Games have been struggling at launch lately. Well, any game with online components, that is. Seeing as EA keeps pushing for an always online experience, it makes sense that their games keep failing at launch. However, they apparently don’t see it that way.
EA Chief Creative Officer, Rich Hilleman, was cornered on the red carpet at the D.I.C.E. Summit by Rock Paper Shotgun, where he gave some exceedingly PR answers to questions, making me question just how deluded EA must be. When asked about the terrible launch of SimCity and Battlefield 4, Hilleman replied:
I’m not sure I accept your premise. Battlefield 4 has been an exceedingly successful product on both consoles and PC. From a sales perspective, from a gameplay perspective.
[…] But I’m not willing to accept – and I don’t think most of my customers are willing to say – “it’s a bad product, I wish I didn’t buy it.” That’s not the conversation we’re having now. I think what we’re hearing is, “You made a game we really liked. We would’ve liked it a little better if it didn’t have these problems.” Many of those problems we can fix, and we have and will.
Wow, if you say so. Then are so many people still struggling with instability and server issues? Why was there such backlash when Daniel Matros took to twitter and asked how BF4 was going? Why are people still complaining if the game had such a great launch.
Next up, Hilleman was asked how things will be improved for future launches. It seems to me that the problems at EA are bigger than I thought:
What I would say is, there were dynamics that were different this time. There were organizational differences. Some of those have been fixed already. Many of those conditions will not be the same next time. Some of those fixes aren’t going to solve the problem next time, though.
[…]That team [DICE] got to ship that game when they wanted to. I don’t think we really pulled it out of their hands. But the process changes dramatically ever time. If you were to take a look at the process behind a gen three launch and a gen four launch, it’s 80 percent different. So the next major number release for Battlefield will likely have an 80 percent process change, because time has passed. So that’s why I talk about changing for the future, not changing for mistakes we made last time. If I reproduce what I did this time, it’s guaranteed to be 80 percent wrong anyway.
The closing statement from Hilleman on why we should trust another EA launch, for example that of Titanfall? Well, Titanfall is from a different studio, and “Respawn has very firm control of their project”. Um, doesn’t that imply that DICE was in fact rushed to market and it was “pulled out of their hands”?
The fact that EA can both claim that there were no problems, and also that problems were addressed shows a level of cognitive dissonance that is truly awe inspiring. Honestly, with a view like this I’m getting a little worried about Titanfall’s launch. Let’s just hope that there’s a large enough beta to thoroughly test the game and iron out any kinks in advance.
Last Updated: February 12, 2014
Macethy
February 12, 2014 at 14:13
Titanfall is going to have a disastrous launch on PC, I’m calling it now!
General JJ the ashamed
February 12, 2014 at 14:15
Titanfall isn’t getting my coin.
EA thought they were invincible. Guess again.
Macethy
February 12, 2014 at 14:23
Sadly Dragon Age: Inquisition will get my coin…
Her Highness the Hipster
February 12, 2014 at 14:31
indeed. I just keep telling myself it’s bioware, not EA 😛
SheHulkNigri
February 12, 2014 at 15:04
That is about all we can do, really…
Willem Swanepoel
February 12, 2014 at 14:36
If you look at it. Bioware EA relationship is like the Darth Vader and the Sith Emperor (im talking now from episode 4-6 and screw 1-3)
Bioware = Dark Vader, EA = Sith Emperor.
I liked Darth Vader, he was awesome but he was with the Sith Emperor and I really hated him, what a douche. Vader was controlled by darkness from the emperor..
We as the gamers (Rebels) need to find a way to get rid of this emperor but I have a feeling it will end like Dark Vader went down. If EA goes down it will take my favourite gaming company of all time to the gutters.
I will always buy Bioware games because I love their games but it makes me sick because my money goes to that siff company called EA… sigh
General JJ the ashamed
February 12, 2014 at 15:19
Total win for “screw 1-3”
General JJ the ashamed
February 12, 2014 at 15:59
Nope. Dragon Age has gotten a bit watered down imo (don’t kill me).
Wyzak
February 13, 2014 at 08:53
It’s simple really, don’t pre-order and don’t buy it until the game is of sufficient quality.
Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!
February 12, 2014 at 14:16
Wow. EA just keep amazing me. Seriously. Everyday I tell myself “There is no way EA can surprise me anymore” then each day they do.
This is it. The absolute bottom. They can’t even see the problems right in front of them. Can’t see the hate and the anger and resentment their own players throw each day on their forums.
They cannot, I repeat simply cannot say anything from now that could surprise me because this is scraping the absolute bottom of surprises
Hammersteyn
February 12, 2014 at 14:17
Dear Ea, after reading how oblivious and ignorant you are I wish to address to you the following…
http://d24w6bsrhbeh9d.cloudfront.net/photo/aQqmZ57_460sa.gif
Willem Swanepoel
February 12, 2014 at 14:38
hmm looking at the gif, makes me want to watch entourage again from S1 😉
Ryanza
February 12, 2014 at 14:44
EA – Let’s hug it out, bitch.
Kensei Seraph Moe Ninja
February 12, 2014 at 14:18
Seems like they “fixed” the 20% that worked last time and now have achieved a 144% wrong release process.
VampyreSquirrel
February 12, 2014 at 14:19
Like I said earlier… EA is not getting money out of me anymore… these people are really ignorant of the REAL issues they have launched games with, and those games are STILL faulty (for lack of a better word), and then the micro-transactions… my word EA, get your heads out of your asses!
Hammersteyn
February 12, 2014 at 14:25
Sorry for the following but I dont know how to explain it otherwise.
See the thing is EA is like a pimp. All the ladies in it’s stall aren’t nice but there are a couple of stand outs. So the only way to spend time with the ladies is to give EA a cut. This is the sad thing about games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age. You want to give the money to those companies. Not EA.
VampyreSquirrel
February 12, 2014 at 14:27
True, True… but EA can still go suck a giant golden turd.
TiMsTeR1033
February 12, 2014 at 14:27
will be third time lucky
VampyreSquirrel
February 12, 2014 at 14:37
*turd time lucky
lol
TiMsTeR1033
February 12, 2014 at 14:40
oh snap!
Rags
February 12, 2014 at 14:22
Just had crashes during map change before the first patch. Smooth sailing since then. No complaints from me.
HvR
February 12, 2014 at 14:23
“there were dynamics that were different this time. There were organizational differences. Some of those have been fixed already. Many of those conditions will not be the same next time. Some of those fixes aren’t going to solve the problem next time, though.
Clearly this guy is meeting his goals in the end of the day to leverage themselves on the bleeding edge of the market and expect the rest of us to just drink the kool-aid.
TiMsTeR1033
February 12, 2014 at 14:24
EA Doing fantastic job of achieving the golden turd award yet again, well done EA worst company in
AmericaWorldHammersteyn
February 12, 2014 at 14:26
Got my vote
TiMsTeR1033
February 12, 2014 at 14:26
now vote DA too! lol
Hammersteyn
February 12, 2014 at 14:30
Who else is there? EFF?
TiMsTeR1033
February 12, 2014 at 14:33
haha well apparently the Anc is building houses with those bricks, and got petrol bombs to keep them warm at night. I honestly wish someone could just get Anc to realise that BBC, CCN all show this and more and more investors leave SA and so the rand falls more and more, not to mention the image of this country,
Bad @ss
February 13, 2014 at 14:18
“those” bricks they cant use to build houses as they used it to throw at DA supporters yesterday. No wonder the housing is behind schedule
VampyreSquirrel
February 12, 2014 at 14:50
What the EFF?
Hammersteyn
February 12, 2014 at 14:50
XD
Hammersteyn
February 12, 2014 at 15:02
Someone doesn’t like you :'(
TiMsTeR1033
February 12, 2014 at 15:04
bloody anc supporters
Hammersteyn
February 12, 2014 at 15:09
LOL
Kyratic
February 12, 2014 at 15:11
^^
Alien Emperor Trevor
February 12, 2014 at 14:24
You’re not meant to use logic when analysing PR statements like this. They use buzzwords that are designed to make your eyes glaze over while at the same time making the user sound like the smartest person in the room. They’ll also contradict themselves without any shame because said glazing of eyes means you don’t remember what was said two seconds earlier, or are still trying to work out what the badly mangled English-sounding words meant.
And of course the other problem is there too. “From a sales perspective.” It sold well, therefore everything is good. Cigarettes also sell well, pity about the cancer.
I’m tired. My hobby is slowly but surely being ruined by people like this. Goddamn weasel words make me sick.
Hammersteyn
February 12, 2014 at 14:26
I cant believe how arrogant he is!
Alien Emperor Trevor
February 12, 2014 at 14:30
But here’s the thing, this is how the game is played on the job level where he’s from. He’s not used to talking to real people anymore. It’s all strategies & spreadsheets. I don’t know him, he might be the nicest guy ever, but comes across as a dick when talking like this.
Double-O-Six and a half
February 12, 2014 at 16:19
Hear, Hear!!! You sir have an upvote!!!
I empathize, Games are no longer about the customers and their needs, but about the producers and their greed. In general all this technological wizardry of always connected, always online, patch culture has made the gaming world worse off as guys like this can get away with publishing crap and “fixing” it later…
If debugging is the process of removing bugs from a system, surely programming is the process of putting them there…!
And the culture permeates everything they do, why test a patch to see that it doesn’t break anything new (like the recent January 30th update for BF4 which broke a whole host of things, like Commander mode, ribbons, etc.) when you can have your customers tell you what else you screwed up and just try (badly) to fix your next set of stuff ups.
Where’s the pride in releasing a polished and finished product that works? Where’s the commitment to loyal customers to give them what they ask for? BF4 currently has “Player Appreciation Month” going – I for one would be far more appreciative with a solid stable game of quality than with a few baubles or trinkets handed out to appease the masses and divert attention from their shortcomings…
I see a bleak and barren future, I may as well sign up for my “crash test dummy” logo right now…
Pieter Kruger
February 12, 2014 at 14:29
Same interview he also says “We did things wrong. We know that. We’re gonna fix those things”
Her Highness the Hipster
February 12, 2014 at 14:30
exactly – hence the cognitive dissonance. nothing was wrong but the wrong things were fixed. ummmmmmm
Hammersteyn
February 12, 2014 at 14:32
He should be a spinner for Malema. “Se said nothing wrong, but he apologized anyway.”
Pieter Kruger
February 12, 2014 at 14:37
He never says they did nothing wrong or did I miss that part? He just says it’s not a bad game (and it’s not). As Polygon pointed out I think he’s just saying that the popularity of the game amplified the negative feedback, which is also very true not?
HvR
February 12, 2014 at 14:45
No, he said it was the process, the dynamics and 3rd and 4th gen’s fault and that they are going to fix it, but the fix won’t make it better so they rather just going to change.
Martin du preez
February 12, 2014 at 14:34
And these fuckers got the licence to the Star Wars games. IT’S MAKING ME ANGRY
Hammersteyn
February 12, 2014 at 14:35
New lightsabers that can be recharged through microtransactions!
TiMsTeR1033
February 12, 2014 at 14:36
$5 for everytime you go to a new level.
HvR
February 12, 2014 at 14:37
You can get an extra inch on your lightsaber for only $9.99
Mike
February 12, 2014 at 14:40
heh. It might be that in the future the porn industry will also start adding inches for every micro-transaction.
Hammersteyn
February 12, 2014 at 14:48
LOL
TiMsTeR1033
February 12, 2014 at 14:35
😉
Her Highness the Hipster
February 12, 2014 at 14:40
SO. MUCH. WIN!
TiMsTeR1033
February 12, 2014 at 14:39
anyone remember
VampyreSquirrel
February 12, 2014 at 14:42
Nope I don’t
TiMsTeR1033
February 12, 2014 at 14:47
Because you be a smart squirrel
Ryanza
February 12, 2014 at 14:40
EA, for a long time now, has not been looking at the quality of games. EA is only sees the profits.
EA releases a name and make profits. That is why EA views Simcity and Battlefield as successes. The reason for that is because people are still buying EA games and expecting quality.
Only when people start to wake up and make a stand against EA by not spending money on EA products, only then will EA make a change.
I for one do not buy EA games anymore. I can say Simcity is a bad game and that I wished I never bought it. I can not comment on Battlefield because I do not buy EA games anymore.
So what Rich Hilleman is saying, if you are content with spending money on bad, shit, no quality, no value, EA games, then you have no right in complaining about quality because they already made the money off you.
This is 2014. EA has been voted worse company 2 years in a row. If you buy EA games this year and complain then you are the fool.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me 3 times, shame on ….
Jaded_Reprobate
February 12, 2014 at 14:44
i’ll say it… i wish i got Killzone with my ps4 bundle… i thought BF4 would be better, i was wrong
The_commenter_formerly_known_a
February 12, 2014 at 15:00
seriously?? This is their response?? Fuck you EA. I’m out
HvR
February 12, 2014 at 15:18
EA is entering the construction business. They are planning to revolutionize to whole industry with the process and skill set they perfected in the gaming industry.
JJNutter
February 12, 2014 at 16:12
Well ok then. All the problems I and countless other players experienced during gameplay just never existed, never happened, just a bad dream, cos, according to genius here there were no problems.
Ok, thanks for clearing that up….Douchebag
Rock789
February 12, 2014 at 16:44
What can you say to this? I mean, holy hell man!
“EA, you are the weakest link. Goodbye!”
Joe
February 12, 2014 at 18:43
and u didnt ask about ps4 second assault!?!?! shows how much u know about bf4 mr reporter
Kromas
February 12, 2014 at 20:16
Dear CDProjekt Red. Take all my money!
Also use that money to buy Bioware from EA.
Thanks
X_JARRYD_X
February 13, 2014 at 09:00
I’ve some read the comments but the real question what will happen with Battlefront 3.