Earlier today I ran a story about Activision not attending E3, and running its own separate event during the week of the expo. With no further details, we were ready to sit back and wait on news, but I just got contact from one of my insider sources (I have a few. Not many, but a few) who has revealed the reason for Activision’s departure — it’s leaving the ESA.
The Entertainment Software Association is the videogame industry’s trade association. Nearly all the world’s top publishers are members, so Activision’s departure is, to say the least, shocking. While my sources can’t confirm to me the exact reason why Activision is going, what I do know is that the company was not happy with things, and neither are a few other publishers involved with the group.
This is huge news, and bad news for the ESA, which is responsible for funding E3 and the ESRB. With Activision departing, and the chance of several more exits on the horizon, this could be a damaging blow to the organization.
We will be digging to get to the bottom of this (and trying to crack it before Dennis does). It is down to Activision to explain the reasons behind its departure, and we shall try to get such an explanation.
Published: May 2, 2008 10:23 am