Got news?   tips@destructoid.com  |  Never miss a story:   RSS + Twitter + YouTube
Hey! New here? Destructoid is a gaming discussion community, updated nearly every 20 minutes. Make a quick avatar to comment and enter our contests. Take the tour!
 


Home ESA updates

Activision leaves ESA, takes Vivendi, others may go
10:23 AM on 05.02.2008, Jim Sterling 14 comments

Activision leaves ESA, takes Vivendi, others may go photo
     ESA

Earlier today I ran a story about Activision not attending E3, and running its own separate event during the week of the expo. With no further details, we were ready to sit back and wait on news, but I just got contact from one of my insider sources (I have a few. Not many, but a few) who has revealed the reason for Activision's departure -- it's leaving the ESA.

The Entertainment Software Association is the videogame industry's trade association. Nearly all the world's top publishers are members, so Activision's departure is, to say the least, shocking. While my sources can't confirm to me the exact reason why Activision is going, what I do know is that the company was not happy with things, and neither are a few other publishers involved with the group.

This is huge news, and bad news for the ESA, which is responsible for funding E3 and the ESRB. With Activision departing, and the chance of several more exits on the horizon, this could be a damaging blow to the organization. 

We will be digging to get to the bottom of this (and trying to crack it before Dennis does). It is down to Activision to explain the reasons behind its departure, and we shall try to get such an explanation.


Next page: More Activision stories




king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 05/02/2008 10:44
The rebel scum...
MaximusPaynicus's Avatar
MaximusPaynicus at 05/02/2008 10:52
Wait -- if they leave the ESA, does this mean that they're no longer bound to the ESRB?
loki d20's Avatar
loki d20 at 05/02/2008 11:33
Kind of obvious why they want to leave.

About the ESA: The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is the U.S. association exclusively dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies that publish video and computer games for video game consoles, personal computers, and the Internet.

They've been doing a freaking piss poor job of it if you ask me. They're way too laid back, people are getting too far with their claims on gaming in general and it's reflecting very poorly on the companies that make them. They need an ESA that's going to be proactive rather than a last minute defense in a country that feeds on scaring people to be overprotective of media in order to hide the real issues.
Pig's Avatar
Pig at 05/02/2008 11:35
I can't say I'm all that surprised. The ESA isn't exactly a competent organization any longer.

Consider: they had the biggest, best, most over-the-top tradeshow in the industry, and somehow, they themselves hated it. It was hugely profitable, and extremely successful, and yet every public statement ESA execs made about E3 was how it was too extravagant, too loud, too crowded, and too unprofessional. They were positively paranoid about people making websites just to get in (like how Destructoid started!), and they were positively disrespectful to small press.

Last year, they unveiled their new vision for E3, and everyone hated it. The EIEIO conference, put on next door by Gamecock, was bigger, more fun, and more entertaining.

This isn't a professionally competent group. I've had some contact with them, and quite frankly, they don't appear to know what they're doing overall. They're very amateurish, and very arrogant.

Pig
www.WanderingGoblin.com
Teta's Avatar
Teta at 05/02/2008 11:36
The revolution is coming, grab your pitchforks something may happen.
JonDarkwood's Avatar
JonDarkwood at 05/02/2008 12:04
Yeah, it's already been said. The ESA is incompetent trash unworthy of their position in the industry.
brainderailment's Avatar
brainderailment at 05/02/2008 12:51
So, are they going to try to remake a new ESA?
Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Mxyzptlk at 05/02/2008 12:56
Wow, Activision just got major respect points from me.
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 05/02/2008 12:58
That's a bold move. Hm. Hell yeah.
A New Challenger's Avatar
A New Challenger at 05/02/2008 13:07
I wonder what will happen with the ESRB if more publishers were to follow suit. That power vacuum kinda scares me. Maximus Paynicus already expressed my first thought, but sort of the converse: will the ESRB rate Activision's games? If none of the 3 console makers allow unrated games on their systems, what does this mean for the future?
Volomon's Avatar
Volomon at 05/02/2008 15:31
Damn I've been waiting for the ESRB to go down for years.
Wedge's Avatar
Wedge at 05/02/2008 18:45
E3 and the ESA are worthless crap, so sounds fine to me.
prev next

Returning Dtoiders: login now to post a comment

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just Create an avatar now - it's fast and free: PLUS you also get your own gaming blog and begin posting stories and uploading videos in our open community area that may also appear on our home page. Sign up and we'll guide you through it, it's easy and 100% anonymous.




 Original Videos

 Reviews
Mad Dog McCree Gunslinger Pack
Overlord II
Yosumin Live!
Let's Tap
Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Wii)
View all Game Reviews

 Community blogs -   39764 Dtoiders!

This month's theme: Untapped Potential

New to Dtoid? Read the survival guide


 Originals

The best and worst '4th' videogames EVER!











more original Destructoid stories


 Popular now more













Destructoid is:
Nick Chester
Editor-in-Chief		 Jim Sterling
Reviews Editor
Dale North
News Editor		 Hamza Aziz
Community Manager
Anthony Burch
Features Editor		 Rey Gutierrez
Video editor & director
Niero
Founder, publisher
Letters to the editors
tips@destructoid.com
Associate Editors
Ashley Davis Jonathan Holmes
Brad Nicholson Jonathan Ross
Brad Rice Jordan Devore
Chad Concelmo Matthew Razak
Colette Bennett Tom Fronczak
Conrad Zimmerman Topher Cantler
Dyson Samit Sarkar
Contributors
Adam Dork
Ben Perlee
Daniel Lingen
Joseph Leray		 Joe Burling
Mikey
Will Maddock
Stella Wong




get involved

register or login
post a blog
post a forum
enter a contest
discuss a review
contribute a news tip
write a guest editorial
 support

new member's guide
login assistance
tech support
report abuse
email our editors
read our dev blog
nuclear crisis?
 keep in touch

RSS feed
Twitter
Facebook
Myspace
Flickr
Game nights
Meet-ups 		seriously

about us
advertising
terms of use
privacy policy
jobs at MM
buy our crap 		our network

Tomopop
Japanator



Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press
living the dream since March 16, 2006