WASHINGTON – March 29, 2018 – NCSOFT, Phosphor Studios, Kalypso Media Group, and Outright Games recently joined other leading video game companies as the newest members of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the trade group that represents the US video game industry. Their addition to the ESA roster adds a wealth of experience in game development and emerging technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), to the association.
“ESA’s newest members showcase our industry’s diversity and innovation,” said ESA President and CEO Michael D. Gallagher. “These leading companies deliver a broad range of interactive experiences, bringing unique and varied expertise to ESA that will be instrumental to driving our industry forward.”
A leader in online video games, NCSOFT focuses on engaging, fun experiences that enrich the lives of gamers. The company publishes, develops, and operates some of the most popular massively multiplayer online games in the world, including its flagship Lineage series and Guild Wars 2.
“As the worldwide discussion surrounding the video game industry heats up, there has never been a more important time to be members of ESA,” said Songyee Yoon, president of NCSOFT. “As a global digital entertainment company, we are taking the opportunity to work with ESA in order to face the challenges aimed at the games industry head-on, and affect meaningful, positive change.”
With a focus on storytelling across a variety of technical platforms, Phosphor Studios connects people through shared experiences. The Chicago-based developer creates original and licensed games for mobile, VR, and console. Its recent titles include VRSE Jurassic World, VRSE Batman, and The Brookhaven Experiment. Phosphor has also made VR applications for the Ford Motor Company and Intelligent Power & Energy Research Corporation.
“Phosphor is excited and proud to bring an indie dev and Chicago dev representation to the larger global community of interactive technology companies supported by ESA,” said Justin Corcoran, CEO of Phosphor Studios. “In our nine years as a developer of everything from cross-platform games to enterprise VR solutions, we have seen ESA working tirelessly to support and connect our industry and be a champion for our partners and players. We look forward to joining that effort and seeing our industry bring amazing experiences to the world.”
A developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software, Kalypso Media Group specializes in strategy and simulation games, most famously its Tropico series. The company’s other titles include Railway Empire and the Dungeons, Port Royale, and Sudden Strike series. In 2018, the company will expand its catalog of games with the release of Shadows: Awakening and Tropico 6.
“We are excited to be joining ESA at this exciting time in the video game industry,” said Andrew Johnson, vice president of Kalypso Media USA Inc. “We see joining ESA as an important step in solidifying our business across the country and as an opportunity to help shape the future of the industry as it continues to grow at a great pace.”
As a family-run business, Outright Games prides itself on developing and publishing games that families want to play together. The company works in partnership with the world’s biggest licensed brands and first-rate development studios to produce high-quality, licensed video games for the family market. Outright Games licenses include Ben 10, Adventure Time, PAW Patrol, and Hotel Transylvania.
“We are excited to join ESA as we build on our goal to make Outright Games a leading developer and publisher of games for the whole family,” said Terry Malham, CEO of Outright Games. “The resources available to us and the opportunity to join other passionate industry leaders as a member of ESA supports us in reaching our goals, as we also hope to support ESA in achieving their goals as a representative of the US video game industry.”
About ESA
ESA offers a wide range of services to interactive entertainment software companies, including conducting business and consumer research; providing legal and policy analysis and advocacy on First Amendment, intellectual property, and technology/e-commerce issues; managing a global content protection program; owning and operating E3; and representing video game industry interests in federal and state government relations. For more information, visit ESA’s website or follow ESA on Twitter @theESA or @ESAGovAffairs.
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