March 9, 2009 -
The ESA has a new member.
Although the video game publishers' trade group suffered a more than 25% loss in membership during the past 12 months, that trend may be reversing with the addition of SouthPeak Interactive to the ESA's member ranks.
The publisher's titles include the My Baby series, Two Worlds, Big Bang Mini, Velvet Assassin, Ninjatown and Section 8.
SouthPeak exec Richard Iggo commented on his firm's decision to join the ranks:
Our industry needs a strong and active trade organization and we are pleased to support that effort. We look forward to participating in the many programs and opportunities provided by the ESA.
Comments
Re: Reversing Trend, ESA Adds a Member
I wonder if they'll get razzed at association meetings about the suckitude of Two Worlds.
Two Worlds = biggest disappointment on the 360, and candidate for worst game disappointment ever.
Re: Reversing Trend, ESA Adds a Member
well atlease they're getting another member instead of losing one.
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
http://www.killatia.com/
Re: Reversing Trend, ESA Adds a Member
I dunno how they have the money to do this. Southpeak is a pretty bad publisher with games like X-blades and Two Worlds.
Re: Reversing Trend, ESA Adds a Member
Yeah but that My Baby line brings in quite a lot of DS cash to the publisher. It may not be in you top ten list of must have's but all the little girls who own DS's just eat it up.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
Re: Reversing Trend, ESA Adds a Member
Most of their good stuff comes from the DS sector though, but I have to imagine it's not enough to recoup the losses on making really bad high budget games like Legendary and Two Worlds (remind you this game was hyped to supposedly be better than oblivion).
Re: Reversing Trend, ESA Adds a Member
The fees for membership in the ESA are based on a sliding scale: the more profit a publisher makes, the more it costs them to be a member and, conversely, the less profit a publisher makes, the less it costs them to be a member. Therefore, members don't all pay the same fee. Which also means that the loss of Member X's fees because Member X defects isn't neccessarily fully offset by the subsequent recruitment of Member Y -- unless Members X and Y were making approximately the same amount of profit. This also would tend to explain a greater willingness on the part of more profitable publishers to defect because, relatively, they pay greater fees and would also tend to explain a greater willingness on the part of less profitable publishers to join because, relatively, they pay lesser fees.