EA Fires Across Fox’s Bow
I didn’t bother to mention the absurdly biased and one sided coverage of Mass Effect by Fox News when it aired the other day because it was a non-story. They unprofessionally regurgitated the same right-wing propaganda crap that appeared in the Kevin McCullough editorial and Cybercast News Service article. Fox News isn’t exactly the news channel of record for the target market of either Mass Effect or video games in general so the piece really had little relevance. What did become interesting was a strongly worded letter sent by the VP of communications for Electronic Arts, the publisher of Mass Effect, to Fox News regarding the blatant falsehoods and misrepresentations in the coverage.
This is of note because EA has long been on many gamer’s and game developer’s “shit list,” for lack of a better term. The company has a history of treating game developers poorly, treating intellectual property poorly and generally working to diminish the value and relevance of games as a cultural touchstone in favor of cashing in. EA regularly regurgitates franchises using a “yearly iteration” model wherein customers are asked to purchase games with few or no updates other then an increase in the number to the right of the title. They are also known for purchasing development studios and properties and then rehashing formerly unique universes in such a frequent and mundane way that all originality and creativity are sapped from the titles. To many older gamers EA represents the shift of the gaming industry from a niche and purist pursuit that was done for love of the form towards a broad and watered down medium where the focus was on pulling in as much cash as possible.
This has changed in recent years and EA has shown a real interest in expanding gaming as a medium artistically and culturally. While they’ll inevitably remain the primary target for those who bemoan the universalization of the medium their recent policy changes have shown a company interested in “returning to its roots.” Their actions towards Fox News further reinforces this shift with their decision to defend the creative and artistic value of the medium in general and their product in particular.
That being said, what would really impress me would be if EA pulled their advertising from News Corp over this situation. News Corp owns IGN, one of the biggest (and most poorly written and edited) game sites out there. I’m certain that EA injects massive amounts of capital into that one destination without even considering advertising dollars spent on TV spots for News Corp’s many channels. Were EA to pull their advertisements from News Corp it would be a heavy blow to their pocketbooks and if EA were willing to go so far as to “black out” News Corp media coverage it would do heavy damage to the site’s value to readers and, thus, their value to other potential advertisers. Let’s be honest here, EA is so large and has so many high-profile titles that they don’t need News Corp to stay strong and profitable. There are many more outlets for marketing.
I’m not usually one to suggest that a company use their advertising dollar to effect a news station’s editorial content but let’s be realistic here, Fox News and News Corp are not in the business of journalism. They are an entertainment organization who has fought for the right to lie to their viewers if it is financially expedient. On top of that we’re not talking about a situation where they reported something true about a product that could be damaging to customers - we’re looking at a situation where they completely fabricated information and reported blatant lies in order to pander towards their viewers. Electronic Arts has every right to not only pull all advertising from News Corp but to take them to task legally over their misrepresentations.
If EA would do that then I would find myself in the surprising situation of not only grudgingly admitting that they are no longer hurting gaming but instead actively championing them as one of gaming’s greatest assets.
Sphere It