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Electronic Arts' Domination Of The Market - Bad?

Posted by simoniker on from the if-i-ruled-the-world dept.

Will writes "A recent article at Gamemethod makes claims about how big companies can squash the little guy, and good gaming along with it: 'With almost 600 million dollars in sales in 2003(not including December), and 20% of the entire market, Electronic Arts is a developing and publishing powerhouse... Why should you be worried that EA rules the American gaming market and dominates sales? Well, if EA becomes too large of a force in the industry, it has some potentially damaging side effects that will hurt us, the consumers.'" It goes on to specify that "competition breeds creativity", suggesting "there's a problem when EA has enough money to buy out any studios that bring out a hit game", and concluding that "the progress of games as a medium will continue, but at a snail's pace in comparison to the previous years of fierce competition."

2 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. EA's latest games stink by vasqzr · · Score: 0, Flamebait


    The latest sports games from EA stink. They're full of bugs, and are just a roster update.

    Back in the SNES/Genesis days, they really came out with some great stuff. NHLPA Hockey, Madden, Bulls vs Blazers...

    Now it's just the same thing over, and over again.

  2. Re:Huh? by MMaestro · · Score: 2, Flamebait
    How is this a problem? Sounds like a huge incentive for people to start a small company and create a truly innovative game.

    And whats to stop EA from buying you out? Businesses are businesses. In the real world, businesses can't say "no we won't sell out our soul for millions of dollars and millions more in budgets". Hell look at Bungie. Everyone bitching about Bungie 'selling out' to Microsoft without a thought as to maybe their FINANCIAL SITUATION. Games cost money to make. These are no longer the days when middle age parents can spend time working in their garage working on the next Doom or Ultima.

    If there really were a market or just a desire for out of the mainstream games, and the talent to produce such games, the open source game efforts wouldn't be so pathetic.

    Oh I'd love to create an open source game, but you know what? If I'm not getting paid for it, I'm not doing squat. Welcome to the real world, where people have real jobs, real expenses, and real lives. Theres only 24 hours in a day, and I spend over two-thirds of it going to school, studying and sleeping. The other one-third is spent doing housework, working at my job and reading books from the library. What do YOU do with your time?