LucasArts is no longer a member of the Entertainment Software Association, the ESA officially confirmed with Kotaku today. Speculation about LucasArts' status within the Associaton followed the recently-announced departure of Activision and Vivendi from both the Association and its E3 Media And Business Summit, amid possible discontent with both.
"Today, we can confirm that one of our members, LucasArts, has decided not to renew its membership. We value each member of our association, but respect the unique factors that led to LucasArts' decision," Rich Taylor, senior vice president of communications and research at the ESA, told Kotaku.
Margaret Grohne, director of Public Relations for LucasArts, confirmed to Kotaku that the publisher will still be participating in E3:
"We can confirm that LucasArts is no longer a member of the ESA. As a company we are still committed to bringing consumers the best interactive experience possible and support the ESA's mission in the industry," said Grohne. "LucasArts will be participating in E3."
The complete statement from the ESA's Taylor, excerpted above, is as follows:
"Since its creation in 1994, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has grown and evolved into the pre-eminent voice of the video and computer game industry. The organization has 25 members, including three companies that were welcomed last year.
"Today, we can confirm that one of our members, LucasArts, has decided not to renew its membership. We value each member of our association, but respect the unique factors that led to LucasArts' decision.
"Last year was a record year for an industry which is becoming an increasingly important part of the nation's social, cultural and economic landscape. We are confident the industry will continue to thrive and ESA will continue to create a beneficial environment for the entire entertainment software industry."