Curse

Sora267 · Dec 07, 2008, 11:58 PM // 23:58

Quote:

It would appear that financially-troubled NC Interactive (the US arm of Korea's NCsoft) has left the membership ranks of game publishers trade association the Entertainment Software Association.

Last month, NCsoft announced that it plans to shut down underperforming MMO Tabula Rasa early in 2009. Facing a difficult financial picture, NC Soft has laid off a number of employees at locations in both the US and UK. The publisher also recently parted ways with famed Ultima series designer Richard Garriott.

Departing the ESA is likely a cost-cutting measure for NC, which also chose not to exhibit at E3 this year. Game publishers pay significant fees to belong to the organization. While no announcement was made by either NC Interactive or the ESA, the trade association's membership page no longer lists NC among its ranks.

It has been a difficult 2008 for the ESA, which began the year with 28 member companies. As NC exits there are now just 21, meaning that CEO Mike Gallagher's outfit has lost a quarter of its membership in 2008.

As GamePolitics reported in October, Codemasters was the most recent company to depart. Game publishers confirmed as leaving the ESA this year include:

* Activision
* Vivendi
* LucasArts
* id
* Crave
* Codemasters

We have a request in to the ESA for confirmation on NC's apparent departure.

UPDATE: Confirmed by ESA Senior VP Rich Taylor:

We can confirm that NCsoft decided not to renew its ESA membership. We respect their decision and remain committed to serving the public affairs needs of the computer and video game industry.

Source: http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/12/...ctive-left-esa

Now, is this because NCSoft is "financially struggling" or because the ESA just plain sucks now?

Abedeus · Dec 08, 2008, 06:46 AM // 06:46

If Codemasters, Vivendi, id and LucasArts AND NC Interactive are leaving the ESA, it just plain sucks.

If it was good, they would all stay.

Quote:

The publisher also recently parted ways with famed Ultima series designer Richard Garriott.

This sentense questions the viablility of the article. They didn't part ways, he left by himself after selling all his papers.

Winterclaw · Dec 08, 2008, 02:22 PM // 14:22

The only reason to be a part of the ESA was mostly for E3 I guess. They killed that format so why waste money being with them?

zelgadissan · Dec 08, 2008, 03:26 PM // 15:26

Guitar Hero: World Tour is published by Activision so I think we can safely say that at least one of these companies left because ESA is pointless now.

Thank you for reminding me of some awesome games, BTW. Seeing id and LucasArts up there reminded me that my Quake skills are quite rusty, and that it's probably been at least a year since I played Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders.

wetsparks · Dec 09, 2008, 09:24 PM // 21:24

The ESA is run by morons and people are leaving. They got all their money to run things by letting the public into E3. They decided that they didn't think it was good for their members to be spending a million dollars to decorate their booths at E3 so they shrank it down. All of a sudden they have no money to do anything and raise membership fees by a few million. That is why they are leaving, not worth the money anymore (if it ever was).