Volourn

"setting aside Sports games (for which a new game for a new year makes some sense), how many expansion packs has The Sims had now?" A. I don't give a damn about the Sims. B. Sims gets tons of expansions because want the expansions to be amde because people like the Sims. Period. Stop crying because EA knows how to make games people want to play, and other comapnies seemingly don't. "Precisely what is their motivation for providing you with a bug-free game when they dominate their market? Games released early make more money, and if people want to play them then they (meaning, you) will wait for the patches anyway." *yawn* The RPG genre has comepitgiton yet those games are riddled with patches - even the good devlopers rely on patches. see: BIO, Troika, et al. I have NEVER patched an EA game unless it was a RPG 'cause I never needed to. i need proof before accusing them of screwing up. Not some half wit random dink on a message baord's gloom and doom opinion to go by. "You're celebrating the fact that you have no real choices." The only thing beyond stupid is you telling me I have "no real choice". I always have a choice. Don't tell me that I don't when I do. "Meanwhile, many, and I mean, MANY other game companies can not only compare, but make far better games in other every other genre....and you're apparently happy that a slew of crappy sports games allows EA the power to snuff them out whenever it pleases. After all, if they had only had the sense to stake out their own unimaginative, reliable money-farm rather than concentrating on making new games with new designs that take extra time and money, they'd still be in business....right?" The more you argue about your opinion about how 'crappy' EA games are; the more I'll tune you out as someone who is only attacking them not based on relaity but on your silly notion that they make crappy games. When they don't. Deal with it. "Then why are you whining about how people are selfish for worrying only about the consumers, of which you are a part? Yes, they're selfish; that's the way the whole freaking system works." That's because when people argue against monopilies they make it out to be a morlaity case when it is simply their selfishness. I point out the fact that it's all about selfishness on the consumer's part including my own. If that's the 'way ther system workjs" then you should admit that EA has done absolutely nothingw rong. theya re looking out for thier best interest. As they should. Period. Of course, even as a monoply, it's not in their best interets to make crappy game after crappy game. People will notice, AND they will stop buying. "Want proof of how monopolies have product quality decrease while at the same time increasing prices? Microsoft is all the proof you need. If EA is allowed to get a similar monopoly on sports games, the same thing is bound to happen. Monopolies are the dead end of rampant capitalism." This isn't proof. Get REAL proof. Like I said, if Madden 2006 is $160 and is worse than Madden 2005 than i'll say you'll win. But that won't happen so, once again, you auto lose.

"I think most regulars got banned at that time, so it wasn

"Do you like it so much you'd like to see the same tried-and-true game (or a bazillion expansion packs for said game) released over and over rather than seeing new ideas?" EA has new ideas every year for their sports games. " Do you genuinely enjoy the triumph of copycats and easy-to-develop mediocrity over inspired but niche-market games?" What are you babbling about? EA doesn't need to copy anyone when it comes to sports games. Outside of the silly junky old style Arcade sports games; E pratically 'invented' the sports game. At least sports games thata re cool. I think only a handful of non EA sports games have evr been good. That being baldes of Steel and Techmo Bowl. All else is crap. "Are you looking forward to waiting through three patches (if you even get more than one) for the next game which is released early because selling an unfinished product to consumers is more profitable than waiting until it's done?" WTH? I have never a patch for an EA sports game. None. Zero. Zilch. I doubt I ever will anytime soon. "While they may have better games than EA (and many, if not most, do), they lose." An opinion. An opinion I complete;y disagree with. No one, and I mean, no one can comapre to EA when it comes sports games. This was true even when there was 'competition". it won't change now either. "If so, you're EA's model customer. You're also a dyed-in-the-wool sucker. " Out of all the EA games I've bpight; I've only disliked a small handful. I wish pother publishers - small or big - were even close to being good when it comes to delivering products to their consumers. Next troll please. "Does this improve the situation for the consumer in the slightest? Nope." Nor does it make it any worse for the SMART consumer. Smart sports game consumers buy EA. All other sports gam,es are crap. IUf you supported loer companies I have no mercy for you, suckers. "Waiting for the Almighty Dollar to rescue you from mediocrity in gaming is idiotic, because there's far more efficient ways to make money then to release a detailed and inspired game when it's actually finished." Another opinionated troll. Boo hoo. You think EA game suck. good for you. I think they are good. good for me. I win, you lose. You are the idiot for supporting loser products. "this statement proves you have no clue what youre even talking about." Hilarious. lIKE Taks said, you know nothing. Mor ethan one company sells gas. What a maroon. "uh? the entire point was about how a monopoly is bad for consumers. so the fact you think the consumer isnt important just adds to the proof you have no clue whatsoever about this topic." No. the pointwas that monoplies ar ebad. Period. They aren't or theya re depending on who has a monoply. EA having a monpoly of NFL games is a good thing for EA, the NFL, and intelligent sports game fans. The moronic sports fans can either shape up and buy EA Madden or go cry in their spilled milk. No matter what, I win. "Yeah, so going from having nice games at nice prices to having mediocre games at ridiculously high prices is indeed winning. Like it or not, that's what a monopoly means. Higher prices, lower overall product quality." Proof please. I paid $80 dollars for Madden 2005. It was a great game with some faults. If it comes out next year for $160 and is just medicror or outright crap than you'll be right. It won't so you auto lose. "And no, I could care less if you buy games or not." It's good to know you care. "After all, if I don't feel like paying what a game's worth, I can just rent it, even PC titles. Can you say the same? " I edn to rent before buying console games. Though; for the last 3 years I've made exmeptions for E sports games. In that time, I've bought 9 of them ,a nd only one I regret. Damn NBA Live 2005. LOL I'm more likely to be screwed buying crappy RPGs like POR2, IWD2, MW, and others than an EA sports game. that's for sure. Peace. GO EA GO! edit: "I'm sure EA executives are touched at your heartfelt devotion to their well-being, but since you're a consumer I would assume it would be in your interests to figure out how you get a better game rather than how EA keeps it's market share. " Eh? I couldn't care less about EA. if they made ****ty games; I wouldn't buy them. Period. If they made ****ty games I disliked; i woiuldn't care that they'd go under. I support them because they make games I like. I'm as selfish as the next consumer. I never said otherwise.

"im still not seeing how that is good for the CONSUMER." Ahh.. I get it. It's all about selfishness. It's about you. That's cool. At least it's good to know. "where is your "proof" that ea owning the market place is a good thing?" Simple. EA makes games I like. If they continue doing so; I have no need for other companies spamming NFL games on the market. "just look at the gas industry" I look. *shrug* Competition is there. It is NOT a monoply. And, the services they provide vary in rnage of price and service so your point makes little sense. Try again. And, once again, this tlak about the consumer. Screw the consumer. I hate consuemr.s I hate 'em with a passion. They are selfish, arrogant, igmornat, dumb,r etarded, cruel, jerkish, and every other name I cna think off. They are pure evil and need to be CRUSHED.

"keep thinking that in a couple of years when ea doesnt have competition and can get away with releasing half assed games for twice the price because the consumer has no other viable options available to them." Proof. All you have is whining, undocumented, unfactua, no basis in fact, mythical rumours that show that will happen. I'll believe it when i see it. I'd rather trust EA to bring the goods than trust random posters on the internet who have start of hate hard on for them. If EA does what you suggets; they won't get my money. period. And, guess what? I'll move on and survive. But, I doubt it'll be that way.

"volourn, just an observation, but you dont have much of a business background or knowledge do you. its quite evident in the way you have this twisted view of how a monopoly is a good thing. " Just an observation; but I never said a monoply was a good thing.However, it's preferable than having fake competion. I want real competition. I want companies that can compete on their own two feet; not be allowed to compete just because.

"It's good business, but it's a really BAD situation for Joe Gamer (including you and me.)" No. It's a GREAT situation for me. Only trolls would attempt to speak on my behalf. Please don't. I LOVE the fact that they spam the so called 'medicore' sports games. Even though; they don't. I love it that they update their sports games. To compare games like Madden to KOTOR is just plain silly. So silly it's beyond silly.

"Are you actually happy to see that EA, a company which thrives by releasing the same crappy sports game every year with a new tag on it," If you are gonna troll; don't waste your time.

"You and EA, that is the relationship you have" As long as they make solid sports games, don't charge me hundreds of doollars for them, and aren't in the business of mass murder; they have free reign as far as I'm concerned. And, no, terminating other companies is not murder; it's ound business practice. The onlyt hing negative about EA from what I've seen is the way they treat their employees; but hopefully the lawsuit against them will fix that and teach 'em some manners.

"I prefer BBC." The epitome of biasness. in fatc, they've been legally proven to be biased. R00fles! "CNNs news are definetly right-tinted" A. That wouldn't make them biased. B. No. Only a fool would state that. CNN has TONS of 'anti right' stuff on. Ton. In fact, one of their major shows is all about bashing Bush's economic polices. ie. jobs overseas = evil. So, you obviously, don't know what youa re talking about. CNN is many things; but bias to the right or left isn't one of them. in fatc, if they tilted anywhere it would be the left.

"Heck he even took away the 9 deficiency points I had got for flaming in various threads. So, I can

I'm going to enjoy seeing you pay twice what those games cost today." I'm going to enjoy seeing you cry when I don't pay double the price. You see, unlike others, I don't need games. if they become to expensive; i don't buy 'em. Period. This is why I don't bother buying too many D&D 3E stuff like I used to. Way too expensive hence not worth it. If EA decides to double the price; well; they just lost my money. Either way, I win. "Yes, Volourn, Monopolies RULEZ! " 'Tis a good thing i never said that. However, weak companies or brands who can't compete but kept aloive just because don't rule either. If you cna't hang with the big boys than get out of their way or compete more intelligently. I have no pity whatsoever for when a company is temrinate by its compettition. if you don't want competition go live in Dictator Land.

Good. The more weak companies are taken out or subjugated the better off the gamning industry will be. LONG LIVE THE STRONG! DOWN WITH THE WEAK!!

"And of course, psionics were such a vital component of the gameplay experience. Why, I couldn't possibly imagine what Fallout would've been like if psionics hadn't been a part of it." Irrelevant. Psionics was a part of FO. It doens't matter if it was just a little. The fact is, accoridng to the FO universe, psionics aka magic existed.

"Surprised to see people bash Demonstone? Lets see, the story was written by a hack writer who made one of the most annoying characters in the Forggoten" Don't blame the author for silly fans. Drizzt is no munchkin character. Period.

"Fantasy doesnt mean it has to have magic. Look at the Fallout Series For example." Yes, let's ignore the psionics which is just another form of "magic".. R00fles!

"Worthless eye candy and no substance, like TES3." Yet, you managed to play it for 400 hours.

Huh? Out of that entire list, there's only one game I plan to buy... Hmm..

"Rpgcodex (just registered, but having problems finding topics worth responding to)" My apologizes. That's my fault.

Ones that I'm actually active on are BIO, Obsidian (duh!), Codex, Mistress Lair, and 411mania (though not as much lately). That is all.

"Volourn, you got your grading scale all **** up, you do know that. 81 to 90 is the B range." Deja vu! You are wrong. "This sounds like my old PNP group - we had surrounded the chief bad ass after wiping out his evil minions and he had nowhere left to run so my lawful good dwarf warrior offered him a chance to surrender to which he replied "Give me a warrior's death!". I told him that I would face him one on one - if he beat me my companions would let him walk away. So after an epic battle on the castle rampants I finally struck the killing blow...I knelt down to hold the dying guy's hand and whisper that he would be remembered as an honourable foe, when suddenly the rest of my party shoved me aside and started looting! Instead of passing away to a fellow warrior's stoic words, he had to pass into the nether realms listening to an elf and a hobbit arguing dibbs on his magic cloak..." LOL I love this kind of story. It happens a lot.

"healing potions for me because the other people in my group (and these were people I knew) would loot everything so fast I couldn

"I gave the software an oveall a grade of C." You, yourself, stated that you only rate the actual camapaigns that coem from games hence you rated the OC 75%. Don't try to slither out of your statements. 75% is not a C. It's in the B range. Nice try though.

"can imagine when the game is released around the world? it could possibly hit No 1 spot!" No. I believe NPD only covers NA no matter what.

"Its just that the OC sucked." Yet, you rated it 75%; the same I did!!