EA COO Peter Moore: 'We will do better'

EA is again in the running for worst company in America, based on a Consumerist poll. Polls like this should be taken for what they are: fodder for people with axes to grind or other agendas. But EA COO Peter Moore thought it worthwhile to address the poll and acknowledge mistakes have been made.

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EA is again in the running for worst company in America, based on a Consumerist poll. Polls like this should be taken for what they are: fodder for people with axes to grind or agendas to push. But EA COO Peter Moore thought it worthwhile to address the poll and acknowledge mistakes have been made.

"Are we really the “Worst Company in America?" he asked in an official blog post. "I'll be the first to admit that we've made plenty of mistakes. These include server shut downs too early, games that didn't meet expectations, missteps on new pricing models and most recently, severely fumbling the launch of SimCity. We owe gamers better performance than this."

But he also pointed out that many of the reasons that the company was currently winning in the brackets were just silly, while one in particular was an issue that EA doesn't plan to change.

"In the past year, we have received thousands of emails and postcards protesting against EA for allowing players to create LGBT characters in our games. This week, we’re seeing posts on conservative web sites urging people to protest our LGBT policy by voting EA the Worst Company in America. That last one is particularly telling. If that's what makes us the worst company, bring it on. Because we're not caving on that."

He said company has done plenty of thinks right, such as the Battlefield 3, FIFA and it mobile offerings. But he also acknowledged some changes need to happen. "We can do better. We will do better."

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    April 5, 2013 12:40 PM

    John Keefer posted a new article, EA COO Peter Moore: 'We will do better'.

    EA is again in the running for worst company in America, based on a Consumerist poll. Polls like this should be taken for what they are: fodder for people with axes to grind or other agendas. But EA COO Peter Moore thought it worthwhile to address the poll and acknowledge mistakes have been made.

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      April 5, 2013 12:57 PM

      Did EA poison most of America's soil or the gulf of mexico? no.

      Then it's doing a pretty god damn good job in comparison.

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        April 5, 2013 1:01 PM

        Yeah, seriously. All the anons on these polls are just a bunch of dipshits. Nobody in their right mind would vote EA over any of those other companies.

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          April 5, 2013 1:02 PM

          Also, after reading the actual article, fuck the conservative assholes in question. Balls.

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            April 5, 2013 1:07 PM

            Yeah, kind of wish there was a "why" option to check their votes against. Just to see.

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            April 5, 2013 1:21 PM

            If you really think that LBGT haters are a big factor on this poll, I think you are probably mistaken.

            EA is making a strawman. Perhaps a few people complained about it, but I guaranatee you that the majority of the complaints are about their actual performance, not some moral objection. By setting up this strawman, they can deflect legitimate criticism for things they really do not want to change, like requiring and always on connection.

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              April 5, 2013 1:51 PM

              not only that, but it gets them points with the LGBT community.

              that brave EA, standing up for the LGBT's even though nasty internet people smear them!

              if i was LGBT i would probably be even more disgusted at them for that.

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              April 5, 2013 3:42 PM

              I never said they were going to be a major contributor. I just find it disgusting that anyone would go that far in their reasoning. I still stick to my former, "buncha anonymous assholes" point.

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            April 5, 2013 2:45 PM

            GreggD you may have just been played.

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            April 5, 2013 3:03 PM

            Your brain is apparently playdoh in the hands of EA damage control

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        April 5, 2013 2:21 PM

        Seriously, this is why gamers have to be one of the worst demographics at times. Makes me sad.

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        April 5, 2013 4:06 PM

        ^ this right here.

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        April 5, 2013 4:50 PM

        If I remember correctly, the survey wasn't about ethics or performance. Someone explained it to me that it was a survey about overall customer satisfaction in both customer service and product quality.

        EA got one of the highest numbers of complaints on those regards. While BP and Exxon will have its share of protesters and raised the ire of environmentalists around the world, customers still got their gas and were satisfied with product.

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          April 5, 2013 4:52 PM

          More like it's an internet survey that was posted on every gaming forum with a tagline "vote for EA as the worst company ever."

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          April 5, 2013 4:53 PM

          Nevermind, I'm talking about a different year and different "worst company award"

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            April 5, 2013 5:24 PM

            Somehow, I'm not surprised that there's more than one "Worst Company Award".

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      April 5, 2013 1:22 PM

      They didnt 'fumble' the launch. They forced a nonsensical requirement onto a paper thin simulation and it broke. They fumbled the entire game.

      I guess the PR strategy of saying if they win worst company again it's because of homophobes is a clever one though.

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        April 5, 2013 2:07 PM

        Should EA win this, it's thanks to one form of babby or another. Doesn't really matter which. Babbies.

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          April 5, 2013 2:20 PM

          [deleted]

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          April 5, 2013 3:17 PM

          I usually agree with you Alice, but on this matter I feel that it comes a little to close to the company-pandering that most game journalism (but usually not Shacknews) tends towards. If EA wins this it's because they pissed off the most people who also are nerdy enough to participate on an online poll. Simple as that.

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            April 5, 2013 3:32 PM

            It's still a little pathetic.

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            April 5, 2013 3:41 PM

            Company-pandering? There are so many companies with real, tangible and awful effects upon people and the world that directing this outrage against an entertainment company feels childish.

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              April 5, 2013 3:45 PM

              I AM NOT ENTERTAINED

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              April 5, 2013 6:40 PM

              The fact that that company makes big name video games and is constantly defended tooth-and-nail by news outlets for their awful decisions notwithstanding, I agree. But it seems an odd thing to get riled up about. I'd say it's as childish to care about an online poll as it is to be voting in it.

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                April 5, 2013 6:42 PM

                And, on a personal note, I take major offense to him trying to wrangle us gays into the issue.

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          April 5, 2013 3:51 PM

          There are a lot of companies more deserving. But EA does have a talent for rubbing people the wrong way.

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          April 5, 2013 6:42 PM

          I think Worst Company is a misnomer, Most Disliked Company on the Internet would be a more appropriate title... which is still not something you want attached to your name.

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      April 5, 2013 2:23 PM

      This is a contest to see who pissed more people off.

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      April 5, 2013 3:47 PM

      I find it interesting as a game dev that he skips the horrible treatment of employees and creativity crushing production methods as reasons for hate. EA's bad rap inside the industry comes directly from those policies. I've heard so many stories over the years that even if half are true it it's a terrible place.

      Also I find it quite revealing and actually pretty slimy that he threw that bit in about the LGBT stuff. Embarrassingly obvious distraction technique from the actual problems.

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        April 5, 2013 3:57 PM

        I will also say though that they are no where near the worst overrall company (and probably not the worst game company even.)

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        April 5, 2013 6:06 PM

        As someone who's worked here for 7+ years, the stories are exaggerated. Sure, *some* projects probably are mismanaged and the people working on it are dragged through hell and back to get it out the door, but on the whole it's actually a pretty good place to work.

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        April 5, 2013 6:40 PM

        Sorry to disappoint but EA is a fine place to work. EA has taken proactive steps since the EA Spouse days of the mid-2000s to lessen crunch and make project oversight more rigorous. The sorts of problems EA suffers from are endemic to any public company of comparable size.

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        April 6, 2013 11:18 AM

        "Power up the LBGT force shield!"

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      April 5, 2013 5:27 PM

      Peter Moore missed the point on the complaints on free-to-play: it's not about EA's engagement in it, but how EA is filtering free-to-play elements into $60 retail games. Dead Space 3's bot accelerator is a key example of a "coin doubler", and it's insulting to have a "Buy items!" button in what was previously a survival horror franchise (but has devolved into a scary action franchise, apparently).

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      April 5, 2013 5:35 PM

      Didn't they already win the poll previously? How does he intend to do better than that?

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      April 5, 2013 6:27 PM

      [deleted]

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      April 6, 2013 11:55 AM

      Hows about...let developers develop games and keep your nosey beaks out?
      Just hand them the cheques they need, and leave them to it.

      Instead of putting implausible deadlines on folk and forcing them to churn out rushed shite.

      And scrap the moronic idea of "yearly sequels". Such a bad, bad, bad idea for the games industry. Some of the best games I've played have been total one shot, out of the blue, gems :D Like Sacrifice by Shiny.

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      April 7, 2013 2:01 AM

      What the hell is a LGBT character, dear reporters?

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        April 7, 2013 9:04 AM

        They have a dick, a vagina, and screw everything in sight. There's one in every EA game.

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      April 7, 2013 9:03 AM

      Well, I don't agree Call of Battlefield 3 was done right. But if he acknowledged that, despite what he thinks was intended, Sim City 5's always-online restriction serves as a gameplay-harming DRM, which people overwhelmingly don't want, I would be impressed.

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      April 10, 2013 11:14 AM

      And how about making your games not Origin exclusives? In case you can't tell, EA, we don't like you. We don't want to be attached to, or depend on, or support your services. That you try to force us to be attached to you, despite us not liking you, makes us dislike you even more. Stop being the pathetic "oh, me too!" publisher that never has a creative idea of its own and just chases after other people's successes, imitating them badly.

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      April 10, 2013 11:16 AM

      And SC5's online requirement sucks and is stupid and dumb.

      No, it doesn't enhance gameplay. You're in denial, EA. Next time, try obtaining a vision that fits with Sim City - coz this one sure as hell didn't.

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