EA is a machine. Not human. They run their company as such, especially with all of their "CONFORM" slogans everywhere, like this employee has said. Worked at places like that and it's kinda sad to see everyone else try and be 'employee of the month' for no gain. Hate to say it, but this type of management style actually works; because it's easier to get everyone to conform to your way of thinking than it is to hire people who will think the same way you do. It's so double-edged though. You got these slogans everywhere, but as this employee says, you then contradict yourself with your attitude to consumers and back-office practices designed to line investors pockets than create award winning games. If anyone speaks out, you can then throw all the slogans at them and repeat time after time the "...don't you want to make the best games in the world?...why don't you get with the program?...everyone here loves working here, why do you have a problem?..." and they will generally get in line and go with it. On the other hand, we have Valve. The run a great company, but are yet to give us Episode 3...and it's been since OCTOBER 2007 that we've played Episode 2 of Gordon Freeman's adventure. Which is better? A BS marketing machine aimed at the lowest common denominator of gamer audiences; or a company who release games approaching Nirvana every 7 years or so? Hate to say it, but I prefer EA in that regard. They release a lot of games, and I like most of them (albeit, with some technical issues). I despise their style of operational management and loathe their PR spin doctoring, but they are a games publisher who are in it to make money. I respect that. Same as I respect Starbucks, even though they are probably taking food out of people's mouths somewhere in Coffee producing countries.
