Activision the new pariah of PC gaming?

You've gotta hand it to Electronic Arts. The one-time pariah of PC gaming seems to have at least partly fixed up its rep in less than a year. John Riccitello has pretty much disappeared from the limelight, and what he has been saying has been sensible, showing a little more respect for its consumers. It has started using more sensible, realistic and usable DRM, enabling customers to play its PC titles for years to come. Someone obviously grew a brain there.

So has this made Robert Kotick and Activision the new pariahs of PC gaming, especially with the recent Modern Warfare 2 debacle and Kotick's comments about intellectual property? When was the last time they produced anything innovative with the exception of Guitar Hero (which they have since exploited to death)?

As long as Kotick is with Activision then no.

A pariah is an outcast. EA pretty much defines PC gaming. It's the complete opposite of a pariah.

EA pretty much defines PC gaming.

Gog

:? What?

A pariah is an outcast. EA pretty much defines PC gaming. It's the complete opposite of a pariah.

Gog

Er, this statement confuses me. I thought Valve and Bioware defined PC gaming... not EA..

[QUOTE="Gog"]

A pariah is an outcast. EA pretty much defines PC gaming. It's the complete opposite of a pariah.

Aslyum_Beast

Er, this statement confuses me. I thought Valve and Bioware defined PC gaming... not EA..

You've gotta hand it to Electronic Arts. The one-time pariah of PC gaming seems to have at least partly fixed up its rep in less than a year. John Riccitello has pretty much disappeared from the limelight, and what he has been saying has been sensible, showing a little more respect for its consumers. It has started using more sensible, realistic and usable DRM, enabling customers to play its PC titles for years to come. Someone obviously grew a brain there.

So has this made Robert Kotick and Activision the new pariahs of PC gaming, especially with the recent Modern Warfare 2 debacle and Kotick's comments about intellectual property? When was the last time they produced anything innovative with the exception of Guitar Hero (which they have since exploited to death)?

jamyskis

Infinty Ward is my new Pariah of PC gaming. When I read that interview where they said that the only reason COD 2 was on PC was because of Activision (Infinity Ward wanted 360 only) and how the horrible changes that got made to MW2 were Infinity Ward's choices, well I have to say they are the real problem more than Activision.

[QUOTE="Aslyum_Beast"]

[QUOTE="Gog"]

A pariah is an outcast. EA pretty much defines PC gaming. It's the complete opposite of a pariah.

mo0ksi

Er, this statement confuses me. I thought Valve and Bioware defined PC gaming... not EA..

[QUOTE="Gog"]EA pretty much defines PC gaming.

Mograine

:? What?

Seeing as EA is one ofthe main publishers of PC games including some of the most successful franchises, sure.

[QUOTE="Aslyum_Beast"]

[QUOTE="Gog"]

A pariah is an outcast. EA pretty much defines PC gaming. It's the complete opposite of a pariah.

mo0ksi

Er, this statement confuses me. I thought Valve and Bioware defined PC gaming... not EA..

EA OWNS Bioware.kieranb2000

Best use of caps ever. (no, im being serious. No troll trying here.) i guess we are both right is some kind of way....?

EA supports PC gaming more than BioWare does to be honest. The majority of EA's exclusives are PC.kieranb2000

Yes they do but it isn't right to hand all of Bioware's accomplishments over to EA seeing as EA has only owned them for less than 2 years and Bioware has been making awesome PC games for much longer than that. Actually since being owned by EA Bioware hasn't made any PC exclusives, draw from that what you will.

[QUOTE="kieranb2000"]EA OWNS Bioware.PublicNuisance

Yes they do but it isn't right to hand all of Bioware's accomplishments over to EA seeing as EA has only owned them for less than 2 years and Bioware has been making awesome PC games for much longer than that. Actually since being owned by EA Bioware hasn't made any PC exclusives, draw from that what you will.

You can't really draw anything from that, as Bioware hadn't made any PC exclusives for many years before being bought by EA either. And in fact, we probably wouldn't have gotten Mass Effect if they hadn't been bought by EA.kieranb2000

Fair enough but why should EA get credit for the likes of baldur's gate and Neverwinter Nights when they had nothing to do with it ? All I am saying is that Bioware did many great things before EA bought them.

the point is that EA is the single most important publisher in PC gaming. Sure there are many other great PC publishers and devs but none of them have put the time and money into the PC like EA has.

[QUOTE="mo0ksi"][QUOTE="Aslyum_Beast"]

Er, this statement confuses me. I thought Valve and Bioware defined PC gaming... not EA..

kieranb2000

I thought Blizzard defined PC gaming. :V

I thought Blizzard defined PC gaming. :V

pvtdonut54

I've always liked EA compared to other game companies that often give the PC the back seat. They only ever did one thing i didn't like, which was the silly DRM's, but whatever, no big deal. I still remember how they released all the good Medal of Honor titles (save Frontlines) as PC exclusives, and never ported them to any consoles. While as developers they havent been as good lately, they sure have supported a lot of the best PC franchises over the years (Battlefield, Crysis, Bioware games).

It seems like Activision has mostly been a supporter of console games, and COD1 was anomalous in its pc exclusivity.

A pariah is someone who is rejected. The last thing I heard was that all the supposed "boycotters" were busy thoroughly playing MW2 so they will learn never to do it again!! God bless us all Tiny Tim!! biggest_loser

[QUOTE="pvtdonut54"]

I thought Blizzard defined PC gaming. :V

SF_KiLLaMaN

A pariah is someone who is rejected. The last thing I heard was that all the supposed "boycotters" were busy thoroughly playing MW2 so they will learn never to do it again!! God bless us all Tiny Tim!! biggest_loser

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=27113603&tag=topics;title

The Mp has indeed been cracked..heck some dont even require steam to be installed...the truth is out there

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"]A pariah is someone who is rejected. The last thing I heard was that all the supposed "boycotters" were busy thoroughly playing MW2 so they will learn never to do it again!! God bless us all Tiny Tim!! devious742

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=27113603&tag=topics;title

The Mp has indeed been cracked..heck some dont even require steam to be installed...the truth is out there

Explain me this: MW2 steam boycotters were playing the game and it was showing up in their steam status. So if you need steam for legit copies, then how the hell did the steam boycotters play the game? There you go, steam boycotters did bought the game, therefore biggest losser's post is valid indeed.

[QUOTE="devious742"]

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"]A pariah is someone who is rejected. The last thing I heard was that all the supposed "boycotters" were busy thoroughly playing MW2 so they will learn never to do it again!! God bless us all Tiny Tim!! dakan45

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=27113603&tag=topics;title

The Mp has indeed been cracked..heck some dont even require steam to be installed...the truth is out there

Explain me this: MW2 steam boycotters were playing the game and it was showing up in their steam status. So if you need steam for legit copies, then how the hell did the steam boycotters play the game? There you go, steam boycotters did bought the game, therefore biggest losser's post is valid indeed.

Link

well maybe they did IDK :P but i remember hearing that those ppl that were playing MW2 on the boycott list...joined just to make the group look dumb(i heard this on the main boycott page)..btw werent the kicked out

Link

devious742

Yup, lol its funny as hell for 3 reasons

1) That happen at the time the game came out but those people were already in the boycott group before the release of the game. I cant believe they joined just because it was their evil genious masterpiece plan to make the boycott look bad by buying the game afterwards. If anything they contribute to the number of the boycotters.

2)Its funny how the creator of the boyccot is calling them hypocrites and kicking them out ater his boycott group failed

3) Its funny because one of the comment poster says underneath "People seen playing mw2 will be removed? Dood half your freaking clan members are playing WTH you talking about?"

I loled with the amout of fail. ( I used WTH because i cant use the other obvious expression the poster used)

Not that i am trying to annoy you or something, just saying its pretty funny how much that boycott grou has been repeteadly marked as a fail.

[QUOTE="pvtdonut54"]

I thought Blizzard defined PC gaming. :V

SF_KiLLaMaN

blizzard does something that ea doesn't, they actually develop a game until its completely ready for public consumption. thats why they dont have as many games......that and they dont have franchises for frat boys like madden, nba, or ncaa

[QUOTE="devious742"]

well maybe they did IDK :P but i remember hearing that those ppl that were playing MW2 on the boycott list...joined just to make the group look dumb(i heard this on the main boycott page)..btw werent the kicked out

Link

dakan45

Yup, lol its funny as hell for 3 reasons

1) That happen at the time the game came out but those people were already in the boycott group before the release of the game. I cant believe they joined just because it was their evil genious masterpiece plan to make the boycott look bad by buying the game afterwards. If anything they contribute to the number of the boycotters.(well cmon wouldnt it be funny..to join the group knowing you bought then play it..its all done for the lulz )

2)Its funny how the creator of the boyccot is calling them hypocrites and kicking them out ater his boycott group failed

3) Its funny because one of the comment poster says underneath "People seen playing mw2 will be removed? Dood half your freaking clan members are playing WTH you talking about?"

I loled with the amout of fail. ( I used WTH because i cant use the other obvious expression the poster used)

Not that i am trying to annoy you or something, just saying its pretty funny how much that boycott grou has been repeteadly marked as a fail.

"hahahah excellent. what a bunch of ***** for joining this group THEN BUYING IT! Sense making fail."

"3 more are playin' right now. Time to clean the group for a little."

[QUOTE="SF_KiLLaMaN"]

[QUOTE="pvtdonut54"]

I thought Blizzard defined PC gaming. :V

lpjazzman220

blizzard does something that ea doesn't, they actually develop a game until its completely ready for public consumption. thats why they dont have as many games......that and they dont have franchises for frat boys like madden, nba, or ncaa

I would take Crysis, The Sims Series, Battlefield series, and command and conquer series over any Blizzard game anyday.

I did enjoy playing Diablo 2 though, I played it at a friends house.

A) WoW sucks.....

B) i haven't played an EA game that was really that good, with the exception of Mass Effect and Bad Company 2, since back in the medal of honor glory days....then cod and activision stole that thunder

A) WoW sucks.....

B) i haven't played an EA game that was really that good, with the exception of Mass Effect and Bad Company 2, since back in the medal of honor glory days....then cod and activision stole that thunder

lpjazzman220

I've always liked EA compared to other game companies that often give the PC the back seat. They only ever did one thing i didn't like, which was the silly DRM's, but whatever, no big deal. I still remember how they released all the good Medal of Honor titles (save Frontlines) as PC exclusives, and never ported them to any consoles. While as developers they havent been as good lately, they sure have supported a lot of the best PC franchises over the years (Battlefield, Crysis, Bioware games).

It seems like Activision has mostly been a supporter of console games, and COD1 was anomalous in its pc exclusivity.

with_teeth26

I like a lot of EA's games, as well. One of the first games I ever fell in love with was Racing Destruction Set -- it was a game for the Commodore 64 made by EA. Very fun game for its time.

Crysis is not an EA gameCaptain__Tripps

[QUOTE="Captain__Tripps"]Crysis is not an EA gameSF_KiLLaMaN

[QUOTE="SF_KiLLaMaN"]

[QUOTE="Captain__Tripps"]Crysis is not an EA gameCaptain__Tripps

[QUOTE="lpjazzman220"]

A) WoW sucks.....

B) i haven't played an EA game that was really that good, with the exception of Mass Effect and Bad Company 2, since back in the medal of honor glory days....then cod and activision stole that thunder

kieranb2000

I really can't speak for any of the so-called "boycotters" around the world, but I can say that I promised that I wouldn't buy MW2 as long as it was Steam-contaminated and I've stuck to that, as have most of my PC gaming colleagues (bar two). In fact, I've used Steam for two things - trying it out with my ancient copy of Half-Life and Last Remnant. LR confirmed all the fears I had about Steam, I haven't bought a Steam game since.

[QUOTE="devious742"]

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"]A pariah is someone who is rejected. The last thing I heard was that all the supposed "boycotters" were busy thoroughly playing MW2 so they will learn never to do it again!! God bless us all Tiny Tim!! dakan45

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=27113603&tag=topics;title

The Mp has indeed been cracked..heck some dont even require steam to be installed...the truth is out there

Explain me this: MW2 steam boycotters were playing the game and it was showing up in their steam status. So if you need steam for legit copies, then how the hell did the steam boycotters play the game? There you go, steam boycotters did bought the game, therefore biggest losser's post is valid indeed.

ok i've decide i have to say this its buy please remember this in the future

I personally boycot the latest 'big' activision releases. Wolfenstein had a very good SP but a terrible MP (MP being the reason I kept playing RTCW) so I didn't buy it. COD:MW2 looked pretty much the same as the first Modern Warfare (to be frank every COD has been the same since the first one). Since I didn't like the MP of the first MW and am only interested in the SP of MW2 I won't buy it because I'm not shelling out €50 for a 4hour campaign.

That being said I disagree with what you said TC about Guitar Hero being innovative. What's so innovative in GH ? It's exactly the same as DDR. And even that isn't that innovative because every game is about pushing the right button at the right time.

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"]A pariah is someone who is rejected. The last thing I heard was that all the supposed "boycotters" were busy thoroughly playing MW2 so they will learn never to do it again!! God bless us all Tiny Tim!! devious742

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=27113603&tag=topics;title

The Mp has indeed been cracked..heck some dont even require steam to be installed...the truth is out there

Try actually reading the steam player list where it has call of duty mw2 put twice then add them together instead of trying to cover it up with the black box.

EA and its affiliates will save PC gaming. k0r3aN_pR1d3

I thought Blizzard defined PC gaming. :V

pvtdonut54

[QUOTE="pvtdonut54"]

I thought Blizzard defined PC gaming. :V

Gooeykat

Yeah because Starcraft and Diablo have no fanbases of their own.