Tech Firms Dominate Worst Company List

According to a recent poll, tech (and tech-related) companies are considered some of the worst in America. Candidates for criticism include Electronic Arts, Comcast, Best Buy, Gamestop, Sony, and AT&T.

The poll, conducted by consumer affairs blog The Consumerist, asked which company should be considered the worst in America. 

An incredible 250,000 people responded, leading to some shocking results.

Sony, Google Escape Humiliation

Some of the firms that 'qualified' for the 'tournament' (which The Consumerist organized into an NCAA basketball March Madness-style bracket), included Netflix, Sears, Sony, UPS, Sprint, and Google.

However, these firms escaped humiliation by being voted out of the running early. 

It's no honor to be part of the list of candidates in this kind of poll, but voters clearly did not consider them amongst the country's worst offenders.

When the tournament was pared down to the final four, the companies left standing were: 

• Bank of America

• Electronic Arts (EA), a video game publisher

• AT&T

• Wal-Mart

Surprisingly, Bank of America and EA made it to the final round. The video game maker went on to win the 'national championship' with 64 per cent of the vote, to 36 per cent. (Source: consumerist.com)

Given the considerable number of respondents, some people are taking this poll quite seriously. 

Industry experts immediately began speculating as to why EA was fingered over a retailer known to annihilate small-time competition (Wal-Mart) and a service provider with an awful reputation (AT&T).

Game Scandals Drive EA 'Win'

Many insiders suggest a recent scandal surrounding a major EA game, Mass Effect 3 (ME3), may have put the games maker over the top. 

The game has received stellar reviews, but almost everyone seems angry over its conclusion, which reportedly rounds out the popular series in a highly disappointing fashion. (Source: forbes.com)

EA has recently said it will release an alternative ending to ME3, but will charge gamers for downloading it. That hasn't been a popular decision, either.

Also controversial: EA's decision a number of years ago to buy out the National Football League license, preventing other game companies from making NFL-based titles. 

The move has led to a monopoly that many feel hampers the advancement of a very popular video game genre.