EA concerned with low review scores of its games (sort of)

[actionhank]

http://www.gamerevolution.com/news/view.php?id=3711

"There is nothing acceptable about that," said EA CEO John Riccitiello to a group of investors on Thursday. "Our core game titles are accurately measured and summarized by these assessments, and that is a very big deal."

The concern highlights just how powerful Metacritic has become in recent years in the video game industry.

"For a movie it's going to cost you $10 to $12 bucks, and it's a two-hour investment of your time -- whether critics like it is not a huge deal," says Marc Doyle, who launched the site in 2001 to compile movie reviews. Video games now account for the most traffic.

"But a game costs $60 and 20 to 30 hours of your life, so you want to know ahead of time whether a game is good," Doyle adds.

According to Reuters, Metacritic awards added weight to reputable publications when averaging combined scores, something many game makers take issue with, says Doyle. The aggregate site also translates a letter rating of C to 50 in number, this despite recent score inflation where 70 is normally considered average.

But even though Riccitiello is concerned with his company's lowish Metacritic scores, he says he won't chase numbers.

"The process often gets in the way more than it helps," he said. "That sort of circus has unfortunately sort of defined our company for too long. You don't cash Metacritic, you cash checks."

Well... not my check. I boycotted Orange Box, and will only buy it used.

[martinstraka8282]

Yah I bought NFL Tour, and I am convinced that it is the worst football game Ive ever played. I would rather play my PS1 copy of NFL gameday 98 than that hunk of shite.

[crazy25000]

Im still boycotting them! Until they get their act together, I wont be buying their games. Im still debating whether or not I will buy Burnout Paradise.

[Luis_A51]

Burnout is fantastic, it was made by Criterion and only published by EA (ie not made by EA's crappy inhouse team)

Orange Box I own as well...at first I was massively pleased, but the load times, and problems with level geometry are starting to get me down.

[Entertainment72]

There is A LOT riding on madden 09!

[iamsparticus9]

maybe thats what happens when your more concerned w/ buying up every little studio in existance rather then maintaining focus on the game studios you already own...i think ea is becoming the roman empire of video games expanding beyond their control and crumbling from the inside out.

[Maaz]

i dont buy EA games, rockband was an exception because of harmonix

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by iamsparticus9

maybe thats what happens when your more concerned w/ buying up every little studio in existance rather then maintaining focus on the game studios you already own...i think ea is becoming the roman empire of video games expanding beyond their control and crumbling from the inside out.

News Flash: they did this in the 80's and 90's, too. They just keep repeating the same process with new management. Then there's the inevitable purging and restructuring. The only big difference now is they're a public company and have more to answer for. I still like them, but miss the old days when their games had more depth.

[bajor27]

I stayed away from EA this season due to the many issues. I do look forward to next year though. NHL 09 here I come.

Also looking forward to Bad Company, Army of Two (which I think is EA), and most certainly looking forward to Spore whenever it arrives. Spore looks like it will be amazing.

Glad to see they are aware of all the issues surrounding them right now though

[BR7]

Originally Posted by Entertainment72

There is A LOT riding on madden 09!

I do not have much hope for that one either.I think the NFL was fools for making EA exclusive.EA will never change IMHO and they will not get my money until they improve

[Awesome McCool]

EA games tend to always be bad. I've saved so much money over the past decade thanks to them.

[PS3 Blu-Ray]

well Im getting Army of 2, the maddens on the ps3 and 360 by ea I havent enjoyed as much as the gameplay on ps2, I still like the ps2 one the best, 2 games I hope ea does make for the ps3, or I should say ea big, to come out with another ssx and freekstyle, that would be nice

[Steelmaker]

Originally Posted by BR7

I do not have much hope for that one either.I think the NFL was fools for making EA exclusive.EA will never change IMHO and they will not get my money until they improve

Since EA is all about aquisitions, why don't they just shitcan Tiburon and aquire the programmers from Visual Conepts that made NFL 2K5?

[Entertainment72]

Army of Two really does look promising though.. trailers are nice.

[BluUrMyBoy!]

I used to be a big EA fan. I have every year of NCAA Football going back to 2000, probably even before that. Also I always used to buy their NHL games.

But lately I've been disappointed with their products. I wouldn't say I'm going to boycott, but after NCAA Football 2008 being SUBSTANTIALLY worse than 2007 I will give them one more shot before I stop wasting $60 on that game... As for other titles, I'm not too familiar with, but I haven't heard good things.

[tiger roach]

As soon as they stop intentionally giving second-rate ports to the PS3 and favoring the xbox platform I might sympathize with them.

[ikbradley]

Wow! So it's about cashing cheques (a check is something you tick inside a box for applications).

EA is so spectacularly craptastic they should be given a hall of shame award. I met a designer that did lighting effects the other day, and told him about the PS3 porting problems. He suggested that the organization is a gigantic overstuffed corporation, driven by profits and not innovating game design.

[desmond]

shovelware...

[xtop]

as long as they keep sucking on metacritic i'm not going to buy their games. they go hand in hand. and if it wasnt for the monopoly on the nfl, i bet theyd be singing a different tune.

btw metacritic is wonderful

[Porky Pine]

I guess no one is getting Spore when it comes out this summer?