Texas Governor Rick Perry has been announced as the keynote speaker at this year’s E3 Media and Business Summit.
ESA boss Michael Gallagher said Perry’s forward-thinking leadership in supporting the videogame industry made him an ideal candidate to deliver the keynote address.
“Governor Perry and the E3 Media and Business Summit are both great success stories,” Gallagher said. “The governor’s keynote address is especially timely, given the high concentration of entertainment software developers and publishers in Texas, as well as the state’s long-standing support of our industry. The Governor’s forward-thinking leadership in encouraging the growth and development of our $18 billion industry is a roadmap for other state executives who want to transform their state economies for the 21st century.”
This will be the first time a politician has delivered the keynote address to E3, according to GamePolitics, and while Perry did enact a 2007 law providing financial incentives to game developers, the state’s program included numerous restrictions against violent games and “inappropriate content.” Texas is reportedly the only state that has made game development subsidies dependent upon content. This also represents the second time Gallagher has declined to issue an E3 keynote since taking over as ESA President in May 2007.
The Governor’s address is scheduled to take place on July 16.
