Saturday, March 13, 2010

Hallelujah!!! It's raining men...and new forum sections

Do not click! Chocolate overload...

I can finally access the new forum sections! ...Too bad nothing much is going on right now. Since the Great Oops-out of 2010, things have been painfully uneventful over there. I did however browse one thread that incited a reaction from me.

People who defend EA seem to think that "EA" is 4 or 5 sensitive little dudes sitting around hobbling together games into the wee hours of the morning with little more sustenance than Panera & Starbucks (modern bread & water).

Have you ever checked out the credits for any of the Sims games? EA has a Sims DIVISION -- dozens and dozens of people working in MANY different areas of development. This is a multi-billion dollar corporation we're talking about here, not a damn mom & pop shoppe.

This Sims division is NOT 4 or 5 men-strong -- they've got PLENTY of people working, in different aspects & capacities, on this game. Multi-billion dollar corporations often get lax and lazy about things like customer service and quality control. That's just how it is, and EA (I'm sorry to burst your rosy bubble, kiddos) is NO exception, and if anything it's getting worse about it (think Microsoft). Their interest is in nickle & diming every last player until our wallets bleed tree bark & petroleum, hence all the Store items, sim points, and downloadable content for PC and console games.

I'm certainly no EA lover (eff "Team EA" -- I'm team ME), but I also don't think it's the most evil corporation on earth (don't get me started on who I think takes THAT choice spot). I think that it, like many many other companies, needs to re-evaluate some key areas (especially customer service), but they are not going to bend over and give in to every demand that we issue whether those demands are justified or not.

If we simmers TRULY want our voices to resonate, then we need to take real action. Hit 'em where it COUNTS -- on the bottom line. We can't threaten to boycott and then as soon as the next EP is announced just squee and squirt all over the damn place. If we honestly want to see REAL CHANGE, then we have to make sacrifices. That might mean missing out on the next EP or forgoing any of the TS3 Store items, but if we could rally together and do it en masse, then we might FINALLY see the overhaul that we've been dying for.

No battle is ever won by simply talking about it, and it will take more than a handful of dedicated simmers to make these things happen. Do I have much faith that it ever will? Outlook hazy...but I'm willing to step forward with you all and make those necessary sacrifices.

I really don't think we know the power and influence we have as players and customers of this game. EA knows that...EA banks on that. We need the blinders and rose-colored glasses OFF, and we need to reclaim our goddamned game.