The ESA does a lot for the videogame industry, including knocking down every game regulation law it has recently gone up against.
The Entertainment Software Association’s recent annual report for the fiscal year 2009 highlights the group’s strength: The ESA challenged 43 bills during that period aimed at regulating videogame content or sales, and defeated all of them for a perfect 43-0 record.
While it makes me very happy that the ESA was able to defeat all of these bills, I’m also saddened by the incredible waste of time and money by the bills’ proponents. One such example shows how much money a single bill can cost to defend. This number multiplied by 43 for one year is astronomically wasteful.
This figure certainly shows why it is important to support organizations like the ESA. The ESA also lobbies on Capital Hill, has an anti-piracy department (though we all want free games, piracy is not a good thing), and backed legislation creating tax incentives for game developers in five states with 17 more bills pending. If it weren’t for the ESA, the Jack Thompsons of the world would run wild with impunity. Okay, maybe not the Jack Thompsons, but those on the planet that actually have it together and are for videogame regulation.
Via: Edge Online
