indie man now.

    Reply
28. 

    js

    April 5, 2012 at 12:55 pm

    I’m surprised we haven’t had more heartfelt outpouring over Dragon Age 2’s “recycled environments” in this post.

    Reply
29. 

    piggy

    April 5, 2012 at 1:00 pm

    People calling gamers entitled when its their money they are spending. What ever happened to the customer is always right? How can you actually say that a customer is entitled when they are the ones paying for the product?

    Reply
30. 

    Bourbon

    April 5, 2012 at 1:02 pm

    Worst company in America, probably not. But from a consumer standpoint, they are definitely the most hated in recent memory. Which is why this result was an pretty natural outcome. Besides, BoA have won the award for the last few years anyways.

    Reply
31. 

    dickbutt

    April 5, 2012 at 1:04 pm

    “All I have to say is if selling first-day DLC is viewed as such an enormous crime then our world needs to rethink its priorities.”

    An online vote represents the opinions of the entire world/country?

    Reply
32. 

    McGarnical

    April 5, 2012 at 1:07 pm

    BoA foreclosed on people not paying their debts. Sure the bank probably shares some responsibility for the default by loaning more than they should, but it’s a complicated situation and crying foul at evictions doesn’t even come close to the issue.

    BoA is also a victim, of the economic climate created by 25-year-old bankers at places like GSJBWere inventing and flipping toxic assets.

    So I’d vote for an investment bank.

    Reply
    1. 

       alphamone

       April 5, 2012 at 2:24 pm

       BoA also forclosed on people who WERE paying their debts. THAT is why they are far more evil than EA could LITERALLY ever be.

       Reply
       1. 

          McGarnical

          April 5, 2012 at 3:05 pm

          That’s pretty unusual. Have you got a link for that?

          Reply
          1. 

             PiratePete1911

             April 5, 2012 at 9:02 pm

             You should check out the movie Inside Job, it goes into detail about all this stuff quite a bit.

             Banks were giving out loans to people they knew wouldn’t pay then taking out massive insurance on the loan assuming it would fail and they would get the insurance payout.

             They were selling something to the customer then betting on it failing behind their back.

             Reply
             1. 

                Joshy206

                April 5, 2012 at 9:13 pm

                I prefer the movie Inside Man. It had Clive Owen! 😛

33. 

    Gog

    April 5, 2012 at 1:12 pm

    Considering they’ve helped give me Mass Effect, Battlefield, Hot Pursuit, SSX, The Old Republic, Dead Space, Dragon Age, Crysis, Fight Night, Bulletstorm, Rock Band, Mirrors Edge, Skate and many other games I’ve loved over the years I’m inclined to say it’s probably a bit harsh.

    Reply
    1. 

       JackFrost

       April 5, 2012 at 2:33 pm

       EA didn’t do a thing except acquire the developers of each thing you mentioned. They are a publisher you know. Those games would exist even without them (and perhaps even in a far better, non-rushed state).

       Reply
       1. 

          Gog

          April 5, 2012 at 4:02 pm

          Lol, right, well you’ve sure told me how it is! You clearly understand the games industry like a legend and can predict the fortunes of each developer had an alternate reality existed. Good for you.

          Reply
34. 

    Some Jerk

    April 5, 2012 at 1:23 pm

    I haven’t seen the word “entitled” used this much until EA started putting it through it’s press releases to all the sites which rely on it’s advertising money and early releases. Way to be drones, kids.

    Reply
35. 

    Nobody

    April 5, 2012 at 1:30 pm

    This article is a complete joke. The poll was intended to consumers and they do not deal with weapon and mining companies. They weren’t even on the list.

    And to those saying that Comcast or Bank of america deserved to win, just think a little. You are no t forced to use neither of them and there are other companies in the market that offer similar services. I didn’t had any choice to what EA has done to gaming market. I didn’t have any choice when they decided to put down to death Westwood, Bioware and several other companies.

    Reply
    1. 

       Tracey Lien

       April 5, 2012 at 1:32 pm

       This isn’t an article. It’s a regular conversation starter post on Kotaku AU.

       Reply
    2. 

       Joshy206

       April 5, 2012 at 5:57 pm

       You have a choice: stop buying their bloody games.

       And it’s not an article!

       Reply
36. 

    Inquisitive

    April 5, 2012 at 1:58 pm

    Polls are imperfect. However EA are horrible and this is backlash for their poor treatment of customers.

    Reply
37. 

    JellyArrow

    April 5, 2012 at 2:09 pm

    Lol. You gotta love angry nerds. This is one reason I avoid labels such as “gamer” like the plague. Don’t want yourself lumped in with these fuckin’ loony tunes. I do wonder what will get “gamers” all butthurt next. What company or individual will find themselves in the firing line of these noble keyboard warriors?

    Reply
    1. 

       JackFrost

       April 5, 2012 at 2:30 pm

       Ones that make bad products. I’ve never heard anyone complain about games like Cave Story.

       Reply
38. 

    Rangerage

    April 5, 2012 at 2:13 pm

    Maybe they should take this as a sign the more hardcore audience is displeased and do something to try and get them back on their side, for who else does better marketing than your die-hard fans?

    Reply
39. 

    Dan

    April 5, 2012 at 2:15 pm

    Yes. This was a fair and legitimate poll conducted by a neutral party.
    If you scream about how gamers are entitled and that the poll was rigged, well guess what? Democracy proves that the majority felt EA is worse than BoA. If gamers are entitled I guess that means homeowners are, too.

    Reply
    1. 

       alphamone

       April 5, 2012 at 2:25 pm

       Why yes, homeowners are LEGALY entitled not to be foreclosed on when they are paying their debts, thereby fulfilling their obligations under the loan they have with the bank.

       Reply
    2. 

       Joshy206

       April 5, 2012 at 5:59 pm

       The majority of people who voted, not the majority of people. I highly doubt the sample space of voters shares the exact same percentage of different groups as the global population.

       Reply
40. 

    Fact

    April 5, 2012 at 2:20 pm

    This is beautiful and I think they do deserve it. OH BTW. If you want EA to really hurt, spread the truth about TOR. How it has a 1 second global delay. How both factions use THE SAME STORYLINE.

    EA invested about 500 million into the game and the servers are underpopulated and they have undercover marketers going around all the sites doing damage control trolling by derailing threads, backing up EA games and their cancerous practices of nickle and diming people while trying to assure people everything is fine with the games.

    Reply
    1. 

       Scott

       April 5, 2012 at 4:26 pm

       A 1 second global delay!? When you encounter a real problem in life, you’re gonna be so fucked ..

       Reply
41. 

    Luke

    April 5, 2012 at 2:40 pm

    Fuck off EA beat Activision in this award…. I disagree with some of the things EA do, in particular on disc “DLC” but craptivision are the biggest money whores in the industry

    Reply
    1. 

       McGarnical

       April 5, 2012 at 3:04 pm

       Activision shuttered Bizarre Creations. I can’t forgive that.

       Reply
42. 

    JackFrost

    April 5, 2012 at 2:42 pm

    Also, read the list of companies that were facing off. None of them were weapon manufactures, drug companies or anything of that sort. They’re all the types that offer “first world” services to CONSUMERS.

    Reply
    1. 

       Matthew K

       April 5, 2012 at 3:50 pm

       What’s your point? That the title of worst company in America is pretty misleading since it was only based around companies that produce consumer product? Why yes, that’s an excellent point.

       Oh, that’s not what you meant? Sorry, found it too hard to care.

       Reply
       1. 

          JackFrost

          April 5, 2012 at 11:53 pm

          Why don’t you read the name of the website before you wonder why they don’t deal with non-comsumer products like Halliburton?

          The Consumerist. I mean really, it’s right there in big bold letters. This is a site that has always dealt with customer service and consumer affairs. You know, the thing that EA has been lacking recently?

          At least with BofA you know they’re shady if you read the news. You can hardly do the same with EA as any attempt to criticize how they ripped you off is vehemently defended by the gaming media. The same media that uses strawmen to make it look like people are mad about something trivial as romance options, not accidentally having your account banned on their forum because you posted on a bad thread, causing you to lose access to the game you paid a monthly fee for.

          Reply
          1. 

             JackFrost

             April 6, 2012 at 3:14 pm

             Also please watch this:
             http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR6-u8OIJTE

             What a great company! I can’t wait to see how else you defend them when clearly they know nothing other than how to rip consumers off and treat them like shit.

             Reply
43. 

    HET

    April 5, 2012 at 3:03 pm

    Bank of America has won this poll for the last few years in a row. Everyone knows they’re evil (in as much as it’s evil to take property from people who who borrowed from you knowing they couldn’t afford to pay you back). “Winning” this poll would have done nothing to attract additional attention to them, and they wouldn’t have cared anyway.

    On the other hand, EA winning this poll has shone a spotlight on their scummy business practices and mistreatment of their employees. And despite their attempts to nonchalantly dismiss the poll as no big deal, you can bet EA cares about a possible negative PR crisis as they are much more subject to the whims of the market than a bank that the government will bail out of any financial trouble.

    Reply
44. 

    Chibi Kami

    April 5, 2012 at 3:10 pm

    Day 1 DLC, in this instance, is like if a weapons manufacturer sold you a gun, and told you that for an additional charge you could have the firing pin.

    Reply
45. 

    Anon

    April 5, 2012 at 3:23 pm

    You do know that EA has been sued for pretty much treating their employees like slaves, right? And the fact that they mercilessly buy out and gut the competition, Nickle and Dime loyal customers, introduce spyware, blatantly lie in PR, and some would even say pay off reviewers (TOR comes to mind). They may not be the worst company in America compared to BoA, but just THINK a minute. EVERYONE already knows that the Tobacco Industry, Guns, and Banks are evil. THEY ALREADY KNOW. EA -Needs- to be brought into the spotlight. BoA has won it 4 years in a row, do they care if they won it again? I doubt it. But EA needs to see how their practices are hurting the industry as a whole.

    Reply
46. 

    John

    April 5, 2012 at 3:41 pm

    Mr Lien if your mental capacity is so low that a company is simply evil for “making guns” you have no business in journalism.

    Reply
    1. 

       Matthew K

       April 5, 2012 at 3:52 pm

       That’s Ms. Lien. Your suggestion that Tracey considers gun manufacturers evil is a strawman? What if Tracey just doesn’t like guns? Pretty sure that’s not a crime, and it would explain why she’d downvote a gun manufacturer, hypothetically speaking.

       Reply
       1. 

          John

          April 5, 2012 at 3:57 pm

          Its not a crime, it just shows that you are not very intelligent. Disagreeing with what someone does does not make them evil by default.

          Reply
          1. 

             Arky

             April 5, 2012 at 4:11 pm

             Hi Mr NRA member! It just shows you aren’t very intelligent if you’ve rushed to criticize without even checking whether the person you’re criticizing is male or female.

             Tracey didn’t say weapons manufacturers are evil just making weapons anymore than she said oil companies are evil just for producing oil (you did notice that weapons manufacturers weren’t the only type of company mentioned, didn’t you?). But there are well known examples of weapons companies with very iffy practices, just as there are well known examples of oil companies with very iffy practices.

             Reply
             1. 

                John

                April 5, 2012 at 4:27 pm

                Well now we know I won the argument if all you can do is name call.

          2. 

             Matthew K

             April 5, 2012 at 4:12 pm

             Again, she never said they were evil, and even if we entertained that assumption how would it make her unintelligent?

             Your strawman argument and ad hominem attacks force me to conclude you’re just trolling now. If you’re not trolling, then you’re extremely poor at constructing or taking part in a rational debate, which is unexpected from someone so eager to make judgements with respect to relative intelligence.

             Reply
             1. 

                John

                April 5, 2012 at 4:30 pm

                Lien claims companies are bad based on what they produce instead of the decisions they make.

                “Guns and oil and much more evil than video games!” is the entire argument put forth.

             2. 

                Azza

                April 5, 2012 at 4:38 pm

                Relax buddy, it’s a throw away comment contrasting a video games publisher against more serious issues. Go and douche somewhere else.

             3. 

                Joshy206

                April 5, 2012 at 6:05 pm

                “Lien claims companies are bad based on what they produce instead of the decisions they make.”

                Of course it’s based on what they produce! They don’t accidentally produce stuff, they do it willingly and on purpose.

             4. 

                John

                April 6, 2012 at 2:49 am

                If that is your thought process then you prove my point. Guns are not evil, producing guns is not evil, selling guns is not evil.

                It does not matter if you are making guns, oil, medicine, or candy. All that matters for being a terrible/evil company is what you do with what you produce and how you produce it. For example if you treat your workers poorly like apple does, or if you fire people for a bottom line, or if you plain do illegal things.

                EA steals, lies, insults, and plain hates their customers. They buy companies, run them into the ground for quick cash, and then close the studio and fire everyone. They are destroying peoples lives and setting back the whole industry with their money; They deserve this award.

                If you are judging a company based on the product instead of the company you are mentally deficient.

    2. 

       Joshy206

       April 5, 2012 at 6:02 pm

       “Mr Lien”

       HER mental capacity is low?

       Reply
       1. 

          John

          April 6, 2012 at 2:38 am

          I apologize that I judge people based on what they say instead of what gender they are.

          Reply
47. 

    John

    April 5, 2012 at 3:43 pm

    Breaking News: People who play video games routinely troll online polls!

    L-Block is the best character ever! Moot is the most influential person in the world! Also, delicious marble cake recipes!

    More at 11.

    Reply
48. 

    adcret7

    April 5, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    Ok first of all BoA won 3 TIMES IN A ROW and what did they do? Did they change everything? NOPE they basically said “SCREW IT!” and didn’t care. So why nominate a company that doesn’t care? This is an informal poll. It’s sole purpose is to inform people of a bad company and give the company bad PR so they will hopefully change BoA DIDN’T change so its high time to humiliate another company and make them change

    Reply
49. 

    Gen

    April 5, 2012 at 4:17 pm

    It’s about time gamers struck back for being called “entitled” after we were blatantly lied to about a product when we were promised multiple endings based on our choices, but then got the “Pick your ending” option.

    Sure, you can argue other companies are much worse, but that still doesn’t invalidate how many people rose up to say that they were disappointed with how they’ve been treated by EA: Bent over with our knickers on the floor.

    Reply
50. 

    Insidious

    April 5, 2012 at 4:18 pm

    “If you were to ask me which company I think should be voted the worst, I would probably name an oil or mining company, or a weapons manufacturer. Heck, I’d even list a pharmaceutical company before listing EA!”

    Damn it sure is funny how that guy from EA said that exact same thing on twitter. EA is getting what they deserve, they’ve screwed over customers left and right and sites like this one help them cover it up. This is going to continue and there is nothing they can do about it. All the counter claims and arguments don’t matter they are being exposed and made a mockery of. DEAL WITH IT.

    Reply
51. 

    Scott

    April 5, 2012 at 4:25 pm

    This just proves that the kind of sad people with the time to vote on stupid polls are also likely to be jaded RPG fans. I think the people who a smart enough to hate oil companies have better things to do with their life than getting their neckbeards ruffled about video game fiction

    Reply
52. 

    King Bee

    April 5, 2012 at 4:58 pm

    it’s fair, they are the worst company in the world

    Reply
53. 

    Just another gamer.

    April 5, 2012 at 5:50 pm

    Also, as a side note, I’d just like to say, people who are saying that EA is not that bad of a company compared to say various oil companies or banks or what have you that are actually ‘serious issues’ are missing the point.

    EA is the illustration of what all those companies are doing, screwing over the people there supposed to be helping, all in the name of making more cash. It’s all about avarice. Every company in America is soaking in it right now.

    Reply
54. 

    Peacemaker

    April 5, 2012 at 9:01 pm

    i agree that the demographic of the voters would significantly sway the results. it should have been subdivided into different areas; eg mining software and banking but that would have been sensible. EA is an evil company. they have ruined the sims franchise, NFS, all sports orientated franchises just for the sake of the all mighty dollar. they are pushing consumers into digital downloads without adequate support and constantly release bug riddled games that can rival Bethesda with skyrim when looking at TS3. they also take their time releasing patches only when a new EP or SP is released which more often then not recreates more problems then it fixes. they also deny any responsibility and when you contact them their common solution for ‘fixing’ the game is to unistall and re-install.
    also don’t get me started on the pornography and associated trolling that is still plaguing their forums. they are only interested in making money and will do anything to get it. even if it means forcing products and tech which comes off as half done onto the consumer. yes they are evil in their own way but should be compared to other similar companies not banks and other industries

    Reply
55. 

    Non Apologist

    April 6, 2012 at 10:20 am

    Oh god, these comments…

    Keep saving face “Gamers.” I’m sure your favorite company is definitely giving you guys a big thumbs up over how good, little sheeple you all are!

    Fun fact: Bank of America has been winning said award for YEARS! Guess what did they do? Turned over a new leaf? Please, tell me, I’m happily waiting for your witty rebukes!

    Reply