EA

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:05 pm

A while ago, Worm asked me why so many people hate Electronic Arts.

Ben just told me that he downloaded Red Alert 3 through Steam. It doesn't work. He can't get voices.

He went to EA's support forum to ask about this issue. He has to create an account to do this. That account won't let him log in.

It's just tiring, is all. Anyone who understood the concept of risk management would know that you have to let people get help with their game - you can't fuck around here. Only EA would be capable of creating an account system that BREAKS. This isn't an isolated incident.

They are the worst thing to ever happen to computer entertainment.

Flack · Post by **Flack** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:56 pm

There was a time when Electronic Arts was the best thing to ever happen to computer entertainment.

As a life long Commodore 64 fan, it's impossible for me to remember that system without thinking of some of EA's most classic releases, such as: Amnesia, Archon, Archon II, the Bard's Tale series, Demon Stalkers, Hard Hat Mack, Heart of Africa, Mail Order Monsters, Marble Madness, M.U.L.E., Neuromancer, One on One (Larry vs. Bird), Rampart, Realm of Impossibility, Seven Cities of Gold, SimCity, Starflight, and Ultimate Wizard.

And then there were EA's construction kits, the programs that gave non-programmers (such as myself) the thrill and ability to create our own worlds; programs such as Adventure Construction Set, Bard's Tale Construction Kit, Pinball Construction kit, Music Construction Set, Racing Destruction Set, etc.

I cannot defend what the company has become. It's a shame that younger/modern gamers will most likely only remember Electronic Arts for their continual stream of EA Sports, Need for Speed, SimCity and Sims releases. There was a time when EA was one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, creator and publisher of computer software.

It would not be an exaggeration to say some of the titles listed above changed my life and shaped my future.

Worm · Post by **Worm** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 3:38 pm

It might be worth pointing out that Pirates! doesn't run for Pinback either.

pinback · Post by **pinback** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 3:52 pm

Hey you guys how do I get my money back from steam you guys

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 5:45 pm

So, yeah, you can't. Your best bet is trying a different PC. Or! Hey, hard drives have come down in price. Get a new one, put XP on it, try installing Pirates and RA3... and if it works, great, make that your primary HD. Copy your other stuff over. If it doesn't, eh, that new HD is just extra storage.

hygraed · Post by **hygraed** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:35 pm

I have an original 5 1/4" IBM floppy disk copy of Archon in the trifold case with the manual and reference card and everything. It is useless to me since I haven't owned a computer with a 5 1/4" floppy drive since 1997, but it's pretty cool to have around.

pinback · Post by **pinback** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:39 pm

Ice Cream Jonsey wrote:So, yeah, you can't. Your best bet is trying a different PC.

Yeah, well, it works on the laptop.

This means I get to spend my time playing a dead genre on a fucking laptop.

LIFE IS GOOD.

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 2:06 am

I am sorry I called real-time strategy games a "dead genre" in gchat, a couple days ago. I spoke too soon. It's obviously not a dead genre. There's gonna be a new Starcraft game soon, and if I remember right, George Takei is in Red Alert 3. Which means that someone is trying, with that genre of game.

And I know, as someone who makes text games, that I should not refer to any genre as "dead" or "dying."

Let us choose life, in 2009. Let us choose life.

pinback · Post by **pinback** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 5:57 pm

Well, it works now on my desktop, after buying a new $20 sound card. I bought Red Alert 3 because it had just come down $20 in price.

It's all so ironic and amusing.

Flack · Post by **Flack** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 6:40 am

It's like raiiiiiiiiiiiin, on your wedding daaaaaaaaay ...

Worm · Post by **Worm** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:51 pm

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why didn't you just pop out the sound card and use your onboard sound?

pinback · Post by **pinback** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 2:18 pm

It was using the onboard sound. I had no other sound card.

Now I do. A $20 one!

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 1:17 pm

There has also been a stated issue with a "limited" number of copies of the game shipping with the last digit of the CD Key missing from the manual.[47] EA's initial response was to "Guess" the last digit as a workaround,[48][49][50]

"..." -- ICJ

pinback · Post by **pinback** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 1:26 pm

Funny, that was Steam's recommendation for figuring out how to play Red Alert 3, as well.

hygraed · Post by **hygraed** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:06 pm

That's an unprofessional way of handling the situation, but in practical terms it's not too bad. Assuming it can't be a letter, it's not like it would take a particularly long time to figure it out.

AArdvark · Post by **AArdvark** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 5:20 pm

Firecrab said:

Funny, that was Steam's recommendation for figuring out how to play Red Alert 3, as well.

THE
SOME THINGS...
AARDVARK

ChainGangGuy · Post by **ChainGangGuy** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 5:41 pm

It's going to be HUGE!

AArdvark · Post by **AArdvark** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 7:41 pm

Well, someone has to do something with all these killer one liners He's throwing out there.

THE
GET THE CRAB IN GEAR
AARDVARK

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 10:43 pm

Flack wrote:As a life long Commodore 64 fan, it's impossible for me to remember that system without thinking of some of EA's most classic releases, such as: Amnesia, Archon, Archon II, the Bard's Tale series, Demon Stalkers, Hard Hat Mack, Heart of Africa, Mail Order Monsters, Marble Madness, M.U.L.E., Neuromancer, One on One (Larry vs. Bird), Rampart, Realm of Impossibility, Seven Cities of Gold, SimCity, Starflight, and Ultimate Wizard.

This thread will probably be the go-to bashfest for EA, so it is important to quote the above, because 25 years ago they made the best games for the PC. (And, er, other home computers as well, natch.)

Man. Everyone of those games kicks ass. I wonder if I'd be as crabby about video games if they had been making sequels to Mail Order Monsters and 7 Cities all these years, instead of some of the stuff they've focused on over the years.