Former ESA CEO Mick Gallagher Might Be Shifting to Politics

Mike Gallagher has resigned his role as CEO of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) today, after eleven years in the role running the largest video game industry lobby group in the US. While Gallagher did not reveal his intentions post resignation, VentureBeat reports that he might possibly be considering a political campaign in his home state of Washington, though at this time what that might entail is unclear.

Gallagher’s arguably biggest accomplishment came in 2011, where the ESA successfully argued that video games are a protected form of free speech before the U.S. Supreme Court, and do not inherently cause violence. “I think is longest-lasting legacy is the Supreme Court decision protecting video games under the First Amendment,” said Mike Fischer, a former ESA board member and an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California’s game division. “A lot of people thought we didn’t have a chance of winning.”

Gallagher also arranged high-level discussions with former Vice President Joe Biden on video game violence in the wake of the Sandy Hook mass shooting, and again with President Donald Trump in the wake of another shooting event, with the President reportedly stating to Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida), “We got a problem, Marco, and it’s not with these guys.”

Also responsible for the revitalization of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Gallagher was responsible for keeping the ESA and Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) on point as the gaming industry transitioned from singular blockbuster releases, to including widespread indie and mobile games.

Stanley Pierre-Louis, the ESA’s senior vice president and general counsel, will serve as interim president whilst the ESA board searches for a successor.