An industry outsider takes helm at ESA

It’s clear to me that Doug was a pioneer, but the job and task of a pioneer is different than those who come later — not that any one is better than the other. Doug obviously was very successful in getting this industry established, but now this industry is reaching a point of maturity, which requires different systems and meeting higher expectations than perhaps were required in years past.

This industry is the fastest growing entertainment medium in the country. During the time where I’m the head of the ESA, we should be in a position to be a leader when it comes to the entertainment medium and make sure that video games take on that role that they’ve earned by virtue of their success in the marketplace and the growth expected in the years ahead. Games get knocked a lot, though. There are a lot of folks that want to place the blame on games for any ill that pops up, and I’m speaking specifically of incidents like Virginia Tech. How would you respond in the face of such criticism?

You have to look at the truth, and the truth is that video games have nothing to do with those false stereotypes, and it has everything to do with mass market entertainment that is extraordinarily pleasing to the American consumer.

The science is also clear that video games have nothing to do with violence in the real world. There are a number of studies that speak to that issue, so to me, it’s a false stereotype. And the really unfortunate thing is that it distracts from the other 92 percent of titles rated by the ESRB that fall into the E, E10-plus or T for teen category. The top-selling video games are puzzles and adventure games and not the first-person shooter titles that get unfairly singled out for criticism. And I say that as someone who personally plays all of those types of games, including M-rated titles. It’s my goal that we outgrow those false stereotypes.

Mr. Lowenstein was criticized for keeping a low profile in the face of that criticism. The industry as a whole doesn’t respond to that criticism — not usually, anyway. Why hasn’t industry been more effusive in its defense of itself?

I think that’s a stage of growth, and I think video games are coming out of that adolescent stage. It’s a natural part of a social phenomenon that’s interesting and captivating, but now we’re going to move out of that.

I intend to have a responsible, targeted, effective profile on [this] issue. I will be visible and I will be very clear and I will make the case about this industry and the good that it brings to the American consumer public, but I’m not going to be drawn into losing firefights with people who lack credibility or [with] the media looking to fill a sensationalized or overhyped segment of a news program.

Moving on to the big event — E3. What was behind the move to the smaller-sized event?

E3 is 13 years old, and after 13 years of a show that was getting bigger and bigger, a number of players said — why are we doing this? What are the goals and objectives and are we achieving [them?]

We’re putting the top leaders in a very accessible mode where the logistics are easier — previous shows had 60,000 people — and here, if we hit 3,000 it will be a success. You’ll be able to play game without standing in lines that are 10-15 people deep, and talk to the people that develop the games and those that are promoting them and make it a deeper experience for the media. But this is an experiment, and we’re looking to make it the best experience for the stakeholders that come.

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