EA responds to "worst company" label from Consumerist

EA this week was selected by more than 250,000 votes on The Consumerist as the "worst company in America for 2012." EA has just provided GamesIndustry International with a response to this "Golden Poo Award."

"We're sure that bank presidents, oil, tobacco and weapons companies are all relieved they weren't on the list this year. We're going to continue making award-winning games and services played by more than 300 million people worldwide," said John Reseburg in EA Corporate Communications.

EA earned 64 percent of the vote in the final round, going up against Bank of America. The Consumerist commented, "Readers ultimately decided that the type of greed exhibited by EA, which is supposed to be making the world a more fun place, is worse than Bank of America's avarice, which some would argue is the entire point of operating a bank."

"To those who might sneer at something as 'non-essential' as a video game company winning the Worst Company In America vote: It's that exact kind of attitude that allows people to ignore the complaints as companies like EA to nickel and dime consumers to death."

Frankly, this whole vote on The Consumerist appears rather ridiculous on its face. Forbes summarized it best:

"The plights of the gaming industry simply don't compare with BofA's actions resulting in people literally losing their homes and savings... EA is widely loathed, and they've brought that reputation down on their own heads, but they're loathed for reasons that pale in comparison to basically any of the big mortgage companies and banks involved in the housing crisis and financial collapse."

EA may not be liked by some, but it's worth noting that the company has been very progressive in its support of LGBT content, offering players of its BioWare games like Mass Effect and Star Wars: The Old Republic the option to engage in same-sex relationships. The publisher has been the target of an anti-gay campaign from Christian fundamentalists as a result.