Newsbriefs: ESA Lobbying, Jewel Quest 2, GameRecruiter Hires

Author: by Staff

[UPDATED: 3:46pm PST] Today's regularly updated newsbriefs include a new report highlighting the true extent of the ESA's lobbying efforts, iWin's casual title Jewel Quest 2 seeing simultaneous online, mobile, and retail release, and industry veteran Mark Cartwright joining GameRecruiter.com. - According to a report by consumer website Gamespot, the the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has spent more than its Hollywood equivalent on lobbying efforts throughout the past several years. According to a filing with the United States Senate Office of Public Records, the ESA spent more than $2 million on federal lobbying efforts in 2005. By way of comparison, the Motion Picture Association of America spent less than $1.6 million on federal lobbying efforts during the same year. The report also notes that according to 2004 tax-exempt filings with the IRS, the ESA saw a hefty $16 million of the $19.8 million it brought in that year solely from the E3 trade show, calling into question the financial status of the group with E3 now significantly downsized. In October 2006, the ESA confirmed that it will hold the newly restructured E3 Media and Business Summit from July 11-13, 2007, in Santa Monica, California. - Casual game developer, publisher and distributor iWin have announced that the company will release the sequel to its highly successful flagship game Jewel Quest as a launch title for the newly released Windows Vista. Jewel Quest 2, iWin's seventh title, will be released across multiple channels and platforms, and, with the release, iWin notes that it is first company to make a casual game available online, on mobile platforms, and at retail simultaneously. “Jewel Quest is our flagship title and we are proud to herald in the next era of casual games with the release of its long-awaited sequel,” said CJ Wolf, CEO of iWin. “Our simultaneous launch proves the power of casual games as an entertainment medium, especially when we can partner with Microsoft and I-play to put our top brand in the hands of a broad audience wherever and whenever they’d like to play it.” - Officials from video game industry-focused recruitment agency GameRecruiter.com announced the addition of recruiting consultant Mark Cartwright to its team of game industry recruiters. Cartwright brings a mix of game development and human resources experience to the organization, as well as additional resources and the ability to locate the types of clients sought by the agency. Cartwright has worked in the video game industry for more than 15 years, with the majority of his career having been spent at LucasArts and Eidos, including roles as head of level design, QA manager, and manager of customer service operations. While at these firms, Cartwright was responsible for the hiring and management of key development personnel, including lead designers, artists and other critical production staff. - The latest updates on Gamasutra sister alt.gaming weblog GameSetWatch include the results of GameShadow's Innovation in Games awards, the buzz surrounding Hudson's 'Bee TV', and a look at video game Wikipedia entries. - The latest updates from Gamasutra sister website Serious Games Source include a new feature covering exergames and Dr. Ernie Medina's XRtainment Zone. - The latest updates from Gamasutra sister website Game Career Guide include a wrap-up of Algoma U's Dare to be Digital award winning Flux. - Also updated today: the latest Gamasutra job postings, including openings from Big Huge Games, High Moon Studios, Nihilistic Software, Pandemic Studios, Pronto Games, Sierra Online, Sucker Punch Productions, Vivendi Games Mobile, XDG, and Yahoo! Media Group.