Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Entertainment Software Association To Meet With White House On Thursday
After the whirlwind last week where the White House announced a meeting with video game leaders, and the Entertainment Software Association subsequently stated that none of its member companies have received invites, the ESA has now announced that they will be meeting with the president this Thursday, first reported by Kotaku.
It was unclear a few days ago when White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced the meeting who exactly the president would be meeting with for his discussion on violent media, but the invites have seemingly made their way to their intended recipients and the ESA has stated that they will be attending.
The stated focus of the meeting is to discuss the effect violent video games have and any possible contributions to mass shootings.
We contacted the ESA for a statement on their announcement.
Video games are enjoyed around the world and numerous authorities and reputable scientific studies have found no connection between games and real-life violence. Like all Americans, we are deeply concerned about the level of gun violence in the United States. Video games are plainly not the issue: entertainment is distributed and consumed globally, but the US has an exponentially higher level of gun violence than any other nation. The upcoming meeting at the White House, which ESA will attend, will provide the opportunity to have a fact-based conversation about video game ratings, our industry’s commitment to parents, and the tools we provide to make informed entertainment choices.” – Entertainment Software Association – March 5, 2018
The ESA is a lobbying group representing and comprised of numerous large publishers in the gaming industry. In the past, the group has supported the Trump administration's STEM initiative and tax plan, and also condemned the president's alleged comments about third-world countries.
Our Take
I am curious who besides ESA representatives will be at the meeting. It sounds like the ESA wants to plead its case, but I don't know how effective it will be.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
