ok, Sony deserves the hate for the reasons many people have mentioned. (Rootkits, Exploding Batteries, Lik-Sang, Arrogance, AllIWantForXMas, etc). It doesn't matter if it's Sony/BMG or SCEA or whatever, it's still Sony and all comes under the Sony brand. If the management allows Sony/BMG to install rootkits on people's computers and then helps cover it up ("most people don't even know what a rootkit is, why should they care?") then they will allow other unsightly and illegal horrors on their other products. Companies that do these sorts of things should be punished, but instead they're given a slight slap on the wrist and people still come here saying that "Sony has never let them down".
Most people here know Microsoft's shady business practices (anti-trust lawsuits, patent FUD, Halloween documents, etc), and for the same reason they should be avoided. They get the same deal as Sony, I'm sorry. Even if it's an unrelated division, it's still impossible to trust them. Their gaming division doesn't seem to be as bad as Sony's but I still try to avoid their products as much as possible (unfortunately, it's slightly harder for them as for Sony)
Nintendo has also screwed up, most famously for their crappy treatment of third-party developers, and they were punished for it, third party developers left them in droves on the release of the PlayStation.
It would be good for everyone if consumers started punishing companies who treat them like shit in the same way third party developers punished Nintendo for treating them like shit. Otherwise companies like MS and Sony will keep doing the same thing over and over because they know people will just sit back and accept it.
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