Hal Halpin Rumors Swirl Around Lowenstein Departure
Hal Halpin Rumors Swirl Around Lowenstein Departure
December 18, 2006
Contrary to rumors, outgoing Entertainment Software Association (ESA) boss Doug Lowenstein won't be heading to the newly-launched Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA).Nor has ECA founder Hal Halpin been approached about replacing Lowenstein at the ESA, which represents video game publishers.
That's the word from Halpin, who told GamePolitics last night that he has been contacted about such rumors by a number of reporters since the Lowenstein news broke last week. Of the ESA vacancy, Halpin said:
My preference would be to have a real heavy hitter in the job - someone with a legal background, who knows their way around D.C. but isn't necessarily a part of it. The federal-level legislation is significantly less threatening to the category than is state-level action, so being engrained in the politics on The Hill need not be a priority. Having the coalition partners (EMA, IGDA, ECA) involved in the search, too, would be prudent.
Of the other groups mentioned by Halpin, the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) represents video game retailers, while the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) represents those who create the games.
While Halpin has the right pedigree for the ESA's top job, he's wrapped up in the ECA startup at the moment. The new organization for game consumers will officially begin operations sometime next month.
Meanwhile, GameSpot has reported that Lowenstein will assume a job similar to the one he is leaving with a Washington, D.C. trade organization representing investment firms.
By the way, don't forget to vote in GP's who will replace Doug Lowenstein? poll.
Full Disclosure Dept: We should point out that GamePolitics is an ECA partner.
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Posted 03/18/10 at 09:56am
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JDKJ: BREAKING: Obama contemplates rescheduling departure to Australia in light of looming vote in House on health care reform bill. Newsworthy? Not particularly. But it does involve Australia.
Posted 03/17/10 at 06:23pm
FlakAttack: News from Canada: Conservatives launch protest against proposed "digital media recorder" levy
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Posted 03/17/10 at 05:09pm
ZippyDSMlee: Devrys online corses are about 5-7 grand a year I think.
ZippyDSMlee: Devrys online corses are about 5-7 grand a year I think.
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:40pm
Valdearg: @Zip: Not exclusively Online, I don't think. And it's like 17,000 a year, to attend. Not worth it, IMO.
Valdearg: @Zip: Not exclusively Online, I don't think. And it's like 17,000 a year, to attend. Not worth it, IMO.
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:25pm
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:do they have online corses?
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:do they have online corses?
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:22pm
Valdearg: Fun. For what it's worth, at ITT, it was 8 Week Quarters.
Valdearg: Fun. For what it's worth, at ITT, it was 8 Week Quarters.
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:10pm
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:looky here, http://forums.theeca.com/showthread.php?t=8590
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:looky here, http://forums.theeca.com/showthread.php?t=8590
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:09pm
ZippyDSMlee: Valdearg:So force our nobles in charge to re join normal sosicty is unrealistic?
ZippyDSMlee: Valdearg:So force our nobles in charge to re join normal sosicty is unrealistic?
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:08pm
Valdearg: Instead of thinking about these fanciful notions of how things should work in your world, you should be thinking how can we realistically fix the problems with our current system. Small steps mean progress, big leaps are usually defeated.
Valdearg: Instead of thinking about these fanciful notions of how things should work in your world, you should be thinking how can we realistically fix the problems with our current system. Small steps mean progress, big leaps are usually defeated.
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:07pm
Valdearg: @Zip: Thinking realistically is the first step to bettering yourself. :P
Valdearg: @Zip: Thinking realistically is the first step to bettering yourself. :P
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:06pm
ZippyDSMlee: They should be treated as part of society not nobility and I have been labeled an incompetent so I can haz my monies, not like its enough to live on....going to be fun when I start devry in a few years.....
ZippyDSMlee: They should be treated as part of society not nobility and I have been labeled an incompetent so I can haz my monies, not like its enough to live on....going to be fun when I start devry in a few years.....
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:04pm
ZippyDSMlee: House/senate/P/VP do not need to be paid , they also should be blocked from working with any industry thats attached to government(even lowest contract bids) after office.
ZippyDSMlee: House/senate/P/VP do not need to be paid , they also should be blocked from working with any industry thats attached to government(even lowest contract bids) after office.
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:02pm
ZippyDSMlee: Also survive<live
ZippyDSMlee: Also survive<live
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:00pm
ZippyDSMlee: They do not need to be paid, the fame,influence,back scratching, free security and reduced housing is all they need to live and work.They live far to far away from society to be charged with its governance....
ZippyDSMlee: They do not need to be paid, the fame,influence,back scratching, free security and reduced housing is all they need to live and work.They live far to far away from society to be charged with its governance....
Posted 03/17/10 at 03:59pm
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:If I had the millions they did on average I would not need my check to survive.
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:If I had the millions they did on average I would not need my check to survive.
Posted 03/17/10 at 03:57pm
Valdearg: So, you want congress to work for free while you don't work and get paid.. Sounds totally logical.
Valdearg: So, you want congress to work for free while you don't work and get paid.. Sounds totally logical.
Posted 03/17/10 at 03:56pm
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag: Goverment needs an overhaul not absolute destruction tho I dubt it would be changed any other way >>.
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag: Goverment needs an overhaul not absolute destruction tho I dubt it would be changed any other way >>.
Posted 03/17/10 at 03:55pm
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:Only if congress stops taking their checks :P
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:Only if congress stops taking their checks :P
Posted 03/17/10 at 03:41pm
Valdearg: @Zip: Tell you what. How about you be the first to forsake government. You want to neuter it, how about you stop cashing those SSD Checks you receive every month. I mean, if Government is bad, then clearly, that money is corrupt.
Valdearg: @Zip: Tell you what. How about you be the first to forsake government. You want to neuter it, how about you stop cashing those SSD Checks you receive every month. I mean, if Government is bad, then clearly, that money is corrupt.
Posted 03/17/10 at 03:08pm
ZippyDSMlee: Can we neuter government first before we fix health care?
ZippyDSMlee: Can we neuter government first before we fix health care?
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Comments
I definitely share your concerns there. There's a fine line between a strong leader who defends his people, and a strong leader who defends his people AND rules them with an iron fist.
Anyways, all jokesaside, while I share most everyone's opinion that the next ESA president should be a bit more on the proactive side (who would say no to a cross-country tour, reminding state legislators how much support, not to mention money, they'd lose supporting a dead-end anti-VG bill?) it wouldn't take much for someone in that position to go to the dark side, and like battlechicken mentioned, it'd be the "Your Mom"/Kotaku debacle all over again, but on a grander scale.
It's hard to say. Playing defensively has worked for the ESA so far, but all it takes is one nutcase judge giving the thumbs-up to a law for the whole thing to fall apart. And going too aggresively would put them in the same light as the previously-mentioned RIAA, and the MPAA. Whoever the new prez is, he's got a bit of a tightrope to walk here. He's probably not going to please everyone, but as long as he does his damnedest to keep me from being a fugitive from justice because I play GTA every now and again, he'll have my thumbs-up.
As far as a replacment ,I think that hal has it right, but whoever they get has to be aggressive, has to make use of the legal system and turn it to our advantage. No more lies, no more slander. You don't tell the story straight, we see you in court. Maybe then the news, the politicans ,and jack thompson will shut there mouth
I might be loathe to advocate such legal tactics, but enough is enough. They aren't learning, they aren't changing, it's time we start making them pay attention, and the best way to do that is to make it costly for them to lie.
Then, maybe then, we can start to change things.
How dare you Mentally Mastrabating Media Murderers attempt to establish yourself as a country.
We're still after you, Farcry developers! And this time....Your L337 h4x will be no use!
-Germanswatguy,Sergeant Major of the Anti Pixelante Attack Squad(A.P.A.S)
The old pics made you look like Terry Funk.
Now, you look like you're ready to don an X-Men uniform and go fight the forces of evil.
Somebody's been working out. No, really, compared to the old photos, you look like you've gotten younger.
nightwng2000
NW2K Software
Well. I personally would like to say that I will miss the kind and gentle Lowenstein; even with his unprecedented kindness to puppies and fondness for church bake sales. His departure could very well mark the end of the lovable ESA, with it's rainbows and rivers of chocolate... ushering in a dark age... an age of preventative litigation.
The thing that I love most about Lowenstein's ESA is the fact that it defends itself, as opposed to searching for fights. I see a distinct difference between the two, and I find the first admirable, and the second morally reprehensible when referring to an industry group. It is my opinion that if the new head of the ESA decides to 'be more proactive', it is merely a matter of time before the ESA 'proactively' mirrors the RIAA in action and attitude. (A good example is the 'your mom is E for everybody' T-shirt reaction, and the ESA's threatening action on kotaku for posting an article about it)
Being aggressive will just mean there is always another lawsuit to file.. Another fight to pick. When the big threats are gone -- and a day *will* come where the critical battles will have been fought and won -- the icy legal glare of the heartless ESA will fall on you and me.
I personally would rather have the industry tolerate a little misinformation and slander from ignorant pols; only fighting the battles that really matter, than aggressively enforcing it's ideals... as the logical step after all these baseless government lawsuits taper off is an endless string of baseless ESA lawsuits.
And yes, this is me, not a campaigning spambot. You may email me for confirmation if you wish.
But yeah, Lowenstein should've been a lot more rabid. If you have to talk down two unconstitutional bills, and they fire three more at you, there comes a point where you have to say "I have had it with these motherfucking bills in this motherfucking country". Sure, you can sit back and think "meh, it's not going through anyway", but that doesn't hasten the realization that such laws are completely pointless.