Electronic Arts, or EA, is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California.
Founded in 1982, the company is known to have pioneered the gaming industry for personal computers, and has been credited for promoting the industry among designers and programmers.
Fast forward, EA is known as the developer of some of the world's most renown game titles, including Battlefield, Need for Speed, The Sims, Medal of Honor, Command & Conquer, Dead Space, and many more.
However, the company is also known for its numerous controversies.
And this time, yet another PR issue it had to take care of.
It happened when the company attempted the 'She's a 10 but' meme.
They’re a 10 but they only like playing single-player games
— Electronic Arts (@EA) June 30, 2022
The meme started on TikTok before spreading to Twitter and more places, involve the phrase, "she's/he's a 10 but," sometimes starting with a lower number than 10, followed by a description of a negative trait.
The following players then give the fictional person a new score based on the trait.
And this time, EA attempted to use the meme, but failed.
By saying "They’re a 10 but they only like playing single-player games," means that EA is downplaying single-player games.
Many fans and players who felt that they were mocked by EA, took the opportunity to raise the many issues they believe plague EA.
Many started ridiculing EA's poor performance of its previous multiplayer titles.
Others criticized the company that has grown beyond its shell to create multi-player games and online games, and monetize them, but seemed to be forgetting that their best titles to date have always been single-player games.
Whereas EA's newer games receive poorer reviews, its older single-player games were among the biggest hits in the market in their days
For example, EA was responsible for publishing several beloved single-player only titles, including Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Mass Effect.
This is the reason why many claimed the tweet a hypocritical statement.
The tweet brought public and forceful condemnation from many industry figures, even from within EA itself.
EA responded to the overwhelming community backlash with another meme.
Roast well deserved. We’ll take this L cause playing single player games actually makes them an 11. https://t.co/PNg4FKOgfB
— Electronic Arts (@EA) July 1, 2022
But this time, the reply is an indirect apology.
"Roast well deserved. We'll take this L cause playing single-player games actually makes them an 11," the publisher wrote.
EA seemed to rubbed some people the wrong way.
The company seemed to forget how it received its big name during the days when multi-player games and online games weren't around yet.
This isn't the first time EA received public backlash.
Since the 2010s, the video game company has been at the center of numerous controversies involving acquisitions of companies and anti-consumer practices in their individual games, as well as lawsuits alleging anti-competitive practices on EA's part when signing sports-related contracts.
In 2012 and 2013, for example, the company was named "Worst Company in America" by Consumerist, and was the 5th most-hated company in the United States by USA Today in 2018.
