May I rant on the suckage that is Electronic Arts?

[chargerrich]

First you monopolize the NFL console market by using dollars, not any coding skill or fundamental understanding of football, to eliminate take two (or anyone else) from creating a competitive NFL game. So it is bad enough that this leaves us with Madden 09 which sucks and is still a FAR inferior product to NFL 2k5 which was released 5 freaking years ago!

But now you (indirectly) eliminate take two's fantastic College Hoops 2k series by outlandishly bidding up the NCAA licenses with CLC (collegiate licensing corporation) and of course your NCAA 09 title (they dropped march madness because there are no competitors anymore) sucks balls.

Yeah I know I am a little late on this, but I caught the fever and wanted to play some hoops... bit the bullet and bought the EA product... DRECK! Back to College Hoops 2k8 which is still light years ahead of the 09 product. Never again.

EA's business practices are borderline criminal and their products generally range from blow to mediocre with few exceptions. With all the money you might think they could at least BE GOOD at their craft while monopolizing the market like Blizzard (who do so with a superior product not lawyers, leverage and a corporate checkbook).

It is funny but all it would take is for one year, people to stop buying their weak ass products for them to actually work on making the product better.

Screw you EA...

[schild]

Sports games.

I suppose though, you can buy anything with money - except taste.

[Sky]

all it would take is for one year, people to stop buying their weak ass products for them to actually work on making the product better.

I disagree with this statement.

[schild]

all it would take is for one year, people to stop buying their weak ass products for them to actually work on making the product better.

I disagree with this statement.

Mostly because people didn't buy shit for EA products in 2008. It's not something you can disagree with, it's pretty much fact. In 2008 the only good game they released was Dead Space, and it sold... OK. It was Madden's worst-performing yar and Mirror's Edge did just a cut above decent, mostly because it featured an asian chick as a lead and it was "different" enough.

Sports games however? Not worth bitching about. Wrong place, wrong crowd, wrong reasons to dislike them.

[Cyrrex]

With the possible exception of Fight Night R3, I cannot think of a current gen sports game that is significantly better than any sports game I played back in the early 90s.  Some may be moderately better, and they all have Teh Shiney, but they're still ultimately exactly the fucking same. 

That may be to extreme a stance, but yeah.

[HaemishM]

Of course sports games are mostly the same. It's sports... all sports games fans want (including me) is for the game to look marginally better than last year, have current rosters and not be buggy as fuck. We'd prefer if they cost less, but really, we're dumb enough to keep paying full price for engine tweaks and DB file upgrades. I will say that the FIFA series has improved since I started buying it, but the Madden's have devolved.

[Segoris]

I will say that the FIFA series has improved since I started buying it, but the Madden's have devolved.

This. I'm not even a soccer fan, but the FIFA series has always been fun and always improving.

PS: Fuck EA, WTB a new Tecmo Bowl :(

[LK]

mostly because it featured an asian chick as a lead

Are you saying games sell better with an asian chick as a lead, or because the type of people who would buy games (i.e. nerds) prefer asian chicks as leads?

Note, this is from someone that typically customizes his character to be an asian chick.

[Segoris]

mostly because it featured an asian chick as a lead

Are you saying games sell better with an asian chick as a lead, or because the type of people who would buy games (i.e. nerds) prefer asian chicks as leads?

I think both, since they walk the same path.

[Sky]

Mostly because people didn't buy shit for EA products in 2008. It's not something you can disagree with, it's pretty much fact. In 2008 the only good game they released was Dead Space, and it sold... OK. It was Madden's worst-performing yar and Mirror's Edge did just a cut above decent, mostly because it featured an asian chick as a lead and it was "different" enough.

Sports games however? Not worth bitching about. Wrong place, wrong crowd, wrong reasons to dislike them.

You think that EA will start producing good games now? You think a weak year of sales will mean a better Madden next year? That is the quote I disagreed with.

I'd say a shitty year of Madden sales means they'll just do some big celebritard media blitz this year. Not do something dumb like improve the game when they have a lock on the genre. But, according to you, Madden will be a better game due to weak sales last year. I'll be looking forward to that fact.  Also, if their first party shit starts selling sluggishly, they'll buy up some other studio, not improve what they have. It's EA. It's what they do.

And I don't see why it's the wrong place or crowd, there are a bunch of us who were big 2k fans and pissed about EA locking down football and sending it straight down the shitter.

[schild]

But, according to you, Madden will be a better game due to weak sales last year.

What in the holy fuck are you babbling about? Seriously. What are you reading? Where did you read that? What?

Madden is universally shit and will continue to be shit, their core demographic just happened to be broke as fuck this year, that being People Who Can't Really Play Football.

EA is a third party, what do you mean by first party? Every studio they own is part of EA, I don't understand.

Football was already down the shitter. You should just welcome your new Dead Space Overlords and stop buying sports games.

[HaemishM]

Football was already down the shitter. You should just welcome your new Dead Space Overlords and stop buying sports games.

That would be like you stopping the purchase of games with pre-teen Japanese girls in short skirts who happen to be possessed by (or fighting) demons.

[sigil]

FIFA has improved. Fight Night has been impressive.

Everything Else? Total shit.

[Rasix]

The skate games are both good stuff, although skate 2 was more of a mixed bag considering it added a lot to the original game but was a bit more new player unfriendly and they failed to address some of the flaws of the original.  Still, I'd consider either the best sports game I've played in years.

Kind of a moot point, since I think Black Box is now defunct and wholey absorbed into EA, and I don't know if EA will continue the series.

[Yegolev]

Has anyone summarized this yet?  People who buy sports games are, as Haem said, buying licensed franchises with current rosters.  Not slightly-more-compelling sequels to compelling console games.  The unsaid part is that the fans really don't give half a shit about the quality of the game as long as they have a copy where Farve isn't back with Green Bay and Warren Sapp is roasting Larry the Cable Guy.  I'm even calling bullshit on the "improved graphics" line.  It's like how I had to buy Persona 3 FES even though I had not finished Persona 3: irrational fanhood.  Given that, EA has absolutely zero incentive to spend any time or effort on a sports title beyond getting the license and updating the rosters.

Except for waggle, they had to add that.

[chargerrich]

Has anyone summarized this yet?  People who buy sports games are, as Haem said, buying licensed franchises with current rosters.  Not slightly-more-compelling sequels to compelling console games.  The unsaid part is that the fans really don't give half a shit about the quality of the game as long as they have a copy where Farve isn't back with Green Bay and Warren Sapp is roasting Larry the Cable Guy.  I'm even calling bullshit on the "improved graphics" line.  It's like how I had to buy Persona 3 FES even though I had not finished Persona 3: irrational fanhood.  Given that, EA has absolutely zero incentive to spend any time or effort on a sports title beyond getting the license and updating the rosters.

Except for waggle, they had to add that.

While I certainly cannot say that I speak for all sports gamers, I do think, specifically with football, that there are two very different camps. There are those that like to play head to head in short competitive games with friends (ala Madden Challenge) and there are those you really enjoy the whole "sim" experience with deep draft models, exceptional stats, record keeping, et al to go along with the playing of games.

While Madden falls flat on its face in the latter, one could argue that this style falls completely out of the "madden demographic". That is where the 2k series shined and now is gone.

I would agree to a point that Sports franchises are the closest thing in gaming to printing money and it becomes very easy for a developer to get lazy. Can you imagine how Gears of War 2 or Halo 2 would have been received if they took the same approach that EA does to Madden (and most of their sports franchises)?

[FatuousTwat]

I haven't played a sports game since FIFA 04. Wow... I should get some kind of basketball game for 360.

[Sky]

all it would take is for one year, people to stop buying their weak ass products for them to actually work on making the product better.

I disagree with this statement.

It's not something you can disagree with, it's pretty much fact.

You said sales sucked in 2008. Since I can't disagree with the fact that chargerich posted, EA will be producing some better products now. Did you read the quote I disagreed with? There were two parts to it.

[sigil]

I haven't played a sports game since FIFA 04. Wow... I should get some kind of basketball game for 360.

If you like FIFA at all you should pick up 09.  The physics and animations have greatly improved. Through balls and diagonal runs work really well now, as does crossing and  ball handling in general. Be a pro is great, but I've burned out on it after four seasons of Be a Pro.

[Cylus]

Mostly because people didn't buy shit for EA products in 2008. It's not something you can disagree with, it's pretty much fact. In 2008 the only good game they released was Dead Space, and it sold... OK. It was Madden's worst-performing yar and Mirror's Edge did just a cut above decent, mostly because it featured an asian chick as a lead and it was "different" enough.

Sports games however? Not worth bitching about. Wrong place, wrong crowd, wrong reasons to dislike them.

NFS: Underground?  Shit product, sold very well...

[Azazel]

Picked up FIFA 09 a couple weeks ago. At some point soon I intend to open it and try it out...

[Mosesandstick]

It's really fun. I haven't tried Pro Evo 09, but Fifa 09 is on another level completely compared to Pro Evo 08.

[UnSub]

With all the money you might think they could at least BE GOOD at their craft while monopolizing the market like Blizzard (who do so with a superior product not lawyers, leverage and a corporate checkbook).

This is a highly arguable statement, especially since Blizzard has used lawyers, leverage and a huge corporate checkbook to get where they are today.

[ashrik]

I'd let the corporate checkbook comment go, as it seems obvious that a massive stockpile of gold bullions helped Blizz get to where they are today. But lawyers and leverage? Who have they muscled out of the game, aside from freeshards/pirates and gold sellers?

[UnSub]

Blizzard have had no issue in sending lawyers after fans and a major internet argument is exactly how much leverage they got out of the Warcraft brand for WoW.

Given that Blizzard IS the PC games industry at this point, they've got more leverage than they'll ever need. Are the actively blocking products through licensing? No, but they don't have to - MMOs get canned for not being able to live up to WoW and few new MMOs are coming out in the high fantasy genre (that weren't first announced a good few years ago).

[Sky]

If they didn't have good lawyers, they couldn't rip off Games Workshop so blatantly imo.

[WayAbvPar]

It's really fun. I haven't tried Pro Evo 09, but Fifa 09 is on another level completely compared to Pro Evo 08.

I wish FIFA would get their franchise mode as deep and interesting as the Master League in PES. I actually really liked taking a lower tier team of nobodies and trying to move them up the ladder. It looks like FIFA 2010 is going go concentrate on 11v11 online play, which has potential to be incredibly fun (if they avoid the pitfalls that NHL09 discovered with EASHL). I would still like a deep franchise mode for when I don't feeling like dealing with asshats online. I think they are working on BAP offline mode as well, but we shall see.

[Zaljerem]

Ah, good old Electronic Arts. Born in the early eighties, EA originally courted developers by promising them higher royalties, a "rock star"-like image, a more hacker-driven culture, the ability to produce "art". I remember when they put out quality games in their record sleeve-style packaging. Starflight ... the various Construction Sets ... M.U.L.E. ....

They released their IPO in 1989 and quickly went the way of all large corporate entities: conservative, litigious, ravenous (they scooped up, chewed up, and spit out a number of quality houses such as Origin, Maxis, Westwood ... burned them down or turned them into one trick ponies), contemptuous of their own customers, DRM-happy, ruthless. Great businessmen and suit-wearin'-motherfuckers. Good games, not so much.

Now, their MO is to release the same game over and over again. That or break a full game into as many possible "expansion packs" as they are able, to soak gamers for as much money as possible. Get those sweatshop programmers back to work, they haven't made their 80 hours a week yet.

Fuck EA and fuck paying another $60 for a roster update and a bit more detail on the crowd in the background (I can see Joe-Bob spilling a beer on his buddy and getting into a fistfight! WOOOOOOOO-WEEEEEEEEEEEEE!)

[Sky]

Hey, thanks for catching everyone up on the history of EA!

[Velorath]

Ah, good old Electronic Arts. Born in the early eighties, EA originally courted developers by promising them higher royalties, a "rock star"-like image, a more hacker-driven culture, the ability to produce "art". I remember when they put out quality games in their record sleeve-style packaging. Starflight ... the various Construction Sets ... M.U.L.E. ....

They released their IPO in 1989 and quickly went the way of all large corporate entities: conservative, litigious, ravenous (they scooped up, chewed up, and spit out a number of quality houses such as Origin, Maxis, Westwood ... burned them down or turned them into one trick ponies), contemptuous of their own customers, DRM-happy, ruthless. Great businessmen and suit-wearin'-motherfuckers. Good games, not so much.

Now, their MO is to release the same game over and over again. That or break a full game into as many possible "expansion packs" as they are able, to soak gamers for as much money as possible. Get those sweatshop programmers back to work, they haven't made their 80 hours a week yet.

Fuck EA and fuck paying another $60 for a roster update and a bit more detail on the crowd in the background (I can see Joe-Bob spilling a beer on his buddy and getting into a fistfight! WOOOOOOOO-WEEEEEEEEEEEEE!)

I give that rant a 2 out of 10.  It's just the same old shit EA has been doing and people have been complaining about for years, and it seems like an odd time to drag out old rants against EA considering they're putting out more quality product right now than they have in years.

Also, don't want to pay $60 for a roster update?  Great, just stay one year behind the franchise, and you can pick up last year's game dirt cheap when the current game comes out.  You can get Madden '08 for under $10 right now, and like you said, it's not much different than getting Madden '09.  Only people that really need to be upset are the guys who just have to get the current year's game because they need the updated roster, and they really have nobody but themselves to blame for that.

The DRM has been a bit of an issue lately with EA, but it looks like they're starting to recognize the damage they did to Spore with all that, and have announced that they won't be using any online authentication or limited installations for Sims 3.

[Strazos]

EA takes a lot of shit for Madden, as they should....But at least they have been Trying with their NHL franchise, and they still have competition from 2k. Hell, you could say that back in 07, 2k had the better game, but then they went and fucked up the game hard, and EA really improved NHL.

But yeah, who cares about hockey?

[Zaljerem]

I give that rant a 2 out of 10.  It's just the same old shit EA has been doing and people have been complaining about for years, and it seems like an odd time to drag out old rants against EA considering they're putting out more quality product right now than they have in years.

I guess I'm just behind the times. Just saw an EA rant thread and dragged out my old one. Haven't really been paying much attention to the gaming world as of late.

You didn't like the hill-billy "WOOOOO-WEEEE" at the end? 

Also, don't want to pay $60 for a roster update?  Great, just stay one year behind the franchise, and you can pick up last year's game dirt cheap when the current game comes out.  You can get Madden '08 for under $10 right now, and like you said, it's not much different than getting Madden '09.  Only people that really need to be upset are the guys who just have to get the current year's game because they need the updated roster, and they really have nobody but themselves to blame for that.

Don't really play sports games, so I don't pay the money either way.

The DRM has been a bit of an issue lately with EA, but it looks like they're starting to recognize the damage they did to Spore with all that, and have announced that they won't be using any online authentication or limited installations.

Hey, a good move on their part.

[schild]

Ah, good old Electronic Arts. Born in the early eighties, EA originally courted developers by promising them higher royalties, a "rock star"-like image, a more hacker-driven culture, the ability to produce "art". I remember when they put out quality games in their record sleeve-style packaging. Starflight ... the various Construction Sets ... M.U.L.E. ....

They released their IPO in 1989 and quickly went the way of all large corporate entities: conservative, litigious, ravenous (they scooped up, chewed up, and spit out a number of quality houses such as Origin, Maxis, Westwood ... burned them down or turned them into one trick ponies), contemptuous of their own customers, DRM-happy, ruthless. Great businessmen and suit-wearin'-motherfuckers. Good games, not so much.

Now, their MO is to release the same game over and over again. That or break a full game into as many possible "expansion packs" as they are able, to soak gamers for as much money as possible. Get those sweatshop programmers back to work, they haven't made their 80 hours a week yet.

Fuck EA and fuck paying another $60 for a roster update and a bit more detail on the crowd in the background (I can see Joe-Bob spilling a beer on his buddy and getting into a fistfight! WOOOOOOOO-WEEEEEEEEEEEEE!)

Rant sucks. Dead Space was as good as anything EA has EVER put out.

[gryeyes]

Dead space was a fun game no doubt. But in the same league as Starflight? With updated graphics that game would be awesome even today.

[Raguel]

While I certainly cannot say that I speak for all sports gamers, I do think, specifically with football, that there are two very different camps. There are those that like to play head to head in short competitive games with friends (ala Madden Challenge) and there are those you really enjoy the whole "sim" experience with deep draft models, exceptional stats, record keeping, et al to go along with the playing of games.

While Madden falls flat on its face in the latter, one could argue that this style falls completely out of the "madden demographic". That is where the 2k series shined and now is gone.

I play Madden mainly for the franchise mode and IMO 2k was light years ahead. I bought last years version, not knowing the previous year was notorious for corrupted saved games. They still hadn't figured that bug out. I won't buy another game until they get up to speed re: franchise play.