EA (Electronic Arts) is getting a shit ton of flack recently for its continuing money-grubbing ways. The latest kerfunkle is in regards to the release last week of the much-anticipated sequel to the uber-popular reboot from a couple years ago: Star Wars Battlefront.
The creatively-named Star Wars Battlefront 2 is a full-featured A-Class game reportedly with solid single player and multiplayer capabilities, a rich storyline and great graphics. But, it seems gameplay is arguably constricted a bit at the get go due to the dependence on the multitude of micro-transactions.
Like so many games now, it seems that game publishers consistently want more Bling for their Binaries. The route taken these days is usually either DLCs for purchase, in-game currency (for real-currency purchase) or like this game, locked characters and items which can be purchased (mo money, but really easy) or paid for in virtual points or currency that the player must earn through their in-game actions, usually repeatedly and enduring for many gameplay hours ("grinding," and pretty hard or boring). Well too much of this and you get what EA got: BACKLASH!
The reddit gamers community (which, let's be honest, is like 99.9% of reddit subscribers) basically lumped enough negative karma (redditor initiated downvotes) on a recent comment from an EA rep addressing this micro-transaction concern defensively, to earn the comment the title of the Most Downvoted in reddit history. (BTW, if you're not hip to all this: This is a big fucking deal to redditors and, if I may say, the wider geek-leaning internet user community at large as well.)
EA has been steadily gaining notoriety through the past couple decades for the company's tentacled-like growth and seeming-ambivalence to the charm and lure of many of its acquired properties, all in favor of protecting their bottom line. Often consuming and then ultimately killing smaller competitors. Even companies whose popular product line was stated to be supported by EA and promised to continue in the same spirit. Notably Bioware and Maxis. Oh yes, their brands still exist and new games are branded with their familiar names and logos, but the souls of those companies were sucked out long ago.
But I'm old enough to remember a different EA. Not this EA:
but this one:
Oh yes, its the same company alright, but the latter is from its early days. Actually, it was the early days for virtually all computer game companies. The 1980s.
Here are some of my favorite Electronic Arts games from back in the day:
Seven Cities of Gold (1984)
I'm pretty sure Sid Meier got some of the idea for his game "Pirates!" from this one. Like in Pirates! you have a ship and sail it around in the New World looking for gold. This game, being set in the early years of exploration, has you encountering a lot of natives. And by "encountering" I mean fighting.
Heart of Africa (1985)
Like Seven Cities, you're basically an explorer, discovering new wonders and seeking vast riches, this time in the thick jungles of the Dark Continent. Oh, of course, there was more "encountering" here too.
Populus (1989)
I put this out of chronological order since I'm ticking them off according to how much I enjoyed them. In this game, probably one of the first, if not the first, God Game, you play the role of, well, God. You nurture your little people and attend to their needs and safety in hopes they multiply and be fruitful or whatever. But, you're a jealous god, of course, so your flock must praise you every chance they get. And if they wander and deign to worship another...then Smite them you will!!
The Bard's Tale (1985)
EA's offering to us fans of D & D board gaming allowed players to now explore the dark, slimy caves and dungeons filled with all manner of monsters and loot. But now with vivid 16-color graphics and plinky midi music. Oh what joy!
Lords of Conquest (1985)
I gushed about this game in a video game review post I did a few years ago...here it is. One of the best strategy games ever!
Legacy of the Ancients (1987)
The story of this RPG was so rich and rewarding. This was, for me, one of my first nearly open-world games I'd played. To not be stuck in a constrictive, linear progression was totally awesome. I walked around the world in whatever direction I wanted, interacted with NPCs of my choice and picked my battles at will. Mindblowing back then.
Wasteland (1988)
Another game I praised in that long ago post, Wasteland was the spiritual ancestor of the Fallout series. The beginning of a long and beautifully-radioactive relationship.
SimCity (1989)
When this title came out, it rapidly became a hit. But it was one of the first computer games to no longer offer a Commodore 64 version. I was forced to play it in small batches at an Emerald Square Mall high-end games and learning tools store where it was set up to, no doubt, lure kids (and their parents) into the store. I also bought a Mac version so I could play it on the Macintosh Plus I used at work. To get long afternoons of gameplay in, I put the Mac in its carrying bag and lugged it home on weekends. An ad hoc laptop. But a really heavy and boxy laptop you'd never put on your lap.
EA, you may be the villian of the gaming world today, but back then, you were my hero!