this post was submitted on 17 Mar 2025
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memes

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A collection of some classic Lemmy memes for your enjoyment

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Bullfrog Productions, game featured: Populous, acquired by EA in 1995

Maxis, game featured: Sim City 2000, acquired by EA in 1997

Westwood Studios, game featured: Command and Conquer - Red Alert, acquired by EA in 1998

DreamWorks Interactive LLC, game featured: Medal of Honor, acquired by EA in 2000

Honorable mention to Mythic Entertainment/Bioware, acquired by EA in 2006

Song referenced: Runaway Train - Soul Asylum

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[–] ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 56 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Bullfrog was a lost legend of development. Back when Peter Molyneux wasn't a pile of lies in a trenchcoat.

[–] QProphecy@lemmy.world 36 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)
[–] thermal_shock@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago

I ordered that and Theme park through the mail!

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 28 points 3 months ago (1 children)

This was the game where I learned the bullfrog logo:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syndicate_(1993_video_game)

If you've never played it, it comes up on the list of greatest games of all time fairly regularly.

[–] xcutie@linux.community 9 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Awesome game, full of bugs and exploits. I loved it.

If you are looking for a remake, Satellite Reign is a pretty good choice.

[–] protist@mander.xyz 26 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Let's add Sierra Entertainment to this list. King's Quest 4 Lyfe

[–] derpgon@programming.dev 3 points 3 months ago

sad Prototype noises

[–] kilgore_trout@feddit.it 2 points 3 months ago

Sierra was not acquired by EA.

[–] MilitantAtheist@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

Vivendi/Activision

[–] TisI@reddthat.com 21 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Bullfrog made Theme Park and Theme Hospital. Two amazing games! They're both on Gog now too which is great!

[–] ummthatguy@lemmy.world 14 points 3 months ago

Sooo much time spent making rides that got people sick.

[–] codexarcanum@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 3 months ago (2 children)

These are fine examples, but all over 20 years old now! (Also I'm still salty about Origin Systems in 1992!)

But hey, EA has never stopped sucking! We can also lament recent purchases like legendary UK studio Codemasters (2021) or Respawn (2017). Respawn is especially funny since it was made by ex-Infinity Ward founders, who got bought again! I wonder what their next future-EA-acquisition project will be?

(Also I’m still salty about Origin Systems in 1992!)

They are finally getting re-discovered by younger generations a bit more, but they are often missing from memes like this. Considering how groundbreaking their projects like Wing Commander and of course Ultima were, it is a true shame. They truly fell from the very top and slowly died thanks to EA. (And, admittedly, also in part mismanagement and not being able to overcome the prohibitive cost of physical media i.e. floppy disks and CDs properly)

[–] froh42@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Very long time ago Electronic Arts (ECA at the time, with the cube, ball and pyramid logo) published amazing games.

I really really enjoyed my Racing Destruction Set or the Pinball Construction Set on the C64.

I'm just happy now I did pirate them and never gave them my money to cause what EA is now.

So in my eyes "ECA" is another company "EA" killed.

(40 years ago, when I was 15 - sue me, EA )

[–] tonytins@pawb.social 13 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I dunno. Maxis is a bit of a mix bag. Had EA not brought them, they might have gone bankrupt.

[–] idegenszavak@sh.itjust.works 12 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Yes, SimCity 3000 and 4 was very-very good. Sims 1 and 2 were also under EA, and they weren't a cash grab like 3. Spore was also fun. The last SimCity, in 2012 was shit.

[–] OutForARip@lemmy.ca 9 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

Spore would have been an amazing game if it was like the early demos and not transformed into some weird kid thing.

[–] ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Spore was fun until you get the last stage then it became tedious.

“Wait….my species has achieved space flight. Why I’m constantly fixing all these issues? I just want to explore and stuff.”

[–] OutForARip@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

It was fun but if you ever saw the original stuff they demonstrated you can see it’s a very different and simplified kids version of what it was

[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev 1 points 3 months ago

The game was never like the early demos. If a demo isn't playable by the public then don't assume it was ever actually a playable game in that state. And to be fair, even if it was I'm not really convinced it would've been fun.

[–] ummthatguy@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Fair, but they've long since been dismantled and still hold a special place in our hearts.

[–] tonytins@pawb.social 2 points 3 months ago

Oh, yeah... Completely agree. Shell of their former self that's now left to make DLC for god knows how long.

[–] WillFord27@lemmy.world 12 points 3 months ago (2 children)
[–] derpgon@programming.dev 3 points 3 months ago
[–] Mic_Check_One_Two@reddthat.com 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Oh, is EA the reason Popcap vanished? Honestly, if they were still around, they’d probably make some killer mobile games (if they actually sold them as complete games and not the microtransaction hell that most mobile games fall into).

[–] WillFord27@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

Not sure what would have happened, obviously, but their games were always pretty thorough and deceptively in-depth. Unfortunately we saw what happened to Plants VS Zombies under EA :/

[–] L0rdMathias@sh.itjust.works 12 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Your feeling of helplessness is your best friend, savage!

[–] ummthatguy@lemmy.world 17 points 3 months ago (2 children)

That quote is from RA2, produced by EA.

It's a good one, but rules are rules.

[–] ch00f@lemmy.world 8 points 3 months ago
[–] juliorapido@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 3 months ago

Sooner or later time will tell

[–] DmMacniel@feddit.org 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

RIP all those beautiful studios. (I dont have any memories of Dreamworks Interactive though)

[–] MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 months ago

DreamWorks was more of a case they wanted in on games, made medal of honor. Then it either didn't do as good as they wanted it to or they had a bad experience with publishing it, so they just sold the studio and it's rights to EA.

[–] TrojanRoomCoffeePot@lemmy.world 8 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Red Alert from Westwood was great, but do we have any Nox fans hereabouts?

[–] affenlehrer@feddit.org 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Also Dune 2 and Lands of Lore

[–] MilitantAtheist@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago

Lands of lore was so damn pretty

[–] baerd@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

One of the first RPGs I played as a kid :).

[–] TrojanRoomCoffeePot@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Same. The multiplayer was next-level too, possibly some of the most fun I've ever played. CTF with Wizards and Fighters was so ridiculous.

[–] meme_historian@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Damn I sunk sooo much time into SimCity 2000, when I was like 10 years old and hadn't the faintest clue what the fuck was going on.

When the city inevitably went to shit, I just called in the UFOs 😅

[–] Phil_in_here@lemmy.ca 6 points 3 months ago

Alls I know is you can't fuck with the Transportation Budget.

YOU'LL REGRET THIS!!!!

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 6 points 3 months ago

Electronic Arts? More like Electronic Farts.

[–] SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Just a week or two ago C&C went open source. There’s a lot being done with that community now!

[–] ummthatguy@lemmy.world 10 points 3 months ago

Good news, comrade.

[–] ramenshaman@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Don't forget about Lionhead Studios and Black and White 2

[–] SaladKing@lemm.ee 5 points 3 months ago

Man, I sunk a ton of hours into B&W. Never figured out how to pass one level (final one I think) but it was hella fun.

[–] perishthethought@lemm.ee 4 points 3 months ago

Gotta love a well-documented meme. Thanks OP!

[–] SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 months ago

Westwood was good, I liked the Kyrandia games

[–] De4th69@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

How nobody remembers Dungeon Keeper ಥ_ಥ

[–] VinesNFluff@pawb.social 2 points 3 months ago

On the other OTHER hand, The Sims 1 was done under EA's thrall.

tbf they did remaster command and conquer and red alert and they did an awesome job as it was a passion project with lots of input from the community. With original developers and composers working on it

But i agree with your point they need to being this stuff back or sell so others can