ECA acquires news blog GamePolitics

  • By Curt Feldman, GameSpot
  • Posted Oct 25, 2006 6:00 am PT

Freshly formed Entertainment Consumers Association snaps up game blog; partnership with NCsoft also announced.

Wasting no time since its soft launch earlier this month, the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) today detailed two new partnerships. The organization, which calls itself "an advocacy organization for consumers of interactive entertainment" acquired the intellectual property of popular game news blog GamePolitics. In addition, the ECA has partnered with NCsoft to build out that publisher's PlaySmart initiative.

The news blog, which details the myriad developments on the legislative and political fronts that affect the game industry, is penned by Dennis McCauley, a game journalist and columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Under the terms of the deal, the ECA will own the content of McCauley's site and retain his services as its politics editor.

"We're excited to have Dennis and GamePolitics on board as [the site] both compliment[s] [sic] the ECAs objectives and provide[s] great value to our members," ECA founder Hal Halpin said in a statement. "Like most gamers who care deeply about their rights and the government's intervention in games I have been a fan of both Dennis and GamePolitics for some time."

McCauley has been covering games, legislation affecting the sale and ownership of games, politics in general, and game critics since founding his site in March, 2005.

Speaking with GameSpot earlier, McCauley detailed the alliance, stating, "I've always had a lot of respect for Hal Halpin. He's invariably been very forthright in speaking about the issues which are important to gamers and he was always willing to spend time--a lot of time--interacting with the readers on GamePolitics. Most of our readers are gamers, and they really appreciated Hal's ability to connect with them."

Talking with GameSpot, Halpin said a McCauley-scribed daily newsletter would soon launch as well, though no specific launch date was mentioned.

Asked how the deal will change GamePolitics, McCauley said, "Not much at all."

Clarifying his new role, he added it would be "to continue to provide the same kind of editorial content that keeps folks informed about the latest political and cultural developments in relation to video games... Old school readers should see a seamless transition, and we're hoping new readers who connect with us via the ECA enjoy the kind of solid reporting that GamePolitics has become known for."

The ECA also detailed its alliance with Guild Wars publisher NCsoft, backing that publisher's PlaySmart initiative, a program designed to "advance online gaming and security by providing gamers a comprehensive set of common-sense guidelines drawn from industry standards."

Renaming the program PlaySmart Presented by ECA, the outcome of the partnership will include the distribution of PlaySmart tips cards at events and conferences the ECA has partnerships with, as well as a jointly-developed PlaySmart Web page that will contain a list of safety and security tips to help gamers stay safe while playing NCsoft's massively multiplayer games.

"With regard to the PlaySmart initiative, this too was synergistic," Halpin said. "NCSoft developed a great program that exemplifies corporate social responsibility, and partnering with and supporting the ECA is testimony to their dedication to the gaming community. This service should be both impactful in getting the word out about online safety and it should resonate with gamers and parents alike."

23 Comments

  • _Sam_

    Posted Nov 2, 2006 5:09 pm PT

    I didn't visit GamePolitics that often

  • cjcr_alexandru

    Posted Oct 26, 2006 8:33 am PT

    The PlaySmart initiative sounds good.

  • Humorguy_basic

    Posted Oct 26, 2006 3:53 am PT

    It good that this has happened. But doesn't it just prove the gaming media is there to support the industry and not the gamer?!

  • SalenStormwing

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 2:46 pm PT

    I hope Dennis will keep it real like he has been for a while. He's been good at keeping things real so far, so I hope this goes well. *hopehopehope*

  • SpruceCaboose

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 2:21 pm PT

    It has the Xbox controller because it is an American run blog for the discussions of games/gaming in America. The Xbox is an American system, and is seen as that was in the main-stream, whereas the Playstation and Wii are Japanese systems. Get it now?

  • imbacon

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 11:12 am PT

    ""parents alike"... now, I really don't like where it goes. When there's the word "parents", something's not right."

    Didn't you know? We're TOTTALLY out to get you! WOOOOOOooooOooOoooOoo *wiggles fingers*

  • vaejas

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 11:06 am PT

    ...on board as [the site] both...[ ]...[ ]...
    Uhm, no, I think you're altering his statement beyond context there Curt.

  • imbacon

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 11:03 am PT

    Yes, it was all a clever conspiracy to confuse someone who I've never met till today.

  • the_real_VIP

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 10:46 am PT

    "parents alike"... now, I really don't like where it goes. When there's the word "parents", something's not right.

  • BallGame

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 10:45 am PT

    This might be the dumbest thing I have ever heard of!

  • ssj4_2004

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 10:39 am PT

    Hmm, saying your name "imbacon" is almost like stating A fact 'imbacon'. Did You choose that name simply to confuse me? Your A crafty swine imbacon... A crafty swine >_>

  • imbacon

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 10:35 am PT

    ssj,
    ...your post made my brain hurt.

  • ssj4_2004

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 10:27 am PT

    anyone notice if You drop the 'c' it spells EA? DUNN DUNN DUNNN! Electronic arts has now consumed another company!

  • pridex

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 10:16 am PT

    wow you really can get paid for anything.

  • sieg6529

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 9:46 am PT

    yay, more biased media coverage!

  • DarkSaber2k

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 9:35 am PT

    Well, its always good to have someone out there that's got our best interests in mind, keep it up! Really? well they certainly didn't ask ME what my best interests were, and I'm pretty sure lots of others wern't! ;-)

  • Dreski83

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 9:34 am PT

    I may not totally support the GamePolitics site and content, but I'm all for anyone who wants to represent the gaming public in a respectable light. Its not only appreciated, but its much needed when we got nothing but hot headed nerds blabbin about how leet they are compared noobs who just don't understand.

    Hopefully some good will come of this.

  • khabz

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 8:44 am PT

    Boo! "GamePolitics" is Pro-XBOX and anti-PS3 + Wii
    It has an xbox controller as its "flag"
    down! with GamePolitics! down!

  • piecake

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 8:20 am PT

    i got a gamespot blog WAY BETTER!

  • TheShocka

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 8:03 am PT

    Has anyone bothered reading GamePolitics? That idiot who runs it was one of the first conservative nutjobs to push how bad the "Hot Coffee Mod" was and actually helped esculate the situation just to get him press. I hope he rots.

  • assfault88

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 8:01 am PT

    Well, its always good to have someone out there that's got our best interests in mind, keep it up!

  • Sagacious_Tien

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 6:55 am PT

    I've never even heard of this organisation, but if it is giving gamers a voice, than all the power to it, I reckon.

  • AKGermany

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 6:41 am PT

    Hmm, I'll check it out. Mayber they'll say something about the import dilemma soon.

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