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SouthPeak climbs aboard ESA

By Tom Magrino, GameSpotPosted Mar 9, 2009 12:10 pm PT

X-Blades publisher signs on with E3-organizing game-industry trade body.

Last year, the Entertainment Software Association parted ways with a handful of its most high-profile members, including Activision, LucasArts, id Software, Crave, and NCsoft. One highly likely explanation for the mass defections surfaced last month, when accounting documents revealed that ESA membership dues spiked 1,600 percent from 2006 to 2008. The step could be seen as a necessary one, considering that the ESA pulled in a paltry $3.49 million for the dramatically downsized E3 2007, compared to the $18.46 million that it earned from the event a year prior.

This year's E3 is set to rival the 2006 bonanza, and ESA president Michael Gallagher has since said that the organization's membership-dues structure has been revisited. It would appear as if the move is having a positive affect on the ESA's member count, given that the ESA confirmed today that SouthPeak Interactive has joined its ranks.

"Our industry needs a strong and active trade organization and we are pleased to support that effort," SouthPeak VP of marketing Richard Iggo said in a statement. "We look forward to participating in the many programs and opportunities provided by the ESA."

With the ESA calling SouthPeak "one of the nation's fastest-growing entertainment software companies," the game maker's most recent and notable game-industry contributions include X-Blades, Two Worlds, and the surprisingly lucrative My Baby line of casual DS games. In October, SouthPeak subsumed Gamecock Media Group, better known as one of the most vocal antagonists of E3's Santa Monica sojourn in 2007.

15 Comments

  • icydragon3000

    Posted Mar 10, 2009 2:32 pm PT

    Hmm, i may be the only one that liked two worlds. Interested in playing X-blades, i am. Of course Two Worlds could of been better, but if temptation is up to scratch then it may be excellent. If i could go to E3 i would definetly go see the south peak guys.

  • Proto-K

    Posted Mar 10, 2009 4:30 am PT

    Southpeak = All Shine No Substance.

  • sammyseal2

    Posted Mar 10, 2009 1:20 am PT

    ?????, X-Blades sucked!!

  • noclover

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 11:48 pm PT

    Oh god....Southpeak. No one will be interested in there craptacular crippleware. There booths will be deserted.

  • firehawk998

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 11:43 pm PT

    How fittting ESA is hungry for money these days that they are even willing to take a horrible companies like Southpeaks money. A crappy gaming copany joining a crappy organization.

  • okassar

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 8:36 pm PT

    Omg they put out so much hype for Two Worlds and when I rented it it completely missed my expectations--Epic Fail,southpeak didn't work as hard as it should of--does not deserve the gamers' money for trash like Two Worlds.They lost my interest,as you might have assumed lol.

  • Pete5506

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 8:06 pm PT

    Looks like people are not liking southpeak

  • LazyGamerX

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 6:28 pm PT

    lol looks like E3 learned their lesson and is going back to the right way of doing things. SouthPeak sucks, I dont know about two worlds but xblades was repetitive junk with horrible dialog.

  • drim_vells

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 3:49 pm PT

    SouthPeak is definitely not one of my favorite companies..not by a long shot. But I am glad to see E3 returning to it's former glory. I was a little bummed that the first year I would be able to go was when they downsized it.

  • Rontor

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 3:41 pm PT

    SouthPeak sucks. We dont need more Two Worlds or anything of the sort from them. Total Crap.

  • robfield

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 3:33 pm PT

    I don't think anyone at E3 cares about SouthPeak. The ESA just wanted their membership fee.

  • DeathHeart95

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 2:48 pm PT

    E3 may not be dead just yet.

  • Vainamoinen82

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 2:17 pm PT

    Booth Babes!!! Woo hoo!

  • maverick_76

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 2:05 pm PT

    Interesting, glad E3 is going back to it's roots. I'm sorry but how did they think they were going to make money by not allowing the general public inside the trade show? Stupid.

  • Moppyp

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 1:36 pm PT

    I guess it's gud for SouthPeak although i swear i've never heard of them

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