How much of an influence does the IEMA have on decisions regarding laws made for interactive entertainment?
Fairly significant. We lobby before a bill is proposed, testify during the legislative process, and participate in the flight to overturn in the rare instances where a bill passes. A recent example of this would be Washington State. How much influence does the IEMA have on the politicians themselves? It’s hard to say precisely… we work with the ESA, ESRB, IGDA, and other parallel trade organizations to educate policymakers on a regular basis. We hope that we have curbed many pieces of otherwise proposed legislation simply by educational means and building relationships whereby we work together… those are true success stories, but it requires a lot of hard work on each group’s behalf. Since you represent the retail side of gaming, what’s the driving force behind the IEMA’s actions? Consumer interests. We’re not interested in alienating customers, so we actively listen to their wants and needs and adjust our policies to meet them. Politicians often talk about how they are looking out
