On the very same day GamePolitics broke the news that NCsoft had dropped its membership in the Entertainment Software Association, Mike Gallagher, CEO of the game publishers trade association, predicted that new, "exciting" member companies would join the ranks of the ESA.
Gallagher's comments came during an appearance on C-SPAN's The Communicators on Saturday.
Gallagher was interviewed by C-SPAN's Pedro Echevarria along with Mike Musgrove, who often writes about games for the Washington Post.
The half-hour program, which touched on a number of issues, is worth a look. Here are samples of Gallagher's comments:
How the ESA looks at the incoming Obama Administration:
If you look at President-elect Obama's technology platform, he specifically calls out protection of intellectual property overseas, but also protection of intellectual property at home. So, we're encouraged by what we see there. We also just had the PRO-IP act passed which places an intellectual property coordinator in the White House. So, we're very encouraged by that...
Whether the ESA will pursue RIAA-style IP enforcement tactics against consumers:
[Game cosnumers] see great value in paying the price points for the software that we make... We're in a far different position than music... Our companies have seen that threat coming and we've built some protections in. We also have a better value equation with our consumer and with our customer so we look to foster and grow that as our primary means of defeating piracy, making sure it's always worth it to buy the game, as opposed to burning it.
Whether industry self-regulation of its content rating system is working:
It's not me saying it, it's the Federal Trade Commission says it. In May they issued their report which was very strongly in favor of the industry. And then just recently, the National Institute on Media and the Family issued their annual assessment of the industry and gave the ESRB and retailers very high marks...
The future direction of ESA:
You'll continue to see a strong focus on federal and state policy... In the states, we're seeing tremendous opportunity. Gov. Rick Perry from Texas came to E3, our trade show... he came with the idea of attracting more of our [business]. Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan passed tax incentives to attract our industry...
Gallagher's comments on ESA member companies dropping out:
That was Activision's decision to leave... We have a mission on behalf of this industry that we're going to execute on... We continue to have good communication with [Activision], but we're moving forward. We're going to see some interesting changes this year when it comes to membership. I think we'll be adding some members that will be exciting for ESA as well as the industry... Whether certain companies are in or out or not doesn't really change our focus.
Near the end of the program, Gallagher gets busted doing a bit of subtle anti-Activision lobbying:
Musgrove: Please give me something I can walk away with here. I know these are both represented companies of yours, but - Rock Band 2 or Guitar Hero World Tour? They look kind of the same to me...
Gallagher: I've got to come down pretty heavily in favor of Rock Band 2. 84 tracks, it's a great product... Rock Band is really terrific...
Musgrove: Oh, wait a minute, Guitar Hero is from Activision and they're not in the ESA right now... (laughs)
Comments
Re: On C-SPAN, ESA's Gallagher Predicts New ESA Members
If the ESA would focus more on real crime and nudge the indutry to be alil more consumer focused it would be greater than any indutry assication....
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Pirates,Shearers,Lenders and downloaders are not a market that can be taped by the mainstream.
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Re: On C-SPAN, ESA's Gallagher Predicts New ESA Members
PURE GOLD!!!! i love that.
it shows clean evidence of preferance to only favor those within the ESA despite their losses of late.
Re: On C-SPAN, ESA's Gallagher Predicts New ESA Members
No, it doesn't?
Is everyone blind or something? He prefers Rock Band. He is allowed to prefer Rock Band. You can assume that he is lying, but you have no actual evidence for it.
Re: On C-SPAN, ESA's Gallagher Predicts New ESA Members
Gallagher: I've got to come down pretty heavily in favor of Rock Band 2. 84 tracks, it's a great product... Rock Band is really terrific...
Musgrove: Oh, wait a minute, Guitar Hero is from Activision and they're not in the ESA right now... (laughs)
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Really funny, I have to agree, though I am not a fan of either one.
- Warren Lewis
Consumer responsibility is just as important as Corporate responsibility. So, be responsible consumers.
Re: On C-SPAN, ESA's Gallagher Predicts New ESA Members
God damn, Mike, shave your head!
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Re: On C-SPAN, ESA's Gallagher Predicts New ESA Members
This whole thing can be summed up thusly:
"He would say that wouldn't he."
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: On C-SPAN, ESA's Gallagher Predicts New ESA Members
I've played both Rock band (1 and 2) and GH: world tour. Gameplay wise, I'd have to say rock band is better. In the ESA or not, the better game's the better game.
Aside from that, the ESA can suck it when it comes to IP issues.
Re: On C-SPAN, ESA's Gallagher Predicts New ESA Members
"If you look at President-elect Obama's technology platform, he specifically calls out protection of intellectual property overseas, but also protection of intellectual property at home. So, we're encouraged by what we see there. We also just had the PRO-IP act passed which places an intellectual property coordinator in the White House. So, we're very encouraged by that..."
Eat yourself, Mike.
There are a million questions your organization hasn't answered, and yet you guys latch on to "Intellectual Property", which is an ungodly amalgamation of patent and trademark law.
What about abandonware? What about SecuROM making Spore the most pirated game of 2008? What about region coding? What about the Mod Chip Raids? What about user-created content? What about homebrew? What about devices such as the R4, which improve the original device, but COULD be used to pirate games? What about digital distribution, and the pyramid scheme Gamestop pulls? What about the DMCA making it illegal to prevent SecuROM from raping your computer, or to make backups of game discs you have a fear of destroying? What about excessive micropayments asked by Microsoft and Sony for game updates? Why can't you back up your own old video games and play them on your computer?
Where are the REAL answers?
Re: On C-SPAN, ESA's Gallagher Predicts New ESA Members
Well, he'd have to dance around that one. What possible anweres would have given if he had? Ones that side with the consumer, the very people who put money in his and the organization's pocket? (If you think about it the money goes to the retailer which backups the money the retailer gave to the videogame company, which backups the money that the videogame company uses to create new games AND have them rated by the ESRB AND pay the dues to be part of the ESA's little circle...unless I"m wrong.)) Or would it be in THEIR best intrest only.
take a wild guess, but I'll tell you now, it aint the consumer. They are the ones who wants money every single time the same copy of one game goes up for sale. Just like Dennis said. Just like the friking mafia.
- Warren Lewis
Consumer responsibility is just as important as Corporate responsibility. So, be responsible consumers.
Re: On C-SPAN, ESA's Gallagher Predicts New ESA Members
He wont answer those questions, they make his group look bad, he will dance around them acting as if he was never asked them in the first place.
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Re: On C-SPAN, ESA's Gallagher Predicts New ESA Members
Guitar Hero World Tour has 86 tracks. Just sayin'...
Andrew Eisen
Re: On C-SPAN, ESA's Gallagher Predicts New ESA Members
Well, counting also the free unlockable songs and free songs like "Still Alive" and "I'm Right Behind you Charline"
And the 20 free song key that comes with it as well.
Re: On C-SPAN, ESA's Gallagher Predicts New ESA Members
that and a few bucks more you can get almost the whole setlist from RB1.
plus the countless tracks on their music store that can be used in both RB and RB2.
Re: On C-SPAN, ESA's Gallagher Predicts New ESA Members
Not to mention the fact that Rock Band's game mechanics don't feel sluggish or unrefined....
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" - Benjamin Franklin
Re: On C-SPAN, ESA's Gallagher Predicts New ESA Members
Zing! at the end.