i can't say i've ever had any bugs or problems with EAs' games to be honest
never had to have any problems with customer service (not that i've ever had to use it for anything so.. thats why lol) not sure about that side

as for worker treatment.. i mean there is nothing to argue; if you dont like your working conditions .. you can always leave lol (well.. unless you live in a communist country but thats a different matter) i mean its not like we dont have free will to choose our business so.. nothing to argue there (unless you honestly want to hate your job :S?)

after looking through this all though; it seems as though every country besides the US has problems with EA (incase you haven't noticed really; not saying anything bad about anyone, it just seems to be that case .. awkwardly)

Quote from XCNuse :

as for worker treatment.. i mean there is nothing to argue; if you dont like your working conditions .. you can always leave lol (well.. unless you live in a communist country but thats a different matter) i mean its not like we dont have free will to choose our business so.. nothing to argue there (unless you honestly want to hate your job :S?)

Yes, sure, and you get a new job served on a silver plate. illepall

i never said that.. i said you have the freedom (unless you live in a communist country) to choose a different business.. its not like if you get a job your stuck with it, you can always quit and find another one.. never said it would be the perfect job or anything

Well, to those worrying about EA buying LFS, i think the devs know a thing or two about how EA works.
Of particular interest is the game Black & White....

http://www.mobygames.com/devel ... t/view/developerId,36680/
http://www.mobygames.com/devel ... t/view/developerId,36682/

Quote from Fonnybone :

Well, to those worrying about EA buying LFS, i think the devs know a thing or two about how EA works.
Of particular interest is the game Black & White....

http://www.mobygames.com/devel ... t/view/developerId,36680/
http://www.mobygames.com/devel ... t/view/developerId,36682/

Looked at Scawen's profile.... wth???

Quote :

Games Credited

Rag Doll Kung Fu (2005), Valve Corporation
Live for Speed (2003), Live for Speed
Total Immersion Racing (2002), Empire Interactive Entertainment
Black & White (2001), Electronic Arts Inc.
HIND: The Russian Combat Helicopter Simulation (1996), Interactive Magic

He made TIR and Rag Doll Kung Fu???? How come we didn't know about this (Says "Special Thanks" to Lionhead developers, and Scawen was included)

Gee Whiz.... I play Tiger Woods Golf ( Get under par on both play station AND X-Box) Does that mean I'm a Fascist?

Anyways, Silver Bullet?
Uhh.. EA sucks, Nothing to do with them being a "Typical American Corprorate Thug" though. More like Greedy CEOs that look at the bottom line and no higher.

And Out Sourcing... Is it really that bad?
You call an American for Tech support and you usually get stuck on hold,
forced to listen to horrid jingles of the company you're already pissed at
only to have some jerk-off that apparently has better things to do (llike look for a better paying job!) give you a bunch a attitude and try to make everything he possibly can seem to be the problem other than anything
that involves HIM.

Now, you call one a them little foriegn kids up and well hell, eveythings on the line for that guy. He screws up once and he's back to REEBOK and the next ex factory worker 9 yr old has his spot. So yeah they give out better support (plus you get to make AN OVERSEAS CALL!!!) and service.
They have more incentive than your run of the mill 20 something reject type.
What's really cool is these kids ain't never even seen a computer - much less used one. They have every possible solution to every possible problem
drilled into their heads.

Plus if they didn't out source, the help desk would be staffed by un documented workers, and I'm just not that bi-lingual.

Quote from Racer Y :

Now, you call one a them little foriegn kids up and well hell, eveythings on the line for that guy. He screws up once and he's back to REEBOK and the next ex factory worker 9 yr old has his spot. So yeah they give out better support (plus you get to make AN OVERSEAS CALL!!!) and service.
They have more incentive than your run of the mill 20 something reject type.
What's really cool is these kids ain't never even seen a computer - much less used one. They have every possible solution to every possible problem
drilled into their heads.

In those countries people would kill for a job with an American company. You are very naive because you have no idea the life is like across the pond. Working at a Reebok "sweatshop" is much healthier for a child than working in a stone quarry or selling their body for cash.

uh well.. quarrys in the US have laws obviously; you have to be 18 or older to work in them so .. either way they can't put kids into quarrys since before the industrial era; as for selling your body for cash.. prostitution is only legal in nevada
(in the US of course since i believe thats what you're talking about)

*random question; anyone happen to watch Discovery Atlas the other night on discovery channel showing what life is like in china? its a really cool show actually.. i suggest everyone here watches it

"And again, EA has every right to screw you over when you buy their product because you accept their terms and conditions. And you as a consumer have every right to screw over EA by not buying their product"

100% Agree.
Another one for the wish list:
...N°121 Win Le Mans.
N°122 Trip to Nevada.
N°123 Another trip to Nevada...

Quote from Tweaker :

Looked at Scawen's profile.... wth???


He made TIR and Rag Doll Kung Fu???? How come we didn't know about this (Says "Special Thanks" to Lionhead developers, and Scawen was included)

Very interesting. Wake up Scawen and answer this question.

Quote from silver bullet :

In those countries people would kill for a job with an American company. You are very naive because you have no idea the life is like across the pond. Working at a Reebok "sweatshop" is much healthier for a child than working in a stone quarry or selling their body for cash.

LOL I know more about that than I care to so please, enough with the Holier than thou Sally Struthers stuff - OK?

Man, what ever happened to a sense a humor...

A STONE QUARRY??? LOL more like a plantation or a militia or something...

Stone quarry... LOL Flintstones Meet the Flintstones.....

nice lol

i think he meant coal quarrys though heh

Quote from Racer Y :

LOL I know more about that than I care to so please, enough with the Holier than thou Sally Struthers stuff - OK?

Man, what ever happened to a sense a humor...

A STONE QUARRY??? LOL more like a plantation or a militia or something...

Stone quarry... LOL Flintstones Meet the Flintstones.....

You have no clue, and you are not making it better by being a tool. I'll post some facts here when I get home, I don't have the info with me right now. What I said above was the truth, they have children digging for stones in third world countries. I'll get my facts straight when I get home tonight, so hold your bashing until then.

Meanwhile read this book:
Can America Survive? The Rage of the Left, the Truth, and What to Do About It by Ben Stein, and Phil DeMuth.

Quote from silver bullet :

Meanwhile read this book:
Can America Survive? The Rage of the Left, the Truth, and What to Do About It by Ben Stein, and Phil DeMuth.

Aha - so that's the type of books your got your history and ideas from - that clears it up quite a bit, thanks.

Live long and prosper and when "reality" as you say does finally hit home, don't forget to listen to a motivational tape or something with a title like "YES! You can still make it big!"... Mr Stein might even have some for you - he's got a tonne of books just like that.

I think we've just crossed the boundary and we're heading in for a full-blown political discussion.

EDIT:
By the way, you'll be delighted to read through the material of this site:
http://www.newamericancentury.org/statementofprinciples.htm

Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz like it as well as you can see from the "signatures". A real eye-opener...

Quote from xaotik :

Aha - so that's the type of books your got your history and ideas from - that clears it up quite a bit, thanks.

Live long and prosper and when "reality" as you say does finally hit home, don't forget to listen to a motivational tape or something with a title like "YES! You can still make it big!"... Mr Stein might even have some for you - he's got a tonne of books just like that.

I think we've just crossed the boundary and we're heading in for a full-blown political discussion.

EDIT:
By the way, you'll be delighted to read through the material of this site:
http://www.newamericancentury.org/statementofprinciples.htm

Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz like it as well as you can see from the "signatures". A real eye-opener...

Again you are trying very hard to sound smart, and again you have no idea about what you are talking about.

I take it you didn't read the book that I mentioned, but maybe you should. Don't worry about me, I read all sorts of books and that's how I make my judgements. Bottom line, before you start making conclusions, READ THE GODDAMN BOOK, because it makes it very difficult for me to value your opinion about a book that YOU HAVEN'T EVEN READ.

Quote from silver bullet :

Bottom line, before you start making conclusions, READ THE GODDAMN BOOK, because it makes it very difficult for me to value your opinion about a book that YOU HAVEN'T EVEN READ.

Well, to put it mildly:

a. I know Mr Stein's work - I don't value it in the least. One time I attempted out of curiosity to read a book of his and had to give up because the constant fixation on "making money" and "how to be succesful" (where success = making money) just made me sick. Ofcourse it was my fault, I couldn't expect anything else from a book titled "Moneypower". It was full of "catch phrases" and crap like that. For people that aren't familiar, he is the author of such gems as:

• Yes, You Can Still Retire Comfortably!
  
• How to Ruin Your Financial Life
  
• Yes, You Can Become a Successful Income Investor! Reaching for Yield in Today's Market
  
• 26 Steps to Succeed In Hollywood...or Any Other Business

And a bunch of other similar titles. Great reading material if you only care about your wallet - and think that by reading this junk you'll actually increase it's contents - or have some mental deficiency and think that "reality = money".

Oh, yes - he also hosts a gameshow, no? All this after a succesful career of possibly being Mr Deep Throat himself. Nixon's buddy. Go figure...

b. Using capitals and "orders" with such an attitude as yours isn't going to get you anywhere. So perhaps we two shouldn't pursue any more discussion on this as it won't really be constructive from the looks of it.

xaotik, something tells me that you are struggling financially. You have a certain disdain for wealth that often indicates financial incompetence.


If you do not with to continue this discussion, or you don't like my tone, you are very welcome to ignore my posts. If you go back to the first page of this thread, your first post was a feeble attempt to educate me by referring me to a video game web site for a history lesson. Let me say this again, if you disagree with me, feel free to ignore me, Ok? And you choose not to ignore me, then I find it silly to complain about the nature of my posts.

Quote from silver bullet :

xaotik, something tells me that you are struggling financially. You have a certain disdain for wealth that often indicates financial incompetence.

Actually none of the above. I am indifferent to wealth in itself - what I have disdain for is using wealth as a criterium and that's what I've been saying. It's not the ultimate scale of judgement. It doesn't make people "better" than others as you say.

In my country the living standard is much lower than in the USA. If you want in numbers - I choose to make for myself approximately $15000 (US) per year and I don't actually spend that either. With that I am very comfortable, I have no need for more and I can do all the things I want, I have no children to support, etc - infact alot of my "goods" aren't even bought for directly. To be honest, in material terms, I value eating a homegrown chicken from my family's farm (it's 2 acres - not a huge estate) and drinking wine from our vinyard (in the same farm, yes) far more than owning an SUV.

I won't look down at a person that makes less and I certainly won't look up to a person that makes more. It's just money. That's all it is - a medium of transaction - not a standard to judge people with.

Quote :

If you go back to the first page of this thread, your first post was a feeble attempt to educate me by referring me to a video game web site for a history lesson.

You have a chip on your shoulder. I did not attempt to educate you, re-read the post in question. This thread is about a gaming industry corporation - the link I referred everyone to - not just you - is about corporations in gaming. So my referrence was information on exactly the subject of the thread. Not about generally speaking what good things the corporation gives to it's workers while it needs them, etc.

EDIT:
But yes, I stand to my conviction that we'll just go in circles in this; so I'll let you discuss it with others in peace. Take care.

EDIT #2:
I lied - I replied again...

Quote from xaotik :

In my country the living standard is much lower than in the USA. If you want in numbers - I choose to make for myself approximately $15000 (US) per year and I don't actually spend that either. With that I am very comfortable, I have no need for more and I can do all the things I want, I have no children to support, etc - infact alot of my "goods" aren't even bought for directly. To be honest, in material terms, I value eating a homegrown chicken from my family's farm (it's 2 acres - not a huge estate) and drinking wine from our vinyard (in the same farm, yes) far more than owning an SUV.

Yep, exactly as I thought.

Maybe you have a chip on your shoulder. Why are you trying so hard to prove to me that poor people are as good as rich people? I never even said anything remotedly close to that. I was just arguing with some guy about EA for gods sakes!

Dude you are poor, that's cool, I don't care. I don't judge people on the size of their wallet, I have a friend who makes millions, and I have (way too many) friends who haven't worked in years. Just relax, alright? I am not the person you should prove yourself to, and this is not the place to do it.

I know - I replied again - but this got too plain false to keep out.

Quote from silver bullet :

Why are you trying so hard to prove to me that poor people are as good as rich people? I never even said anything remotedly close to that.

Well... you did say this:

Quote from silver bullet :

The CEO's in big corporations are better than you. They work harder than you (and me) at what they do. They are smarter than you and me, and thay make more money than you and me. It's as simple as that.

There is nothing to prove - I didn't start out trying to prove anything. I only offered a link with information on exactly the subject of the thread, that's all. And all I got back was attitude, which (in hind-sight and after multiple "corporations will save the world" posts from you - which had nothing to do with EA as you say) is to be expected I suppose. Just pointing out the reasons that corporations have been bad for the gaming industry.

You took it to the personal level and approached it all with an uncalled for holier than thou mentality because you work for a corporation and felt you need to defend that for some reason. No one is attacking you. You chose to work for a corporation - good on you - it's nothing to be defensive about. The discussion just went into the negative aspects of corporations in general and you just took it all personally - chill out.

Quote from silver bullet :

Dude you are poor, that's cool, I don't care.

That has to be the funniest thing I've read in some time...
"Dude! Where's my money?"

EA regurgitates the same titles over and over with minor changes each year. That's why some people are not fans of them. Others are obviously happy with that situation and don't mind sending them a wad of cash every year. Some of their games I don't mind, but I have never bought a newly released EA title. It's much cheaper if you play the "let's pretend it's last year" game.

xaotik, I can see your point better now and let me correct myself. I do not judge people based on their bank account and I do not think that CEO's are better people than you and me. They are however much better than us in Business Management, and I doubt anybody could argue that. CEO's are great leaders and managers, and that's how they make the big bucks. That does however imply that they are "better people" or anything like that. I didn't mean it in that way when I typed up that post.

For the record, I work for a relatively small company (less than 40 people) as an engineer and the contract that we are on right now is with a very large pharmaceutical company. I did not explain all this earlier to avoid complicating things. However, I do not see anything wrong with working for a corporation.

Yeah, that clears it up much more.
Taken in the wrong context I guess, sorry about that.

Quote from silver bullet :

For the record, I work for a relatively small company (less than 40 people) as an engineer and the contract that we are on right now is with a very large pharmaceutical company. I did not explain all this earlier to avoid complicating things.

I have an acquaintance who worked for years extensively in the pharmaceutical industry. Unfortunately, he wasn't just working as a contracted worker on a per project basis. What basically happened was that after years of work, a part of the labs he was working in were considered non-profitable at the time any more and he (as well as scores of others) were given the boot faster than a very fast thing - a few years down the road he found out that the work they were doing was back in "vogue" as a market was found, but ofcourse he was't rehired. The man is a scientist, not a market researcher or a businessman. He, and many others, was ditched because of some suit's business plan. You could say "he should of been more informed and gotten work that had an economic future" - but he's a scientist...

That's just the rough story as I remember it - if you want the whos, whats, whens and hows I'd have to ask him for the details.

Quote from silver bullet :

However, I do not see anything wrong with working for a corporation.

I don't see anything wrong in any sort of legal work.
The "bad" side of a corporation usually shows up to it's clients or to those that don't conform to its plans. As you said, there can be multiple benefits for (almost all) of it's workers. The "problem" lies in the fact that a corporation is an entity of it's own and in law it stands the same as a person. Which means, that essentially it's an immortal person (or atleast it can surely outlive the average human being). So, if it has a plan (which is defined by where the corporation's profit lies) it is more than likely to achieve it and usually trampling (either metaphorically or literally) whoever opposes it.

xaotik, I don't know how to respond to your post except with the cliche "It's nothing personal, it's business".

Well here goes, it's nothing personal, it's business. Businesses make money, and with that money they pay the wages. If a business stops making money it becomes non-competitive and goes bankrupt. The way to avoid going bankrupt is cutting the losses which unfortunately sometimes involves letting go of people that depend on their salary.

However, please don't fool yourself into thinking that if businesses stop firing people everything suddenly becomes better. Businesses that do not let go of people lose money and eventually shut down, and that means no work for anybody. Letting go of 1000 people is bad, but definately better than closing a 5000 people company. And you can be sure that the last thing that proverbial "business suit" wanted to do was to fire a whole bunch of people. Lay offs are very bad rep, bad for morale, etc. Big companies avoid lay offs like black plague, but sometimes things go out of their control.

The only way to secure your job is education. More and more education, as much as you can pack. High school degree guarantees you a job at McDonalds, a 2-year professional degree guarantees you a job at a mechanics shop. A college degree will always get you a decent gig with good money depending on your degree (I don't mean bullshit degrees like psychology or education). Masters, PhD is more and better jobs. Basically stay in school, because with more education you become more marketable and you don't have to give a crap about the next company lay off since you will always be able to find another job.

dude .. i've seen extremely high people in a business get layed off.. its work output, not how smart someone is