US gamer lobby launched

Nonprofit Entertainment Consumers Association "established to serve the needs of those who play computer and video games"; former IEMA head Hal Halpin heading.

In today's checkered political landscape, virtually every interest group has an advocacy group representing it. So little wonder, then, that gamers would soon get their own nonprofit representation organization--or, what most people call a lobby.

The Entertainment Consumers Association logo.

Hot on the heels of the recent formation of the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA), which represents game and video retailers, comes the announcement of the formation of the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA). The connection between the two goes beyond their similar-sounding names, as the ECA's president is none other than Hal Halpin, former president of the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association (IEMA), which merged with the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) to form the EMA earlier this year.

According to the mission statement on its Web site, the ECA is "an advocacy organization for consumers of interactive entertainment. ... The mission of the ECA is to give game consumers a voice and to ensure that elected officials hear their concerns and appreciate the growing influence of the gamer demographic."

The ECA site also points out that "nearly 50 percent of the US population...spend $10 billion annually on gaming yet as a group are continually overlooked by both politicians and the mainstream press." The ECA will work to remedy said oversight, though no particular initiative to raise awareness amongst nongamers has yet been announced.

Anyone interested in joining the ECA can do so for a $19.99 annual membership fee. Besides funding pro-game publicity and lobbying efforts, the organization is planning a series of benefits, including a magazine, discounts on game rentals and purchases, and free PC game demos for download. Members will also be eligible for a PlayStation 3 giveaway planned for later in the year.

45 Comments

  • Humorguy_basic

    Posted Oct 26, 2006 4:02 am PT

    Having gone to the site, it is an advocacy group for the Industry against the politicians. Whatever it says about being there for gamers/consumers everything it says on the main page is about defending the gaming industry from the nasty politicians. I don't see how that is a consumer advocacy group.

    Where's the consumer group to defend us from the industry? To pressure them to have better quality control and less bugs? To pressure print or web based gaming media to support the gamer rather than the industry? Where are the gaming groups that can put pressure on the cutting of genres and the increasing cost of gaming through micro-transactions, paid-for patches, upgrades and level unlocks, adverts in games and games that cost the same but give only 10-15 hours of gameplay as opposed to the 30+ of just a couple of years ago?

  • _Sam_

    Posted Oct 13, 2006 11:01 pm PT

    I might join sometime

  • michaelhall

    Posted Oct 13, 2006 12:14 pm PT

    im with pinktoque

    I also disagree with lobbying anything, its just another way for someone to make money off people who don't pay attention to anything. tobbacco copanies have lobbiests, and the gov taxes cigs that kill people to perpetuate monies to be spent on helthcare and the like. don't you guys think this could backfire in some way or another? nonprofit is a joke, it doesnt exist. credit unions are nonprofit, but they grow just like banks, and all the employees get paid also. but i guess you guys that support this would be more at ease throwing 20 bones away than getting off your bum and using your own voice...

    boo on this ECA. But I could be wrong, maybe its the best thing that has ever happend to gaming and I just don't see through the surface...

  • Mredria

    Posted Oct 13, 2006 10:39 am PT

    20$... Pretty good for the discounts and subscriptions, plus getting our voices heard.
    I'd just spend the money on icecream and candy anyway.

  • goddessakasha

    Posted Oct 13, 2006 10:00 am PT

    I joined up!!! All gamers should!!!

  • vamroc

    Posted Oct 13, 2006 9:35 am PT

    Anything that will keep people like Thompson out of the headlines. There should be a "White Russian" mod in the next GTA that has Thompson getting "Probed".

  • anamnawshad

    Posted Oct 13, 2006 9:12 am PT

    Hope they will pwn Jack Thompson!

  • makemeweak

    Posted Oct 13, 2006 9:09 am PT

    50% of the US population? That must be for more than just video games.

  • CheddarLimbo

    Posted Oct 13, 2006 6:42 am PT

    Generic_Dude said:
    "Ugh... what we need are LESS lobbyists, not MORE, regardless of who they represent. "

    ------------------

    If you can't beat 'em - join 'em. I'm giving them my 20 bucks.

  • ldonyo

    Posted Oct 13, 2006 6:14 am PT

    If you're a gamer of voting age, joining the ECA is a no-brainer. Unless, of course, you want people like Jack Thompson deciding what kind of games you can play...

  • cjcr_alexandru

    Posted Oct 13, 2006 1:21 am PT

    Good. Very good. Let the voice of the gamers be heard!

  • cesarotromundo

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 10:06 pm PT

    WOW!

  • lumines_god

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 9:38 pm PT

    as nappan so eloquently said it:

    About damned time!

  • CyphenX

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 8:01 pm PT

    Yayz

  • dragon_rule87

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 7:48 pm PT

    WHAT ABOUT CANADIANS, can i join too?

  • Kaizen4

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 7:18 pm PT

    I notice people are are saying $20 is too much for this, If I were an American I would undoubtedly give $20 to this lobby, and that's BEFORE you take into account the magazine, competitions and discounts. The American games industry has been under attack for too long. Now you've been given a voice so USE IT... or of course, you could just sit here and complain in a forum post which no-one cares about except for gamers themselves.

  • TryMe01

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 6:58 pm PT

    $19.99 annual membership fee, what a fip off, i could buy a game for that kind of money

  • nappan

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 5:21 pm PT

    About damned time.

  • glhx1rush

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 5:07 pm PT

    Hahha, who is the bigger douche, Clinton or Thompson ?, hahaha, I'm going to be laughing over than question all night, hahaha, I can't decide! hahhhaah

  • Boo_looDODO

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 4:44 pm PT

    Sweetness! Think about it, if we all join this "Organization" lets say about...50 million gamers 20 x 50,000,00 = 100,000,000 million in cash, think about the possiblities! If the gaming industry is worth $10 Billion alone in the US, there is no telling how big our influence is on the global economy, and yet society itself! This is the first step towards a bright future for gamers!

  • pinktoque

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 4:30 pm PT

    Interesting. Good luck with this. I'd also like to say that Jack Thompson is a moron. If he'd like some facts on the TRUTH about violence and video games, he needs to read this article:
    http://www.gamerevolution.com/static/index.php?section=feature&sub=violence&page=violence

    Funny how media and the government can hype up that video game violence causes things like school shootings, yet at the same time they publicly display graphs and charts that prove otherwise. Learn2Propaganda.

  • Demoman286th

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 4:29 pm PT

    Meh, Twenty bucks to join a group... that's twenty bucks I can spend on Video Games... WHY ARE SO MANY OF MY INTERESTS CONFLICTING!?

  • iamsouledge

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 4:27 pm PT

    Score one for the gamers, baby!

  • JLCrogue

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 3:49 pm PT

    thorsen-ink
    "Bill Clinton and Jack Thompson shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence."

    Why? I don't see what's so great about Bill Clinton, other than he's not as bad as Hilary Clinton!

  • yoshirox85

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 3:46 pm PT

    So it's like Pandora.com for videogames? Awesome.

  • umbrae

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 3:21 pm PT

    Why'd it take so long?

  • thorsen-ink GameSpot staff member

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 3:03 pm PT

    Bill Clinton and Jack Thompson shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence.

  • rokkuman09

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 2:58 pm PT

    Sweet! Finally some people who actually will help fight against mentally unstably people such has Jack Thompson (should I even capitalize his name does he really even deserve that? I mean I respect his guy less than Bill Clinton). So ya, it's good to know someone is actually helping us gamers.

  • Generic_Dude

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 2:52 pm PT

    Ugh... what we need are LESS lobbyists, not MORE, regardless of who they represent.

  • Iramek

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 2:50 pm PT

    this should be intresting to watch. wonder if they will be effective as most gamer are hoping they will be.

  • bossjimbob

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 2:46 pm PT

    *pulls out 20 bucks*

  • I_Stole_the_Tv

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 2:42 pm PT

    Lobbying for blood, boobies, and other very important things!

  • pawabeer

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 2:41 pm PT

    its about time gamers fought back!

  • veracity024

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 2:32 pm PT

    good finally someone lobbying for the good guys

  • coreyb42

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 2:30 pm PT

    Cool, now we can bribe (errr, 'contribute to campaigns') politicians just like everyone else!

  • CleptoPots

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 2:28 pm PT

    Sweet!

  • mishuk

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 2:22 pm PT

    At long last!!! Finally this advocacy group can take down on Jack Thompson...that stupid idiot lawyer.

  • joestierman

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 2:19 pm PT

    umm i just commented about this yesterday that we should have some representation. wow you guys are fast

  • barkey2007

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 2:16 pm PT

    I'm surprised this group didn't start earlier. finally, a group is out there to represent gamers for once!

  • JohnB555

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 2:10 pm PT

    sounds like a worthy cause. Good luck.

  • TintedChimes

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 2:01 pm PT

    doubt this will do anything but hey, at least its a nice front.

  • hammerchad

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 1:58 pm PT

    I may just join....

  • WolfSkill5544

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 1:52 pm PT

    I hope that this organization really works

  • latinchemist

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 1:48 pm PT

    Let's hope this helps.

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