The Entertainment Software Association, the trade body that reunites major game publishers in the United States with the purpose of representing them and their interest, has been dealt a few pretty major blows lately. First Activision and Vivendi Games, which will soon merge to create the single largest game publishing and producing entity in the world, announced that they would not be attending the ESA-created E3 convention and that they were also renouncing membership.

Recently, LucasArts, that is getting ready to ship The Force Unleashed, also decided against renewing its ESA membership, although it still plans to attend E3.

As such bad news rolled in, Electronic Arts stepped in to prop the ESA, which to many looks like it could crumble any given minute now. Talking exclusively to the GamesIndustry website, Jeff Brown, vice president of corporate communication for EA, has stated that the company is still 100% percent behind the Entertainment Software Association and that the decision of other major videogame industry companies to withdraw from the entity is a "failure of leadership."

However, while being supportive of the ESA, Jeff Brown also called out to the organization to try and improve its activity so that it can prove it is still a relevant force that can represent the interests of the industry to governmental entities and other challenges.

Rumors have been circulating that, since Michael Gallagher, a former technology adviser to President George W. Bush, has taken over from Doug Lowenstein, the founder of the ESA, the association has been less focused on promoting the industry's interests and more on internal squabbling and political matters.

The next big event planned by the ESA is this year's E3 convention, which will take place from July 15 to July 17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Amongst the companies attending the event will be Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, THQ, Disney and Electronic Arts.