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EA's downfall

K

Kazlin

Guest
EA for years has had some of the best community games there was TSO and Earth and beyond. But the last 5 years the company has gone down hill.They just recently bought bioware and mystic studios who runs DAOC and bringing you WAR as well. Well the reason i am posting this is because i have never in my lifetime seen so much stupidity on a companys part first they get rid of earth and beyond imo was a great game and now they bump TSO because they dont care about there community.When this gets aired enough i hope the two new companys they got watch there backs.Bioware is comeing out with a KOTOR MMO and the way EA handle's things when things are rough is whats gonna put them under.EQ1 has been going stong for 10 years now although the last 4 years have been a little rough for them because of WoW and EQ2 but the game is still there.EA is the worse company imo and i will never buy another game from them again console or PC and i myself buy about 50-75 games a year. TSO was one of the best community games i have ever played everyone was friendly and actually grew closer to each other over the years. Now for the head of TSO that stated that TSO never exsisted she must be a moron. and i knew this would happen again because now this proves my thorey yet again about how bad a company EA is. im glad to see most if not all the devs from TSo AKA EA-Lands left althought im sure the coperate bull heads dont really care about there employee's like they dont about there customers evan though we are the reason they are in there seats in the first place.once Bioware is done with there game i hope both them and lucas arts give EA no power over the game at all same with mythic studios because it will happen there as well.And im sorry about postiong this but it has to be aired it has been a concern for alot of ppl in the past about EA. :rant2:
 
M

MARCIN2006

Guest
EA for years has had some of the best community games there was TSO and Earth and beyond. But the last 5 years the company has gone down hill.They just recently bought bioware and mystic studios who runs DAOC and bringing you WAR as well. Well the reason i am posting this is because i have never in my lifetime seen so much stupidity on a companys part first they get rid of earth and beyond imo was a great game and now they bump TSO because they dont care about there community.When this gets aired enough i hope the two new companys they got watch there backs.Bioware is comeing out with a KOTOR MMO and the way EA handle's things when things are rough is whats gonna put them under.EQ1 has been going stong for 10 years now although the last 4 years have been a little rough for them because of WoW and EQ2 but the game is still there.EA is the worse company imo and i will never buy another game from them again console or PC and i myself buy about 50-75 games a year. TSO was one of the best community games i have ever played everyone was friendly and actually grew closer to each other over the years. Now for the head of TSO that stated that TSO never exsisted she must be a moron. and i knew this would happen again because now this proves my thorey yet again about how bad a company EA is. im glad to see most if not all the devs from TSo AKA EA-Lands left althought im sure the coperate bull heads dont really care about there employee's like they dont about there customers evan though we are the reason they are in there seats in the first place.once Bioware is done with there game i hope both them and lucas arts give EA no power over the game at all same with mythic studios because it will happen there as well.And im sorry about postiong this but it has to be aired it has been a concern for alot of ppl in the past about EA. :rant2:

Paragraphs please lol....

EA is not the worst company of all, its the largest, with the most customers, which makes it seem like the worst. But I guarantee that if another company ever becomes as big as EA, it will have the same type of criticism.


Now for the head of TSO that stated that TSO never exsisted she must be a moron. and i knew this would happen again because now this proves my thorey yet again about how bad a company EA is
Nancy Smith, the woman you are refering to. Is not the "Head of TSO" she is the Head Director of EVERY SIMS GAME RELEASED OR IN PRODUCTION. She probably forgot about The Sims Online long ago.

EA is the worse company imo and i will never buy another game from them again console or PC and i myself buy about 50-75 games a year.
Really ? 50 - 75 games a year? You must have a vast collection of video games, not to mention a big wallet, how about you go and look at the publisher of each game. How much do you want to bet that at least 40% of all the games you have are either created & published or just published/distributed by Electronic Arts (EA) or their divisions (Maxis, EA Mythic, BioWare, etc...)?

Bioware is done with there game i hope both them and lucas arts give EA no power over the game at all same with mythic studios because it will happen there as well.And im sorry about postiong this but it has to be aired it has been a concern for alot of ppl in the past about EA. :rant2:
I believe BioWare is already owned by EA games and I know that EA Mythic (Mythic Studios) is already owned by EA that's why its called EA Mythic, thus they get their funding from EA and its developers & employees are paid by EA, so EA has unlimited power over them.

Lucas Arts, is an Independent (and very profitable) company, if George Lucas continues to privately hold the company, I am sure they will not be bought out by EA.


People, The Sims Online / EA-Land is over! That is it... Their is nothing left except this community and the many memories of the past, what 5 or 6 years now?

It was JUST a video game, you can not get obsessed about a video game. IF you are, then you need to shut down your computer and go out to the real world. I understand that everyone made very many friends, but their is no reason you can not just chat on AIM, YIM, etc...! You can go to other free online games if you wish.

The Sims Online will never be back, however we never know if they ever plan on making a sims related online multi-player game.

My advice, just ****ing whining in-front of the computer how bad EA was/is. Because as long as they continue to make billions, they will not go away. Shut of you computer and go outside and if you cant do that, then you need help.


Also, btw, prof-reading posts before posting helps make your argument and your self alot more convincing. No offense intended...!
 
K

Katheryne

Guest
Marcin, although your points are valid, I would suggest you study up on the stages of dealing with death or significant loss (yes, TSO was a significant part of a lot of peoples' lives) before getting overly critical with others' posts.
 
G

GRINCH

Guest
It's not EA games that is having a downfall. It was tso. People, you have to remember that EA is a business. And with all businesses, if something is not making a profit and is losing money, they get rid of it. You can complain, gripe, moan, be pissy all you want but the fact remains. Tso was losing money.

Imagine yourself running a business. If there was part of it losing you money, would you want to get rid of it or stop doing that particular service?
Of course you would.
 
M

MARCIN2006

Guest
Marcin, although your points are valid, I would suggest you study up on the stages of dealing with death or significant loss (yes, TSO was a significant part of a lot of peoples' lives) before getting overly critical with others' posts.
I already know the stages of death or loss. I have no need to study them!

* Denial
* Anger
* Bargaining
* Depression
* Acceptance

But this is a video game!!!! Really, TSO was fun, but it can be easily duplicated.

IMO it is totally different! Every single one of us knew that the end would come, every thing good must end. The same thing with WoW one day it will become a past fab and will shut down.


When some one comes to a point of being obsessed with a video game and its ultimate closure, it is a sign that they must get off the computer. Its not healthy to fall into a depression over a video game!

IMO, I do not see a need for any complaining right now, I'd rather share the memories than complain about EA!

In my mind I do not see how TSO could be significant. All I can comprehend is that it was a source of enjoyment or an escape for the real world (which is at times good and bad). In my mind, significant means something life-changing the only thing that was (for me) significant was a short addiction to the game!

This is just my opinion.... I'm sorry to criticize the obvious (at least obvious to me) and I have no intention of hurting anyone.

The point I am trying to make is.

Stop complaining about EA... its getting old... since the first day of TSO someones been complaining about EA.
 
M

MARCIN2006

Guest
It's not EA games that is having a downfall. It was tso. People, you have to remember that EA is a business. And with all businesses, if something is not making a profit and is losing money, they get rid of it. You can complain, gripe, moan, be pissy all you want but the fact remains. Tso was losing money.

Imagine yourself running a business. If there was part of it losing you money, would you want to get rid of it or stop doing that particular service?
Of course you would.
Exactly!
 
R

Renee TSO

Guest
Also dont forget someone as high up as Nancy doesnt say things on her own. People "tell" her what to say. For all we know she wanted to say something about TSO but someone much higher(with their finger on the pulse of her job) said "ummm no that will make EA look bad". Better yet im sure shes handed what to say for each interview, she doesnt even have to think about it. Plus you dont get as high up as her by causeing conflict.

I agree, EA could have done so much more. I think about it all of the time and have thought about it in the past. It had so much potental(eh sound it out) As always, the biggest wigs, only seen the money loss or the same old bottom line.

If i were queen for a day at EA i would have done so much with this game. Heck if any one of my ideas would have worked it would have looked awesome for EA's already in the toilet image.

I feel your pain and understand your anger and fustration
 
D

Donavan

Guest
Also, btw, prof-reading posts before posting helps make your argument and your self alot more convincing. No offense intended...!
Good advice, perhaps you should consider it.

....and... not to denigrate your psychological assessment of the players of TSO, but considering the stark and uncaring way the problems with TSO were handled (or, in some cases, not handled at all), and the 'punch-in-the-nose' way in which it was ended, I would say EA has earned every bit of the criticism they are receiving.
Saying that it's just business makes no sense if they are alienating the very customers that they depend on.
Letting them off the hook without filling their ears with the criticism they deserve would be a crime, IMO.

Yes, it's just a game, and yes, we should (and will) move on, and I won't say I'll never buy another EA product, but I'll guarantee that it had better be a kick-*ss game before I do.

:thumbsup:
 
D

Donavan

Guest
Hehe.
My wife calls EA "The Soup Nazi" of video game companies.

Very apt. :D
 
G

Gilly

Guest
In the financial world, they call companies that totally dominate their sectors, Gorilla's, in honor of the old joke:

"Where does a 500 lb. gorilla sleep?"
"Anywhere he wants!"

EA Games has been the Gorilla* in the game sector since the 90's.

Eventually, EA's bad customer service management and ham handedness with online games, will have to be acknowledged and improved or it will bite them in the ass, financially....but not anytime soon, and not just because they closed TSO. :(





*Microsoft is a Gorilla and Google wrested Gorilla status from Yahoo, as other examples.
 
G

Gilmore

Guest
EA is ****ing garbage, simple as that.

They're all *******.
 

Studly

Grand Inquisitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
now they bump TSO because they dont care about there community
Hell I could of told you that back in 2002. During Beta testing and near the offical launch we were telling EA and Maxis not to go gold. It was not ready. That is when TSO was starting to die. People came and played for a couple months and then Left and the flow of people quiting the game was more than what was coming into the game because it was still really buggy and not enough content in the game.
 
G

Gracie Nito

Guest
Considering the fact that TSO actually died by 2004, I found it remarkable that EA kept the ghostly servers running for another 4 years. Actually just 3 years and a final attempt of ressurection was made the 4th year.

Shutting down TSO earlier may have done harm to the Sims franchise. Remember, EA still wanted to sell all those SIMS2 expansions. The negative publicity from the failure of TSO might have affected those sales if they shut down the servers earlier.

Let's look at the big picture here. By the time they shut down the servers, there were so few TSO customers left that it wouldn't make that big an impact on future EA Games at all. Even the gaming world had forgotten that TSO existed. The Sims Online had been distanced from the Sims franchise for years. TSO failed 4 years ago and most gamers had already moved on.

Some of us just hung around because we were still having fun. It was cheap entertainment.

EA might be good at packaging and marketing a product but I have no confidence in their ability to be invovled in any MMO or online community. Even in twilight hours of shutting down the servers, their continuous billing and inability to send out emails to customers as promised just proved to me that they are lacking when it comes to dealing with live communities. Their telephone support was complained about for 5 years by anyone that had a problem. Their online support was a maze of complications that if you managed to navigate through all the doors you had a 50/50 chance of getting help.

I don't plan to reward EA with any of my money anytime soon. I won't even be using their silly $15 gift.
 
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