Post by leunas on Oct 13, 2006 16:05:36 GMT -5
Founder Hal Halpin (pictured) commented, “The ECA was created to fill a void that needed to be paid attention to… arguably the most important group within the interactive entertainment industry, the consumers. These individuals are the life-blood to this multibillion dollar industry yet they have been unrepresented, until now, which is exciting for myself and the rest of the ECA team as we are the organization that now allows their voices to be heard.”
The non-profit ECA will sit alongside groups representing the publishers (ESA) and developers (IGDA). Consumers are being asked to pay $20 for membership which will offer ‘a number of key gaming resources…including subscription discounts, savings on game purchases and rentals, access to industry events, and more’. Future ‘potential offerings’ will include research, education benefits and insurance offerings.
A statement today added, “The mission of the ECA is to give gaming consumers a voice and ensure that state and local politicians hear their concerns and appreciate their demographic power. The organization is designed to be an advocate for the interactive entertainment consumers who represent nearly fifty percent of the population, whose average age is 33, and spends $10 billion annually on gaming, yet are continually overlooked by politicians and the mainstream press."
Prior to forming the ECA, Halpin founded the industry’s retail trade association, Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association (IEMA), which merged with the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) to form the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) in 2006.
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