Two of the most-reviled companies in America — cable colossus Comcast and gaming Goliath Electronic Arts — appear to be working together, presumably to figure out a way to nickel-and-dime customers and then provide them horrible customer service, via a new gaming system that serves up “console-quality” games through Comcast’s set-top boxes. [More]
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EA Will Actually Let Customers Request A Refund On Digital Games Purchased Through Origin
By 8.20.13
Remember five months ago when all those disgruntled Electronic Arts customers were peeved at the launch of SimCity, but barely anyone could get a refund? Of course you remember — it was a smorgasbord of shenanigans and muck-ups, and didn’t go toward easing the sting of EA winning the Worst Company In America tourney for the second year in a row. In what could maybe, possibly indicate that EA has finally learned a little something from those legions of unhappy customers, the company is debuting a new refund program for certain titles purchased from its Origin digital distribution system. [More]
EA: SimCity Is Coming To Mac (For Real, This Time) Aug. 29
By 8.5.13
Isn’t it funny how a company like Electronic Arts (our Worst Company In America for two years running, don’t forget!) can say one thing and then do another? Like when it said the Mac version of the newest SimCity would be released on June 11. It wasn’t, but now the company says the long-delayed game will finally arrive in a digital-only version on Aug. 29. [More]
EA Makes Case That It Shouldn’t Be Part Of Lawsuit Over NCAA Games
By 7.31.13
Even though reigning, two-time Worst Company In America Electronic Arts is no longer in the video game business with the folks at the NCAA, the once-inseparable couple are both defendants in an antitrust lawsuit brought by former college athletes who allege that NCAA-branded games illegally made money from the players’ likenesses. Now EA is distancing itself even further from NCAA, claiming it was just doing what NCAA told it to do. [More]
New Monopoly Teaches Kids The Importance Of Xbox, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and EA!
By 7.26.13
The folks at Hasbro have never had a problem letting everything from towns to universities to movies to big-name commercial brands slap their names on licensed versions of Monopoly, but a new version of the classic board game is unabashedly all about learning the value of today’s biggest fast food, retail, tech, and entertainment companies — everything a growing child needs to get ahead! [More]
EA Definitely Moving On With NCAA-Less College Football Video Games
By 7.19.13
Two days after the NCAA announced it would not be renewing its football video game partnership with reigning two-time Worst Company In America champ Electronic Arts comes confirmation that the gaming giant will indeed continue to make college football games, but they simply won’t carry the “NCAA” brand. [More]
NCAA: EA Won’t Be Making Our Football Titles Anymore (But It May Continue To Make College Games)
By 7.17.13
While we know in our heart that winning a second consecutive Worst Company In America title was the most heartbreaking moment for video game publisher Electronic Arts, this news has to come a pretty close second. The NCAA, which had an exclusive arrangement with EA to produce the wildly popular NCAA-branded college football game, has decided it won’t be signing a new contract with EA. However, it doesn’t look like it’s the end for EA’s association with college football. [More]
EA Cutting Prices, Eliminating Online Passes For Existing Games
By 5.30.13
Reigning two-time Worst Company In America Electronic Arts recently announced that its future game releases would not include the much-hated Online Pass program, which charges a fee to owners of used games to access online content, but there were still questions about whether it would keep the program alive for existing games. Now we have an answer. [More]
EA Killing Off Its Much-Hated “Online Pass” Program
By 5.16.13
Last month, Consumerist voters chose video game publisher Electronic Arts as the Worst Company In America for the second year in a row. Whether the company listened or not, we have no idea, but it is doing something that will make some gamers happier. [More]
Help Us, Obi Wan Kenobi: EA Signs Deal With Disney To Publish New Star Wars Games
By 5.7.13
As a Consumerist reader and tipster puts it, the news that Electronic Arts has signed a deal to develop and publish games based off Star Wars, it’s as if “millions of Star Wars gamer nerds cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced…” That’s a reference to (spoiler alert) the destruction of an entire planet (Alderaan) in Episode IV, for those not in the know. [More]
Worst Company In America 2013 Winner EA Set To Debut Sims 4 In 2014
By 5.6.13
While it’s been busy winning our Worst Company In America 2013 (second year in a row!), mucking up game releases and dumping the Wii U, Electronic Arts has made the time to announce the arrival of Sims 4 for Macs and PCs in 2014. Wonder if there will be a required online-always situation or if EA has learned its lesson with SimCity. We won’t hold our breath. [EA Blog] [More]
Despite “Strong Partnership,” EA Says Madden NFL 25 Won’t Be On Nintendo’s Wii U Console
By 5.2.13
Calm those quivering lips, Wii U users, it’s true, it’s really true: For the first time since 1991, Electronic Arts’ Madden series will sidestep a Nintendo console. The company’s newest offering, Madden NFL 25, won’t be available for the Wii U, but hey guys, don’t worry — the two companies totally still have a “strong partnership.” [More]
EA Releasing First Patch For SimCity Today: Mansions For Mayors, Still No Offline Mode
By 4.22.13
If you’ve been holding your breath for Electronic Arts (our Worst Company In America 2013, everybody!) to update SimCity with an offline mode, well, keep holding it. The company is releasing a patch today at 4:00 p.m. ET with a few new things and a variety of fixes, but that offline mode players have been wishing and hoping for is nowhere in sight. [More]
EA Triples Original Payouts In Settlement Of Football Games Class-Action Suit
By 4.17.13
If you bought an EA football game — Madden NFL, NCAA Football, or Arena Football — between 2005 and 2012, here’s some good news. Not only are you due a few bucks thanks to a class-action settlement with the reigning two-time Worst Company In America champ, but the dollar amount of the individual payouts to affected consumers have been tripled. [More]
Report: EA Quietly Making Staff Cuts At Customer Service Center In Ireland
By 4.16.13
It was nary a few months ago when Michael Lawder, the head of customer service at Electronic Arts, was touting the company’s new call centers in Texas and Ireland as part of its effort to improve the customer experience. What does it say about the Worst Company In America 2013‘s dedication to that plan when it’s reportedly started laying off staff at the Galway customer service center? [More]
4 Years After Launch, Sims 3 For Mac Still Sucks And EA Doesn’t Care
By 4.12.13
Our readers are already intimately familiar with the anti-consumer behavior that won EA its second gleaming Golden Poo trophy in a row. One issue that we haven’t heard a lot about, though, is the continued suckiness of the current generation of “The Sims.” You know, that other Maxis title. [More]
Worst Company-Winner EA Lays Off Staff At Montreal Studio
By 4.11.13
Only days after being chosen by Consumerist voters as Worst Company In America for the second year in a row, Electronic Arts is not gaining many fans in Canada. Earlier today, it was reported that a large number of employees were laid off from one of EA’s studios in Montreal. [More]
EA Will Have Another Chance To Botch A Game Release With SimCity For Macs Coming In June
By 4.10.13
Fresh off the heels of its two-peat as Consumerist’s Worst Company In America with the 2013 win (nominated and voted on by you, our dear readers), Electronic Arts is giving itself the chance to botch yet another game release with the impending launch of SimCity for Mac users on June 11. [More]
