Realtime Worlds, Nexon, Ignition, O-Games Join ESA

The Entertainment Software Association said Wednesday that four notable game companies joined the trade group: Realtime Worlds (APB, Crackdown), Nexon (Maple Story, Dungeon Fighter Online), Ignition (Deadly Premonition) and O-Games (PDC World Championship Darts). The companies join an ESA member list that includes around 30 game companies, such as Capcom, Disney Interactive, Square Enix, Take-Two, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony and others. The new additions represent the ESA's more recent move to more aggressively target smaller publishers and larger developers - just two months ago, publishers Slang and Deep Silver also joined the organization. The ESA represents the video game industry in matters including restrictive video game legislation, piracy, freedom of speech, and IP rights. Most recently, the ESA said that it would fight against a long-debated California video game law that would restrict the sale of violent video games to minors. In a statement made yesterday, ESA president and CEO Michael Gallagher addressed the coming court battle, saying, "We look forward to presenting our arguments in the Supreme Court of the United States and vigorously defending the works of our industry’s creators, storytellers and innovators."