Electronic Arts, which publishes FIFA and Battlefield, has frequently been voted “Worst Company in America” by fans of a consumer affairs blog. The question “Is EA the worst company” is because of the result in the video game firm winning the “Golden Poo” award, besting organizations like BP and Bank of America. So even if it was just an online survey but as an EA executive, Peter Moore believes that perception is reality.

The main reason behind ‘Is EA the worst company?’ is that not everyone was happy with EA’s acquisitions. Deals should have prioritized the people creating the talent because acquiring IP assets was the primary goal. In several instances, Electronic Arts either preserved IP rights while completely dissolving the company or pushed the studios to adapt their product (which ultimately reduced game quality). Due to all these factors, EA responds as the worst company.

The COO of Electronic Arts tries to explain why his company is once more among the Final Four of Consumerist’s Worst Companies. Is the business truly that bad? Let’s find out in this post why is EA the worst company in America.

What the COO said?

EA worst company made significant efforts to enhance its reputation in the eyes of the general public. Currently serving as EA’s Chief Competition Officer, Moore recently spoke with IGN about EA’s recent shift to become a “player-first” firm. 

Moore agreed, “(being named Worst Company in America) was ludicrous.” Additionally, the problems with electronic arts are due to the sub-prime mortgage crisis occurring simultaneously, and banks were dumping thousands of people onto the streets. 

coo moore

You try to defend yourself by saying this is foolish and silly, but then you think, “Maybe there’s a kernel of truth here.” Now is the time to step back, look at ourselves in the mirror, contemplate who we are and how others perceive us, and choose to change.

“If people believe that we are not a firm prioritizing gamers, how can we change that? Perception is reality.” Moore decided to form a committee from inside EA that first combed through Reddit and NeoGAF to see if people’s complaints about EA were accurate.

Moore admitted, “We were guilty of certain stuff,” but he didn’t elaborate on the specifics of how EA could have performed better.

COO words about “player-first.”

Speaking with other businesses and marketing agencies that have dealt with comparable circumstances was another aspect of the attempt to become a “player-first” organization. Moore claimed that over this approach, EA “learned a lot” about its own organization and how the general public views it.

Then, we consciously asked, “Fine, how do we proceed here? And the catchphrase we developed was this idea of putting the player first,” the executive said. In meetings today, people pose questions such as “What do we need to do here? What kind of experience must this be? —but is that player-first, someone will ask?

peter moore

And at that point, he continued, “We all stop and think.” It isn’t about the money, and it doesn’t matter for EA. Moore claims the goal is to place the gamer at the front of everything EA does.

Implementing the player-first concept caused the company’s stock price to climb drastically to an all-time high last summer, which EA had long mentioned. Executives have also talked about the need to remain progressive.

ea studios broadcast

EA also hopes to display games early in the development cycle, provide more beta opportunities for players to experience games, and postpone titles when necessary to assure quality with its new, player-first strategy.

Why is EA the worst?

EA’s every acquisition has left some people unsatisfied. Unfortunately, the deals didn’t prioritize talent because they aimed to buy IP assets. EA forced changes to some companies’ output, lowering game quality or dissolving studios while keeping IP rights.

The best example of this is the purchase of Origin Systems, which in 1992 released the video game Ultima. To the dismay of the studio head, Electronic Arts pressured the company to release sequels quickly.

ultima ea

Electronic Arts dissolved the studio after the general public poorly regarded the final product. Towards the end of the game’s development cycle, Electronic Arts frequently demanded that employees put in 100 hours each week. This is also a significant note of why EA’s most hated company.

The company’s issues extend beyond its corporate culture. The consumer side of things has seen a lot of debate surrounding Electronic Arts. After releasing the video game Mass Effect 3, players criticized the game for lacking a satisfying conclusion. This is only one instance of the low-quality video games that Electronic Arts has recently published.

See Also: How To Cancel EA Play | Complete Guide

The competition has tampered

According to a Reuters interview about EA as the most hated company, “We view this action as hostile without other details. We believe this operation aims to protect Ubisoft’s studios so they are prepared to compete with the upcoming console generation.” It seems logical for Ubisoft staff to wonder if they will share Electronic Arts’ history of closing studios.

electronic arts workplace

Since the COVID-19 epidemic began in 2020, the video game industry has flourished, and Electronic Arts are not being left out. In FY2020, EA made $5.15B in revenue, up $200M from the prior year. The stock’s year-to-date gain is 26.51%. All these factors answer why is EA the worst company.

FAQs

Is the reputation of EA damaged?

According to one analyst, the EA brand has become tarnished. Ars Technology. The original version was archived on 20 October 2012. March 24, 2009, retrieved. Rob Fahey (August 10, 2007).

Why is EA trapped in this situation?

EA's impasse is the issue. DRM, microtransactions, and trying to copy competitors' successes are the policies that put them in this problem, but they believe this is the only way out. DRM stops piracy; thus, in their view, that means more money is saved.

What makes EA known as the 'evil empire'?

Due to these corporate actions, the corporation acquired the disparaging moniker 'Evil Empire' inside the video gaming sector. The way EA handled Origin Systems, the company that created the Ultima series.

Is EA among the ten worst gaming companies?

Not enough proof to rank company in 'Top 10 worst in Video Game Industry.' Personal disagreements are subjective and not enough to support ranking.

What businesses has EA damaged?

EA has burned Origin, Westwood, Bullfrog, Maxis, and Pandemic, among other companies. BioWare, it's only a matter of time. They call their steam-like service 'Origin.'

Which EA wrestling game has ever received the worst reviews?

EA doesn't even come close to the quality of the WCW/NWO and Smackdown! Series. WCW Backstage Assault was the worst of these wrestling video games created by EA. In addition to having poor controls and little collision detection, there was no ring in which the action took place.

Last Words

We created a detailed list of reasons why we hate EA, and we showed why is EA hated and declared as the worst company. We hope you like it. Due to the corporate actions of EA, the corporation acquired the disparaging moniker “Evil Empire” within the video gaming sector. All the above mentioned are the reasons “why is EA the worst company.”