Entertainment Software Association

They come together, they form a group called the Interactive Digital Software Association, the IDSA, which is the first American-based lobbying organization for the games industry.

And it eventually got renamed the Entertainment Software Association, the ESA, and they're still around.

And the other big thing of that was the creation of the Entertainment Software Ratings for the ESRB, which was the age-based rating system that the industry implemented, which is still around to this day.

And what's notable, the July 27th, 1994 congressional hearing, this is when the IDSA first appears before Congress as an organized group.

Video gaming has become one of the most dominant cultural forces in America.

According to the Entertainment Software Association's 2026 research, so this is recent, uh, approximately 212.3 million Americans play video games every week.

That's, guys, that's 67% of Americans between the ages of 5 years of age and 90 years of age.

More than 80% of Gen Z and Gen Alpha play video games.

Have you ever

had much interaction with Strauss Zelnick, just out of interest? Strauss and I served on the board of the Entertainment Software Association, which is the domestic trade body in the States governing or overseeing the video game business.

So traditionally, it's the heads of the three platforms, Nintendo, Xbox, PlayStation, and the leaders of the top seven or eight publishing companies.

So you'd have Activision there, EA was there.

This controversy prompted congressional hearings to investigate the marketing of violent video games to children.

The hearings ultimately led to the creation of the Interactive Digital Software Association and the Entertainment Software Rating Board.

The implementation of industry-wide content ratings allowed Nintendo to abandon their censorship policies, leveling the competitive playing field for mature content.

During the NES era, Nintendo had maintained exclusive control over game releases through restrictive licensing agreements.

She did work at the Patent Office for a number of years in the Office of Policy and External Affairs.

And then she went to work for the Entertainment Software Association, where she held the role of senior counsel.

She then left for a few years to join the National Association of Broadcasters.

where she was vice president and associate general counsel.

But now she's back to the Entertainment Software Association.

And that's where I got to know you and your work there, Bijou.

And I'm glad to have you here.