GamePolitics is reporting that Midway is no longer of member of the Entertainment Software Association, as evidenced by their apparent removal from the current list of members. The ESA is an association that represents the interests of U.S. game publishers. However, the ESA also owns and operates the annual E3 Expo.

Bankrupt game publisher Midway has apparently left the membership ranks of the Entertainment Software Association. The Washington, D.C.-based ESA represents the interests of U.S. game publishers.

GamePolitics notes that Midway, which filed for bankruptcy last week, has been removed from the list of member companies on the ESA's website. Such removal has preceded the ESA's official acknowledegment of memco departures in several recent cases.

The move probably speaks more to Midway's desperate financial straits than anything else. With Midway's exit, the ranks of the ESA have dropped to 20. At the beginning of 2008, 28 companies belonged to the organization.

Source: http://www.gamepolitics. ... -adios-esa


Publishers need to pay the ESA a substantial amount of money to be a member, and with Midway's current financial problems, more recently their filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, this obviously may be a move to save some money. However, if this report is indeed true, and Midway is no longer a member, that probably means they will no longer be attending the annual E3 Expo. That's bad news for fans considering Midway has always used this event to showcase new Mortal Kombat games.