Vapourware LOL ELECTRONIC ARTS: The EA Thread

[Infinitron]

Who knows where these people will turn up now...

 

[DragoFireheart]

Who knows where these people will turn up now...

Proof that no matter how shitty a company can get, people will still give it

 

[Infinitron]

PC FIFA 14 Will Be Previous-Gen Version

Pro Evo Soccer may have won next season’s foot-to-ball battle before it even begins. During an interview with Polygon, Andrew Wilson, executive vice president of EA Sports, revealed that the fancy new ball-jiggling mechanics of the Ignite engine will not be gracing the PC version ofFIFA 14, which will instead be equivalent to the 360 and PS3 editions. Why? Well, PC conversion would be difficult because of the architecture of the next-gen consoles and “how the CPU, GPU and RAM work together in concert in that type of environment.” It’s like an abstract alien factory in there and the conversion wouldn’t be worthwhile because, Wilson claims, using the example of FIFA 11, “the majority of the gamer base that was playing the game on PC did not have a PC spec that would work with that”. Huh.

The last three FIFAs have played almost identically to their top-end console counterparts, although for the first few years of the 360 era, PC versions were tied to original Xbox and PS2 level tech. It looks like that’s going to be the case again, at least for a while. Wilson asked himself about the possibilities.

So could I see the potential for EA Sports Ignite to make it to PC in the future? Yes, I think it’s possible, but a couple of things need to happen. There needs to be some adjustment in terms of how EA Sports Ignite works to facilitate the open nature of PC architecture, rather than the closed nature of console architecture.

 

[Rake]

 

[Major_Blackhart]

Bwahahaha!
This is glorious. The fucks partially responsible for EA's shitstorm now get their comeuppance!
Now, for more to follow.
Though I'll be honest I would have preferred for these fucks to keep their shit jobs so the company continues to bleed money based on their shit reporting and analysis.

 

[Jashiin]

Fifa is shit anyway, and if there's no more pro evo, i'll just quit playing footy games. What's nice about his little speech is ofcourse that every fucking word in there is bullshit. This is just another Microshit deal to fuck over pc and save what little appeal the xbone has left in europe.

 

[Xavier0889]

I played FIFA 94 (or whatever it was that first game), 99, 2002, 2003 and 2005 and they all suffered from the same fatal flaw: stupid controls. Still, some of them had nice soundtracks. So yeah.

 

[Cyberarmy]

Mirror's Edge rape on its way...
http://www.gamespot.com/news/ea-mirrors-edge-sequel-will-reach-a-bigger-group-of-people-6410853
EA: Mirror's Edge sequel will reach "a bigger group of people"

 

[Spectacle]

Mirror's Edge rape on its way...
EA: Mirror's Edge sequel will reach "a bigger group of people"

EA 2015: "Following disappointing sales of Mirror's Edge 2 we have decided to retire the franchise"

 

[Cyberarmy]

Mirror's Edge rape on its way...
EA: Mirror's Edge sequel will reach "a bigger group of people"

EA 2015: "Following disappointing sales of Mirror's Edge 2 we have decided to retire the franchise"

Dead Space 3 all over again...

 

[Delterius]

Mirror's Edge rape on its way...
EA: Mirror's Edge sequel will reach "a bigger group of people"

EA 2015: "Following disappointing sales of Mirror's Edge 2 we have decided to retire the franchise"

Dead Space 3 all over again...

If so, you can expect much free entertainment from Mirror's Edge 3.

Hidden powerups will be considered robbery, nay, straight up murder by then.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Pay2Jump

 

[Jarpie]

What EA doesn't get is that their perceived "All-saving wider audience" doesn't want to play as skinny asian chick running around in odd looking city, they want to play as muscled soldier killing "ragheads" or "commies". As others in here, I predict that Mirror's Edge 2 will be a big flop and EA will bury the franchaise...for 5-6 years and then brings it back and updates "to the modern sensibilities" and fails again.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

So, EA is shit and still shit and not learning?
Good. Good.

 

[Rahdulan]

Mirror's Edge rape on its way...
EA: Mirror's Edge sequel will reach "a bigger group of people"

EA 2015: "Following disappointing sales of Mirror's Edge 2 we have decided to retire the franchise"

Dead Space 3 all over again...

It's actually quite spectacularly puzzling why this keeps happening with EA. Even if your important decision makers come from outside of your industry and have no idea about the products they're making, something that's obviously true when it comes to EA, you just have to look at numbers to see what's working and what isn't working in that particular context. If you want to make a product that most certainly won't reach the mainstream sales numbers, you scale that shit back to manageable size and cater to audience which DID like the original product.

The elusive "wider audience" quickly becomes a myth when you have to gut your game to appease them.

 

[Telengard]

Mirror's Edge rape on its way...
EA: Mirror's Edge sequel will reach "a bigger group of people"

EA 2015: "Following disappointing sales of Mirror's Edge 2 we have decided to retire the franchise"

Dead Space 3 all over again...

It's actually quite spectacularly puzzling why this keeps happening with EA. Even if your important decision makers come from outside of your industry and have no idea about the products they're making, something that's obviously true when it comes to EA, you just have to look at numbers to see what's working and what isn't working in that particular context. If you want to make a product that most certainly won't reach the mainstream sales numbers, you scale that shit back to manageable size and cater to audience which DID like the original product.

The elusive "wider audience" quickly becomes a myth when you have to gut your game to appease them.

What you've stated is a sound long-term strategy. That's not EA's business model, though. They don't care about the long-term viability of the IP. EA acquires IPs, then relies on brand loyalty to keep money coming in from the series' fans, but markets to an entirely different audience, and proceeds to milk as much quick money out of the IP as possible. And when the IP becomes a dried up husk, EA casts it aside and buys up a new IP, and begins milking a whole new audience of brand loyalists.

It's not a pretty way to do business, but it does work. Which is why EA is one of the oldest game companies around. Their IPs might die out, but EA provides their investors with a reliable return on their investments.

 

[Endemic]

To think EA used to make cool stuff:

 

[DramaticPopcorn]

 

[Broseph]

Especially relevant now that DOMA has been repealed here in the Kwa.

 

[Delterius]

I wonder if they stole this from v. You know, just to spite them.

 

[Dexter]

Consequences of Always-Online DRM rear their ugly head: http://www.gametrailers.com/side-mi...-from-steam-plagued-with-game-breaking-issues

Darkspore, the sci-fi action-RPG game from EA and Maxis, has recently been pulled from the Steam store. The product delisting follows months of server problems plaguing the title, resulting in an unplayable game.

Error 73003, the error that pops up that players receive when they can’t login to EA’s servers, is actually a long-standing issue that has persisted since the release of the game in 2011. At one point, new players couldn’t play the game for over nine days because of EA's server issues.

Darkspore requires an internet connection to play the game, which EA says is not intended as a DRM mechanism. Much like Diablo 3, Darkspore requires players to be online even if playing the game solo. Items and experience that are earned in the game are stored on EA’s online servers to be used in online gameplay.

Players weren't thrilled with what appeared to be online DRM back in 2011, and they’re certainly not happy that Darkspore has turned into an unplayable game thanks to it.

Recently, “Error 3” has been popping up in the game, which prevents players from saving any changes made on their heroes. It's a server-side issue and players will have to wait for it to be resolved. Though at this point, it seems like the game will never be truly fixed as it appears EA has abandoned the game long ago.
This announcement is posted on Darkspore’s official forum:

Darkspore is no longer developed. It is for almost all intents & purposes an abandoned title. If you cannot play the game & have flicked through technical issues for any fixes, then contact EA Customer Support; especially if it regards CD-Keys or refunds.​

Error 73003 has gone unfixed & remains an issue.​

Error Code 3 has arisen for the majority/all & remains an issue.​

I will however keep the forums here as clean & tidy as possible in my spare time. Why? Well why not. If it helps anyone with minor problems, or find their way somewhere, then that's great.​

I wish you all luck, no matter what path you choose with Darkspore.​

~Inquisitor Laine​

Steam may have delisted the game after realizing its unplayable state. Trying to load the product page just pushes you back to the storefront. Even with all its problems, the game is still being sold on Origin.

People can expect the same for any game title plagued by this type of DRM if there aren't any "other" unofficial solutions like for instance for the new Sim City, just the lifespans will vary. In the case of this game because it wasn't a big seller it could have a limited lifespan of approximately only 2 years.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

I fucking hate always online DRM.

 

[Turjan]

Somehow, EA has long left the place where watching them was funny. This is just low.

 

[DalekFlay]

EA not giving a damn if their games still work in 5 years is a great support statement for games being an art form.

EA When It Suits Them: "This is art! Beautiful and wonderful culturally important expression!"

EA When The Servers Cost a Dollar: "Fuck that game, let it die and become unplayable."

 

[Night Goat]

I remember seeing previews for Darkspore, and wondering "Who the hell would play this"? Now I know the answer, and the answer is "no one".