MMojo

Join Date 03/2008

EA Developer Support

So EA has gotten a bad reputation for customer support, and there are plenty of good arguments to be made to suggest that it is well-deserved. Recently a post on the Command & Conquer website from the EALA general manager appeared:

http://www.commandandconquer.com/intel/default.aspx?id=164#NewsMain

I'll be the first to admit that talk is cheap, but it is nice to see a developer representative actually use the words "I apologize" when talking about a level of service. I'm not sure I think this makes amends for the time spent waiting for a patch from EA, but it actually makes me feel better. There's something very powerful and reassuring about an actual apology, as opposed to the usual strategies of denying issues or, worse yet, blaming them on the user. I'd be curious to hear other people's thoughts on this, and whether or not people think other developers can take a lesson (good or bad) in customer relations from EA.

-MMojo

Locked Post

Advanced Search

Watch this post

Do not email me updates for this post Email me updates for this post

Successfully updated karma reason!

EA simply doesn't care for their customers, plain and simple. They even announced that their sports series will be discontinued for PC because of 'piracy issues' - sure, if they publish stuff with DRM like MassEffect and announce Spore, what do they expect?

The only lesson other publishers or developers can learn from EA is: If EA does it, avoid it like hell.

Successfully updated karma reason!

TheDarkKnight2008

Join Date 04/2007

+16

Ea has a new CEO, and is heading under a new direction. I wouldn't judge so early.

Successfully updated karma reason!

EA simply doesn't care for their customers

and they only care about money, which makes them bastards. EA should look at how Stardock treats customers and then they could learn that the customer is very important unlike the money. Stardock gives the customer what they want based on platyer theadback, EA on the other hand gives the customer what EA wants.

Successfully updated karma reason!

EA simply doesn't care for their customers and they only care about money, which makes them bastards.

From my experience, as an entity, any company, and I would include Stardock here, only really cares about money. Sometimes caring about money forces companies to 'care' about other issues, such as a customers preferences, or employee safety to avoid litigation. Don't be fooled though, a strategy to give the users what they want, game patches and no DRM on media has been primarily (and pretty much entirely) driven by money.
I'm quite willing to believe individuals care about other things than money but the larger a company gets the more money will become the primary driver for all decisions. This becomes even more of an issue when a company goes public and has shareholders to answer to.
So until people really start protesting by not buying EA products and EA decides it would make more money by not using it's DRM it wont 'care' about people's issues with it.

Successfully updated karma reason!

EA simply doesn't care for their customers and they only care about money, which makes them bastards. EA should look at how Stardock treats customers and then they could learn that the customer is very important unlike the money. Stardock gives the customer what they want based on platyer theadback, EA on the other hand gives the customer what EA wants.

I think it's safe to that Stardock actually cares a great deal about money. (If they didn't, everyone there would be out of a job.

) The difference is that they feel that treating customers right (listening to our input, no annoying copy protection, etc.) is the better way to earn profit, as opposed to simply treating us like the crud on the bottom of their shoes.

Brad himself has admitted that Stardock doesn't treat their customers well because they're "nice guys" per se, but because it improves their bottom line. (That most Stardock employees happen to be nice people is merely a fortunate aside.

)

Successfully updated karma reason!

psychoak

Join Date 07/2007

+225

Ea has a new CEO, and is heading under a new direction. I wouldn't judge so early.

The new direction being SR7 with a 3 activation limit, termination of your use at their whim stipulated in their EULA's, and long distance phone calls to beg them for permission to use your purchase after three driver updates invalidate your product?

Successfully updated karma reason!