GameCloud Interview with New Video Game Lobbyist
John Callaham over at GameCloud is back with another of his insightful interviews. This time, John speaks with Stuart Spencer, recently hired as a Washington, D.C. lobbyist for the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association (IEMA) and Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA).
Be sure to read the whole article on the GameCloud site. Here are a few juicy morsels from Stuart Spencer to whet your appetite:
"I am here to ensure that retailers have a voice in the debate and a place at the table. Numerous issues are hitting them at once - piracy, restrictions on marketing, calls for censorship. Attacks on the industry, especially during an election year, will likely increase. IEMA and VSDA are sending a clear signal to lawmakers that they intend to be engaged at every level, state and federal."
"It's important to note that out of the 60 potential bills considered around the country last year just a couple passed... In many ways, the work they have done at the state level previously has made my job easier because the subjects of violent video games, censorship and voluntary ratings systems is much more commonly appreciated than just a few years ago."
"It's important to separate the rhetoric from the facts in this matter, and taking the time to make sure that they understand all that retailers have done, the investments made, and the level to which they are committed is paramount. Legislators who can appreciate the facts here, I believe, will come to understand that our members have our customer's interests in hand and our relationship with them is, in fact, the essence of our business."
"Part of the educational process is making sure that legislators understand that games, like music and movies, are in fact media and should be respected and treated as such. If their frame of reference is outdated, we run the risk of them believing that games are just children's toys rather than a medium, and that is where misconceptions begin."
"IEMA retailers, almost a decade ago, required all game publishers looking to have their product on store shelves to be rated, and virtually overnight the ESRB's adoption rate went from 50 to 100 percent. We also committed to putting signage up in each and every store across the country, training store clerks, promoting public service announcements in an effort to educate the public, and of course committing to carding policies for the sale of all Mature-rated games."
Welcome to gaming's political arena, Stuart!