Rage Game .net

ID Software boss Todd Hollenshead says the company’s withdrawal from the Entertainment Software Association was a business decision that could be reversed down the line.

In late May id Software announced that it had opted not to renew its membership with the ESA, following in the footsteps of Activision, Vivendi and LucasArts.

However, id chief executive Hollenshead told the Washington Post that the firm’s exit from the organization was a business decision, not a political one, and labeled the ESA “a credit to the industry”.

“Our departure from ESA is probably temporary and was not political,” he said. “It was just a question of other priorities this year that we wanted to focus on.”

While the ESA still has 24 members, Hal Halpin, head of the Entertainment Consumers Association, expects more to leave.

“It’s really concerning for all of us. Anyone who cares about the games business should be concerned about what’s going on with the ESA,” he said.

However, ESA president Michael Gallagher played down the recent member exits.

“There are hundreds of trade associations in Washington and virtually all feature member turnover and the ESA is no exception,” he said.