EA's Peter Moore Responds to 'Worst Company in America' Poll
Sounds like a true CEO.
Peter Moore has been warming his bum on EA's soon-to-be-vacant CEO seat, after publishing a rather honest assessment of the publisher's performance and commitment to consumers on its official website.
In a blog entry titled, "We Can Do Better," the chief operating officer took the time to address various missteps - including the recent SimCity debacle - whilst responding to the increasing probability of EA topping a Consumerist poll for "Worst Company in America" for the second year running.
"Are we really the 'Worst Company in America'? I’ll be the first to admit that we’ve made plenty of mistakes," Moore wrote. "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.
"Some of these complaints are 100 percent legitimate – like all large companies we are not perfect. But others just don’t hold water." Moore went on to counter various claims made against the company - SimCity's always-on requirement is not a DRM scheme, Origin is growing as a viable competitor to Steam, free-to-play and microtransactions are not "a pox on gaming", that sort of thing.
Perhaps most alarming in Moore's list is this: "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." Good on you, Peter.
The exec rounds off the blog entry with some great CEO-in-waiting material. "Here’s my response to this poll: We can do better. We will do better. But I am damn proud of this company, the people around the globe who work at EA, the games we create and the people that play them. The tallest trees catch the most wind. At EA we remain proud and unbowed."
Spoken like a true leader.
In a blog entry titled, "We Can Do Better," the chief operating officer took the time to address various missteps - including the recent SimCity debacle - whilst responding to the increasing probability of EA topping a Consumerist poll for "Worst Company in America" for the second year running.
"Are we really the 'Worst Company in America'? I’ll be the first to admit that we’ve made plenty of mistakes," Moore wrote. "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.
"Some of these complaints are 100 percent legitimate – like all large companies we are not perfect. But others just don’t hold water." Moore went on to counter various claims made against the company - SimCity's always-on requirement is not a DRM scheme, Origin is growing as a viable competitor to Steam, free-to-play and microtransactions are not "a pox on gaming", that sort of thing.
Perhaps most alarming in Moore's list is this: "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." Good on you, Peter.
The exec rounds off the blog entry with some great CEO-in-waiting material. "Here’s my response to this poll: We can do better. We will do better. But I am damn proud of this company, the people around the globe who work at EA, the games we create and the people that play them. The tallest trees catch the most wind. At EA we remain proud and unbowed."
Spoken like a true leader.
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Comments
Ergo 8 Apr 2013 14:52
1/3
"Good on you, Peter."
Is this a joke? He's using that issue as a wedge to absolve themselves of all other guilt (and as far as YOU know, since Moore didn't name any names, it's one random far right blog, which is utterly meaningless), and you tell him "good on you, Peter"? Good job, his PR-crafted bullshit worked, and he used the LGBT community to do it! Atta boy, Pete! You f**king cocksucker.
Pro-tip: check your blinkered f**king politics at the door and actually THINK for a change.
Is this a joke? He's using that issue as a wedge to absolve themselves of all other guilt (and as far as YOU know, since Moore didn't name any names, it's one random far right blog, which is utterly meaningless), and you tell him "good on you, Peter"? Good job, his PR-crafted bullshit worked, and he used the LGBT community to do it! Atta boy, Pete! You f**king cocksucker.
Pro-tip: check your blinkered f**king politics at the door and actually THINK for a change.
Replicant 8 Apr 2013 22:02
2/3
It seems rather obvious that the issue is not being used to absolve the company of anything. There is nothing wrong with mentioning something that the company stands behind (LGBT rights /acknowledgment) after mentioning several errors that the company has had. In the grand scheme of things you inability to play simcity for a week pales in comparison to actual human rights. I don't think acknowledging LGBT is using it. I'm glad the company is supporting human rights. Taking time to inform people of that support is a good thing. BTW- Listing pro-tips and telling people to actually think seems to scream internet troll. You could have easily had a more constructive argument. The one random far right blog that you say is meaningless could be, but you are telling us to trust you over them. They are somewhat accountable because they are a public company. Why would I believe you over them? @ Ergo
Alm 11 Apr 2013 11:58
3/3
Consunerist magazine also released a response stating that none of its votes we're directed to its websites from far right blogs, but rather were generally all from video gaming websites and forums (EA's consumers). Also they stated that while people made mention of the declining quality of the Madden franchise, not one came with a complaint of the cover athlete.
PS: there is something wrong with diverting blame through something that likely did not effect the poll.
While undoubtedly there are companies doing more harm to people than Electrpnic Arts who "didn't let you play sim city for a week", that is by no means an excuse to blow off this consumer input. Worse yet-- to paint a stereotypical picture of it's consumers as griping hate mongers. The point is that, as a company, EA has been ruining successful small franchises after purchasing them out, has been "nickle and diming" it's customer base for things that should have been included at outset, and blatantly denying something that seems obviously true (Always Online is due to DRM)without giving an alternative reason for its existence. Then they go so far as to dismiss most of these complaints through attacking their consumer base. This is why they find themselves the most vocally disliked company in america winners for two years running. I find it appalling that you would support such a response.
PS: there is something wrong with diverting blame through something that likely did not effect the poll.
While undoubtedly there are companies doing more harm to people than Electrpnic Arts who "didn't let you play sim city for a week", that is by no means an excuse to blow off this consumer input. Worse yet-- to paint a stereotypical picture of it's consumers as griping hate mongers. The point is that, as a company, EA has been ruining successful small franchises after purchasing them out, has been "nickle and diming" it's customer base for things that should have been included at outset, and blatantly denying something that seems obviously true (Always Online is due to DRM)without giving an alternative reason for its existence. Then they go so far as to dismiss most of these complaints through attacking their consumer base. This is why they find themselves the most vocally disliked company in america winners for two years running. I find it appalling that you would support such a response.