Financial outfit Forbes reports that the Entertainment Software Association, the trade group of video game companies, and the organizer of E3, spent almost $1 million in Q4 2008 on lobbying in Washington.

The ESA lobbied on issues such as intellectual property protection, H1-B visas for skilled workers and it opposed the plans to regulate video games with government sanctioned ratings systems.

The ESA lobbied several government agencies, including the Congress, the Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission.

You may recall that earlier this month there was some concern over the Fallout 3 ads in the Metro Center station of Washington’s D.C.’s subway. Specifically, one of the ads, which was art work of the Washington Monument in ruins, caused some people to feel uneasy.

Now the ads are under harsh criticism by an individual named Joseph Anzalone, who feels that the ads are a reminder that Washington is a target for terrorists.

“In one ad, the Washington Monument and the American flags surrounding it stand ravaged, as if hit by missiles. In another, the Capitol dome is partially caved in, while the rest of the building and the city behind it lie in ruins.

The people of our city do not need a daily reminder that Washington is a prime target for an attack. We do not need a daily reminder of what our worst fears look like. Since any First Amendment objection would be irrelevant (the ads do not present a true viewpoint or political message and would therefore not be protected), there is no reason for these ads to be part of our daily panorama.”

One thing that he failed to point out was that there is a simple solution that would work for both those that are upset about the ads, and for Bethesda: If you use the subway in Washington, and the ads make you uncomfortable, don’t look at them. I call this the “common sense” solution.