Entertainment Software Association
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is the trade association of the computer and video game industry in the United States. It was formed in April 1994 as the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA) and was renamed to ESA on July 16, 2003.
Most of the top publishers in the gaming world (or their American subsidiaries) are members of ESA, including Atari, Capcom, Crave Entertainment, Disney Interactive Studios, Eidos Interactive, Electronic Arts, Her Interactive, Konami, Microsoft, Midway Games, Namco Bandai, Nintendo, NovaLogic, SEGA, Sony Computer Entertainment, Square Enix, Take Two Interactive, THQ, Warner Bros. Interactive, and Wild Tangent.
ESA's programs include:
- Presenting the annual E³ (Electronic Entertainment Expo)
- Supporting the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
- Combatting software copyright infringement
- Combatting governmental regulation of video games
- Combatting governmentally imposed video game censorship
The founder of ESA was Doug Lowenstein.[1] On December 14, 2006, game blog Kotaku reported[2] that he was resigning to take a job in finance outside the industry. On May 17, 2007, Mike Gallagher replaced Doug Lowenstein as the president of ESA.[3]
On August 18, 2007, it was discovered that someone from an IP address belonging to the ESA modified the Mod chip and abandonware articles on Wikipedia by changing article content to represent legal opinions held by the ESA.[4]
As of May 23, 2008, Activision, Vivendi Universal, LucasArts, and id Software have all discontinued membership in the ESA[5][6][7].
Contents |
[edit] List of ESA members and their subsidiaries
Bold Companies are companies currently mentioned on the ESA homepage [8].
| companies partially owned by multiple ESA members |
|---|
| The 3DO Company • New World Computing • Cyclone Studios • Archetype Interactive |
| Atari |
|---|
| Accolade • Beam Software • FormGen • Gremlin Interactive Ltd. • GT Interactive • Hasbro Interactive • Infogrames Entertainment • Medalist International • MicroProse • Ocean • Spectrum HoloByte |
| Disney Interactive Studios |
| Disney Interactive • Buena Vista Interactive • Walt Disney Computer Software, Inc. |
| Capcom |
| Crave Entertainment |
| Lobotomy Software |
| Eidos Interactive |
| Core Design • Domark • U.S. Gold |
| Electronic Arts |
| Bullfrog • Crack dot Com • EA Games • EA Mythic • EA Sports • EA Sports BIG • Maxis • Origin • Westwood Studios |
| Her Interactive |
| Konami Digital Entertainment |
| Microsoft Corporation |
| Midway Games, Inc |
| Namco Hometek, Inc |
| Nintendo |
| NovaLogic, Inc |
| SEGA |
| Sony Computer Entertainment |
| Psygnosis |
| Square Enix, Inc |
| Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc |
| THQ, Inc |
| Rainbow Arts |
| Ubisoft Entertainment |
| Blue Byte • Brøderbund • The Learning Company • MECC • Microïds • Mindscape • The Software Toolworks • |
| Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Inc |
| Monolith Productions |
| Wild Tangent |
[edit] See also
- Entertainment Software Association of Canada
- Video Game Voters Network
[edit] References
- ^ Illinois Ordered to Pay ESA Half Million by Daemon Hatfield, IGN Entertainment, 2006-08-10
- ^ Rumor:ESA President is Quitting by Brian Crecente, Kotaku, 2006-12-14
- ^ ESA selects new president by Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot, 2007-05-17
- ^ ESA Altered Wikipedia Entries on Mod Chips, Abandonware GamePolitics, 2007-08-18
- ^ http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/breaking-activision-and-vivendi-discontinue-esa-membership/
- ^ http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/16/lucasarts-leaves-the-esa/
- ^ http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/05/23/breaking-id-software-leaves-esa
- ^ ESA Members Entertainment Software Association
