Is EA 'destroying' gaming? Minecraft creator thinks so

Electronic Arts Indie Bundle.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Electronic Arts (EA) can't catch a break.

Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson today took aim at the mega-publisher, criticizing it for calling a recent release of games on Steam an "Indie Bundle." Persson argues that Electronic Arts, a major publisher and developer, cannot possibly be a so-called "indie" or independent developer, and should not characterize its release as such.

"EA releases an 'indie bundle'?" Persson wrote this morning on his Twitter feed. "That's not how that works, EA. Stop attempting to ruin everything, you bunch of cynical bastards."

EA's recently launched Indie Bundle includes six games, including "Warp," "Shank," "Gatling Gears," and others. The company is offering a 70-percent-off discount on Steam, allowing customers to pick up the titles for $20.98, rather than their standard $69.94 price.

After announcing its "Indie Bundle," EA came under fire from critics who reject the company's contention that it can be part of the "indie" ecosystem. Like the music industry, where a few labels are major and therefore, not "indie," the gaming industry clearly delineates between the two groups. In most cases, developers creating games for mobile platforms or console-based services, like Xbox Live Arcade, are independent developers. Major companies, like EA, Activision Blizzard, and Take-Two, due mainly to their size and influence, are considered "major publishers."

Over the years, camps have developed in the gaming industry, whereby some folks support indie developers, while others take the side of major companies. And in many cases, those who support indies take issue with major firms, and believe they are hurting the game industry. Persson appears to be one of those folks, at least as it relates to EA.

"Indies are saving gaming," Persson tweeted this morning. "EA is methodically destroying it."

Persson's comments come just hours after EA was forced to correct a mistaken message sent to Rock Band for iOS users, telling them that the game would be discontinued at the end of the month. In a follow-up statement, EA said that the app will remain live, and the message was "sent in error."

Still, the mistake didn't help EA make any new friends -- something it's seemingly short on: last month, the company was named the worst company in America, as voted by readers of the Consumerist.

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(courtesy:cnet.com)