On July 2nd, the New York Times published an interview with a man named Michael D. Gallagher. While this man is probably unknown to most people, as of June 1^st of this year he became the president of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and as such became the top lobbyist for the video game industry in Washington D.C. Here are some interesting quotes that he made in the interview.

“At the most basic level my job is to create opportunities for this industry to thrive,” he said. “We need to make sure the policy environment supports the growth of video games.”

“Obviously we have a lot smaller budget than the music and movie industries, so we have to do more with less,” Mr. Gallagher said. He also acknowledges that the game industry doesn’t have the sort of star power that can seduce politicians.

“The main challenge is connecting with decision makers and creating champions for the video-game industry in the policy-making arena,” he said. “So working to set up a way for the Entertainment Software Association to participate in the federal election process is one of my top priorities. Contributing on the federal level is a very important part of our success going forward.”

One really intriguing thing in this interview was Mr. Gallagher’s defense of the game industry’s ability to regulate and monitor its own products. A good example of this was the recent ban on the game Manhunt 2 by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).

With the Jack Thomson’s of the world treating video games like weapons, it’s nice to see there’s in fact another side to this on the political spectrum. I for one am looking forward to seeing what positive things can arise from Mr. Gallagher’s work.