SimCity is back, gaming is dead, RIP gaming.

[Paelos]

BofA came in second.

EA's stock has also fallen almost 10% since the news of the CEO change.

[Ingmar]

Yes, which just illustrates how fuckstupid the process is. In this corner, we have a company that made a video game that didn't work! In the other corner, we have basically Satan. Video game company wins. Fuck everything.

[Paelos]

Yes, which just illustrates how fuckstupid the process is. In this corner, we have a company that made a video game that didn't work! In the other corner, we have basically Satan. Video game company wins. Fuck everything.

Oh settle down, you grump.

[jakonovski]

Ya know, I want the bosses at the BPs and Goldman Sachses of the world to get jail time and all their assets controlled by the government, I don't want to give them some silly golden poo award. EA on the other hand is the perfect recipient.

[Sjofn]

You should wish it was the Sims. I can play the Sims offline and it actually works as advertised.

Just you wait until Sims4.

I'll be sure to whine incessantly that they've turned the Sims into SimCity if/when that happens.

[rk47]

Ya know, I want the bosses at the BPs and Goldman Sachses of the world to get jail time and all their assets controlled by the government, I don't want to give them some silly golden poo award. EA on the other hand is the perfect recipient.

If that's real gold, I'd take it. 

[tmp]

Yes, which just illustrates how fuckstupid the process is. In this corner, we have a company that made a video game that didn't work! In the other corner, we have basically Satan. Video game company wins. Fuck everything.

People cast their votes based on their experience as consumers, not on how evil the company is. If BofA services were provided with functionality of EA's offerings (or lack thereof) they'd likely wind up on top.

[Venkman]

That's just stupid consumers though, who don't realize the impact on their lives via the antics of BP and BofA are much more pervasive and insidious than that one game they couldn't play that one time.

People don't get how any of these processes work (game publishing, hedge funds, bank products). But because EA makes "games" and because "well durhh, they're just games so how hard can it be" it's easier to feel more smarterer about them.

That is the reason this vote is dumb.

[Paelos]

The more important vote to watch in EA's case is consumer impact on sales, and shareholder confidence in the company.

The stock vote has continued to trend back down in the aftermath of the CEO shakeup and news. As of now, it's already erased the gains they made from February to news in mid-March.

Right now EA's cash flows suck. In fact they were $286M in the red on their cash due to them dumping $689M into investing activities. Their A/R has continued to rise while "Goodwill" has skyrocketed by almost $600M in one year. Any analyst will tell you that you should absolutely watch out for a company who's largest long term asset on the books is Goodwill. The fact that's EA makes the goodwill asset practically ironic.

[tmp]

That's just stupid consumers though, who don't realize the impact on their lives via the antics of BP and BofA are much more pervasive and insidious than that one game they couldn't play that one time.

People don't get how any of these processes work (game publishing, hedge funds, bank products). But because EA makes "games" and because "well durhh, they're just games so how hard can it be" it's easier to feel more smarterer about them.

That is the reason this vote is dumb.

I think it's simply because they are much more pissed off at being sold broken stuff that doesn't work, than at the potential and insidious negative consequences of the other big business, which are secondary concern to them as long as their credit cards. money transfers and such actually work.

[Malakili]

I don't think it needs any more analysis than the fact that it was probably a poll posted on a bunch of gaming sites where people decided "fuck EA and what they did to Sim CIty so I'm voting for them!"  I highly doubt anyone was thoughtfully considering the options here, its an internet poll.

[Soulflame]

If we're talking worst video game company, I'd like to nominate Sierra.

[UnSub]

If we're talking worst video game company, I'd like to nominate Sierra.

Why?

[Bzalthek]

I read Sierra as Steam and I was o.0

But yeah, why is Sierra the worst game company seeing as they've been shuttered since 2008? 

[Yegolev]

I didn't want to be a hero and they couldn't make me.

[Soulflame]

It was more of a "worst gaming company ever" thing, and a nomination.  Not saying Sierra was the absolute worst, just that I'd like to see them on the slate of candidates.

[Jeff Kelly]

If we're talking about worst video game companies of all time then Ocean needs to be on that list

[Simond]

Consumerist didn't "give" EA the worst company rating, internet sperglords voted it to them, ignoring people like the architects of the financial crisis and such to do so.

They could be the worst video game company ever - hell, maybe they are (but my vote goes to Stardock and will for all time) - and it would still be 100% stupid to give them that award.

Counterpoint: EA might actually give a shit about the award, the bankers almost certainly don't. Therefore EA getting it might have an effect.

[rk47]

That must be why they won twice in a row.

[Merusk]

They cared enough for a senior exec to make a glaringly butthurt "we don't care" press release instead of just ignoring it.

[Paelos]

They cared enough for a senior exec to make a glaringly butthurt "we don't care" press release instead of just ignoring it.

They can't afford to ignore anything at this point. They have been dealing with nothing but terrible press all 2013.

[Fabricated]

Reminder that Nestle doesn't consider water a human right and they didn't get voted worst company.

[Paelos]

Reminder that Nestle doesn't consider water a human right and they didn't get voted worst company.

He's a nutcase, but the next world war is going to be fought over water, not some ideology.

[MrHat]

Reminder that Nestle doesn't consider water a human right and they didn't get voted worst company.

He's a nutcase, but the next world war is going to be fought over water, not some ideology.

[Pennilenko]

"The plot wasn't realistic," people said.

[Soulflame]

I'd love to know which Bond plot was realistic.

[Pennilenko]

I'd love to know which Bond plot was realistic.

Don't be so serious, I was just trying to be funny. I guess I failed at the funny.

[Yegolev]

No, you didn't.

[Gets]

We can all agree there are plenty of awful companies in the world. My vote goes to EA because I knew a kid who worked at customer support. He tried doing the right thing while making minimum wage one too many times and got scolded for it by superiors, eventually getting so depressed he killed himself.

[Merusk]

People who care shouldn't work customer support.  It will break you, just as it did my wife.   Your job is to get people off the phone as quickly as possible with as little actual assistance as possible, not to fix problems.

[jakonovski]

RPS is still fighting the good fight: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/04/22/the-power-of-silence-why-the-simcity-story-went-away/

[Mithas]

The MMO thing still pisses me off.

[Outlawedprod]

Well the Online Lead is moving on.
https://twitter.com/derricks/status/324523902422364160

[Velorath]

We can all agree there are plenty of awful companies in the world. My vote goes to EA because I knew a kid who worked at customer support. He tried doing the right thing while making minimum wage one too many times and got scolded for it by superiors, eventually getting so depressed he killed himself.

I don't mean to be insensitive here, but just from the little bit of information here it seems a pretty big leap to pin this person's suicide on EA. I mean clearly the person had to have had some other issues.

[Modern Angel]

RPS is still fighting the good fight: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/04/22/the-power-of-silence-why-the-simcity-story-went-away/

That's a great read.

I'll repeat: this is a singular scam. I can't think of another combination of high sales, obvious lying, lofty brand name, and revered studio crashing together like this. Certainly not in traditional, non-MMO land.