ESA CEO Mike Gallagher's first "real" E3 was a success. We briefly spoke with him on the concourse from the South to West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center on the last day of the show, but with some more time to decompress and receive feedback, it seemed like the right time to circle back around and see if he was still feeling good about how things went. We asked the executive about how the post-show feedback is going, the chance of loosening up the attendance a little more and if there are any plans yet to make the show public -- oh yeah, and is Activision coming back to the ESA?

Joystiq: On the last day of E3 2009 we had a quick chat in the hallway and you stated that the feedback you'd received was extremely positive and the show floor was "full but still navigable." Now that you've had a week to decompress and receive more feedback, what's your current take on the show?

Mike Gallagher: I have a combination of pride and excitement right now. We set out to reflect and amplify to the world our industry's growth, energy, and vitality and I am incredibly proud we achieved that goal. I am also filled with excitement over the high-impact news announced at the E3 Expo by the companies that make up the industry. We have a lot of great titles to look forward to this year, along with some pretty exciting hardware previews and announcements.

This is the golden age of computer and video games. I say that because more than ever before, we are seeing new interfaces, new distribution models to consumers, and new IP that will reenergize our industry's growth as the year continues. And this growth and continued innovation and creativity comes not at the end of a console cycle, but rather when developers are still harnessing the full processing power of the current systems, leading us to believe that games will continue their upward path of compelling storylines, engaging characters, and epic visuals.

The challenge for us at the ESA now is two-fold. One, continue build on the momentum created by the E3 Expo and educate new market segments about our industry's cultural and economic significance, but also to begin planning for the 2010 E3 Expo.

Michael Gallagher's role as president of the Entertainment Software Association involves spewing a bunch of numbers and being one of the most vocal cheerleaders for the entire video gaming industry. On Tuesday afternoon during E3's opening day, he addressed a small group of journalists and ran through some of the latest figures from their "Essential Facts" booklet that was released before E3 even started. Their favorite being "68 percent of American households play computer or video games."

Surely, we thought, a rehash would include some fascinating infographics and possibly even photos to support all the empirical data. But the only thing provided was a single slide featuring the E3 logo on it. Not even one pie chart or bar graph was present. Basically it was a lecture (in a lecture hall setting) full of numbers that we already knew, with no possibility of a pop quiz. So what could liven up this event?

Yes! The Q&A. When asked about piracy, Gallagher seriously came to life and barked "Piracy is a scourge!" We half expected him to set sail and hoist the ESA flag onto the entire convention center. He went on to explain how piracy is theft that's costing the industry between two and three billion dollars a year. He encourages vigilance, but didn't suggest a way to combat the scoundrels. We say give Gallagher a cutlass and let him go at it.

The ESA just announced that E3 2010 is all set for June 15-17. The organization stated that this year's seemingly successful show had more than 41,000 attendees from 78 countries and 216 exhibitors. The company feels the new show met the needs of exhibitors and attendees.

During an impromptu run-in with ESA CEO Michael Gallagher right before the announcement was made, we asked him how he felt his first "real E3" went. He expressed that the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, that the show floor was "full but still navigable." To him, the strongest sign that various levels of attendees were comfortable with this year's show is that company CEOs were roaming the show floor.

PSP Go? More like PSP No. Kojima's new project? Booooring. We know what you guys want from E3 2009 -- cold hard facts about gamer demographics, presented in a cold, hard manner.

Look no further than the ESA's helpful annual pamphlet, the aptly tiltled "2009 Sales, Demographic and Usage Data: Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry." This unassuming booklet contains all the intriguing percentiles you could ever want for -- best of all, it's free for the taking in the E3 press room. At least, we think it was free. We didn't check. We might be thieves.

A breakdown of the facts and figures can be found after the jump.

GameDaily had a chat with ESA CEO Michael Gallagher as the industry gears up for E3 2009 in just two weeks' time. Much has been made of the show's return to grand form (i.e. not in a hanger) but Gallagher said not to expect the old E3. Surely Gallagher didn't mean we'll miss out on the giant booths, scantily clad models and generally overwhelming atmosphere of shows part -- you know, the glamour and sizzle ESA communications director Dan Hewitt previously confirmed.

"Last year we made some improvements based upon the input we received, but this show is not a return to the old E3," he said. "It is definitely much more reflective of the energy, excitement and creativity of our industry, but I wouldn't say it's our first 'big E3' or a return to the old one. It's a show based upon what the industry needs to project as an image of the excitement we have in the pipeline for the rest of the year. It's the right show; it's not a particular reference to any prior year."

As we've just learned today, the "right show" evidently includes little people running amok.

No, we can't believe we just wrote that headline either. And according to scattered reports (and a variety of phone calls we made this afternoon), it's the unfortunate truth: Some Japanese developers and producers are canceling their trips to E3 2009 due to Swine Flu worries. Capcom's Keiji Inafune and his game, Dead Rising 2, will both be missing. (This isn't the first time Inafune is canceling a trip.) Develop is also reporting that Square Enix and Koei will be canceling some employees' flights, with the Kingdom Hearts team and "an unspecified number of [Koei's] Japanese employees" taking the hit.

We asked Tecmo if there would be a change in its lineup at E3, to which a company rep assured, "No. Our content is still scheduled to be there and everything on the show floor, if not by the staff that's scheduled to fly in from Japan, it'll be demonstrated by our own staff from the US office." Tecmo also said producers for its upcoming lineup are still scheduled to appear alongside their titles. "As of today, we've been told our producers will still be in attendance." Konami declined comment as of press time and the ESA (E3's governing body and financial supporter) has yet to respond to our inquiries. As it stands, it looks like we'll be waiting 'til PAX 2009 or even the Tokyo Game Show to get our hands on Dead Rising 2.

The state of California is asking the United States Supreme Court to review a US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision from February regarding its 2005 "violent video game law," declaring it unconstitutional under the First Amendment. According to GamePolitics. the law would require an additional warning label on games and slap retailers who sell violent games to minors with a $1,000 fine for each offense.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who signed Assembly Bill 1179 into law, said of today's action, "By prohibiting the sale of violent video games to children under the age of 18 and requiring these games to be clearly labeled, this law would allow parents to make better informed decisions for their kids. I will continue to vigorously defend this law and protect the well-being of California's kids."

Update: Entertainment Consumers Association president Hal Halpin has weighed in on California's plea to the Supreme Court. His comments can be found after the break.

Totally theoretical conversation: So, say you wanted to sneak into E3 2009 -- like Atari -- but need to diminish the chances of being kicked out by security. Well, one can always try to just bolt for the West or South Hall and get lost in the crowd.

However, the smart money is on just going to the meeting rooms on the second floor. See, that's where all the magic is actually going on. All those behind-closed-door sessions with the games that may not be announced, shown or touched for a half year or more. Remember, it's all about cool confidence. If you look like you belong, nobody will ask questions. Pro tip: Suit up! Nobody questions the dude in the suit at these things.

Of course, everything just mentioned is theory and none of it is condoned. Enjoy the maps. Plot carefully.

[Via Dtoid]

Atari has pulled out of E3, a mere three weeks before the must-attend mega-event is set to kick off. When contacted for comment, the company told Joystiq that it was a "proactive decision to attend but not exhibit at this year's E3 event." Although the publisher feels E3 benefits the industry, it is currently focused on "other selling and marketing initiatives" for Ghostbusters, Champions Online and "other to be announced titles." It sounds to us like someone is out of cash, which is the word on the street (and might explain Ghostbusters' surprise exclusivity in Europe).

We contacted the ESA, which runs E3 and still has Atari listed as an exhibitor, to see if the organization had received a check from Atari for the space on the show floor and meeting room -- the ESA referred all media calls to Atari. We contacted Atari and asked several direct questions regarding its E3 status -- and whether it has paid for the space it reserved. A company representative could only confirm that it will not attend the show and did not have any press events planned for LA during E3. We've been told that we should expect a more detailed answer sometime soon.

It's hard to convey the sound of two hands clapping through a press release, but the ESA has managed to do just that. Celebrating the recent 10-month jail sentence of Khuong Van Truong, a San Jose resident caught with "11,000 bootleg video games, 4,000 DVDs and 300 audio CDs," the ESA has released a statement today lauding the California courts which sentenced the man.

"We applaud the work of both the San Jose Police Department and the Santa Clara County Office of the District Attorney for their hard work and dedication to bringing this game pirate to justice," the statement reads. Van Truong was arrested last year after his two-year-old son was found wandering around a busy intersection. When police brought the chiild home, they discovered a large piracy operation as well as a variety of illegal drugs. Here's hoping Van Truong's family can take the child into custody during the sentence.

Did you know that by attending this year's E3, you won't just be filling your pants with game-based thermoses and probably catching swine flu? No, this year you'll be helping to give back with charity events the ESA has set up during the event.

First up is Pro vs. GI Joe, a military support group which will allow attendees to challenge our nation's fighting men and women in tests of video game aptitude. E3 visitors will also be able to buy a special shirt from the event -- designed by one of the attendees -- the proceeds from which will, in part, go to LA-based homeless support group The Midnight Mission.

Attendees can also participate in a Red Cross drive held at E3, siphoning their blood into packs that will almost certainly be mistakenly collected by other attendees for an HP boost.

[Update: The ESA asked that we include a few details so you know how you can get involved. Just to be clear, you can click here to find out how to submit a T-shirt design or register to give blood.]

In case you hadn't noticed, Canada was recently added to the US "Priority Watch List" due to the country's allegedly less than strict laws regarding the piracy of various media (that includes games, folks). Canadians, however, are not taking the change lightly. University of Ottawa law professor MIchael Geist, citing a statement made by the Canadian government, says the process, "lacks reliable and objective analysis."

The piece states that the criteria for determining who ends up on the list (and that country's priority level) is based around media industry lobbyists in the US, such as the International Intellectual Property Alliance. Geist hopes that Canadian politicians will take a stance against the inclusion on the list, though the recent ESA schmoozing of Canadian lawmakers may scatter those hopes a bit. Given Canadian member of Parliament Mike Lake's statements made less than two weeks ago though, we should see some serious change in Canadian piracy law, "in this Parliament." That is, if he can take a time out from playing NHL '09.

[Via GamePolitics]

Thanks to our chemical inability to modulate our level of fear, we've been in an utter, blind panic since the first time we heard "swine flu" mentioned. The ESA is a lot calmer than us, though, saying that planning for E3, which packs people from every continent into a single building like international sardines, continues without a hitch, despite travel warnings.

"The 2009 E3 Expo is progressing as planned. Public health officials are taking all appropriate steps and we continue to follow their direction on all measures," said ESA spokesman Dan Hewitt. "We look forward to a great event, and to seeing you in Los Angeles in June."

That's fine, Dan, be the very picture of calm. We're going to continue lining our windows with plastic wrap, if it's all the same to you.

After ABC's polling guru Gary Langer decided to tear down a recent study claiming that 8.5% of children are addicted to video games, the Entertainment Software Association is joining in to lob a few PR bombs of its own. According to Gamasutra, ESA CEO Michael Gallagher responded in a letter to the Psychological Science journal, in which the study is expected to be published. Gallagher takes the same essential exception as Langer, specifically the study's claim of a 3% margin of error.

Like Langer, Gallagher points out that the sampling used was not random, but rather based on an opt-in panel that gives rewards to participants. Writes Gallagher, "such a sample is not truly representative of a national population group," adding,"Thus the results cannot be projected onto the broader population of children in this country." He notes further that the 3% margin of error is "meaningless."

Prof. Douglas Gentile has since admitted he was unaware of the sampling methodology used in the study, a fact that Gallagher says the ESA accepts at "face value." He states, "The admission is "especially ironic considering that the first words of the abstract in the article went out of its way to note the shortcomings of previous convenience studies"

Gallagher concludes by asking Psychological Science editor Dr. Robert V. Kail to make sure that any reference to Gentile's study notes its "methodological flaws," saying, "It would be unfair and misleading for a respected publication to leave on the record such knowingly mistaken information."

The Entertainment Software Association announced today that Koei, PlayLogic and ... Crave Entertainment are "the three newest members" of the trade organization. Okay, Koei and PlayLogic are new, but Crave would fall under the Gamestop definition of "new."

Crave left the ESA last year, but it appears that even the trade organization didn't notice in the midst of losing Activision/Vivendi, LucasArts and id. Oh well, Crave. Allow us to welcome you back to the ESA.