14 DAY TRIAL // LucasArts, the publisher and game developer branch of the extensive George Lucas entertainment empire, has apparently opted out of its membership with the Entertainment Software Association.
Rich Taylor, vice president of communications at the ESA, stated that "we can confirm that one of our members, LucasArts, has decided not to renew its membership. We value each member of our association, but respect the unique factors that led to LucasArts' decision".
The fact that LucasArts is not renewing its membership comes as pretty bad news for the Entertainment Software Associations. Recently Activision and Vivendi Games have also pulled out, first of the E3 2008 convention hosted by the ESA, and then of the ESA altogether.
It seems that the organization, which was created way back in 1994 to represent the voice of the videogame creators, is not offering enough value to its members. The E3 has imploded as a mass media event and as a mass attendance show and its rebirth is not without a lot of controversy. Last year's convention was a low key affair that apparently didn't attract too much the attention of the developers and publishers, and the 2008 convention will be plagued by the absence of Activision and Vivendi and, possibly, other big names of the industry.
There have even been voices that have said that the organization should disband and that a new organization should be created to represent the videogame industry when it comes to important decisions that affect it.
Meanwhile Rich Taylor expressed his continued confidence in the value of the ESA. He said "Last year was a record year for an industry which is becoming an increasingly important part of the nation's social, cultural and economic landscape. We are confident the industry will continue to thrive and ESA will continue to create a beneficial environment for the entire entertainment software industry".
If the next few months see more major industry players pulling out of the ESA, then this might mean its de facto end. On the other hand, if E3 2008 proves a success, the organization could enjoy a boost in its popularity.