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Founded as the European Leisure Software Publishers Association (UK) Ltd in 1989, ELSPA's goal was to establish a specific and collective identity for the interactive leisure software industry across the European community.
ELSPA's Membership includes almost all companies concerned with the publishing and distribution of interactive leisure software in the UK.
As a gateway to Europe, ELSPA works to protect, promote and provide for the interests of all its members, as well as addressing issues that affect the industry as a whole.
Additionally, the organisation commissions retail research outfit Chart-Track to produce weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual UK videogame sales charts.
In 1994 ELSPA was responsible for introducing the video games ratings to the UK. The first voluntary age rating system for any entertainment medium, the system system has proved extremely successful. During its time over 95% of all leisure software products complied with the ELSPA voluntary code. Over 60% of all games given an ELSPA rating by the Video Standards Council (VSC) were rated as suitable for all ages (i.e. given a rating of age three and over). With more mature titles, the VSC would refer the game in question to the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) for rating.
In October 2002 the Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) announced a voluntary rating system to be used across Europe. Based on the rating template introduced by ELSPA, the new system would eventually become the Pan-European Game Information or PEGI rating system. Readily adopted across the European countries in 2003, ELSPA's original ratings were phased out.
With the announcement of the PEGI Rating system, ELSPA repositioned itself as The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publisher's Association Ltd.
Citing a need to "reflect the evolving and expanding nature of the industry", in March 2010 ELSPA announced plans to reinvent itself as "The Association For UK Interactive Entertainment", or UKIE. On the evening of September 8th 2010, at a event in Westminster, London, the new branding was unveiled. The following day the rebranding took effect and, after more than 20 years as the UK video games industry's figure head, ELSPA ceased to exist.
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| Paul Jackson | CEO | 31 Jul 06 | - | 19 Feb 09 | |
| Mike Rawlinson | CEO | 19 Feb 09 | - | 8 Sept 10 |
Related News & Nibbles
Released documents show trade body reservations.
07 Dec 2010
Explains should be a combined effort
05 Oct 2010
Becomes The Association For UK Interactive Entertainment
08 Sep 2010
Will focus on the arts and entertainment industries.
18 May 2010
Tax breaks, age ratings and IP theft.
12 Apr 2010
PEGI cheered, copyright measures unmentioned
08 Apr 2010
MP for a Day online game can benefit tax lobbying
12 Jan 2010
Treasury states that industry job losses will go to other sectors.
22 Dec 2009
Good news for the industry at last?
30 Jun 2009
Fines of half a million Euro and ban
25 Jun 2009
Digital Britain report acknowledges problems facing UK devs
16 Jun 2009
But one company can stop you video gaming death
10 Mar 2009
Everything comes to a screeching halt at the red light
30 Oct 2008
Director of British Board of Film Classification questions PEGI's ability to decide for UK residents
08 Oct 2008
UK games body gives Europeans ratings system another push
22 Sep 2008
UK games body claims strong sales show industry deserves more support
21 Apr 2008
Uncosted, flummery from politicians gets UK industry body's thumbs up.
06 Feb 2008
Poor Mr Modchips, seems to have moved to Thailand
25 Oct 2007
BAVGAs, Byron Review, Videogames Live, Game Career Fair and more
22 Oct 2007
Dates for the diary: 22 October – 2 November 2007
09 Oct 2007
And also violent rap and hip-hop, for good measure
09 Oct 2007
Won't stand up for banned games. Will demand more dosh. Nice.
10 Aug 2007
Well, he kind of says this, according to ELSPA
08 Mar 2007
Those marketing types share their thoughts about 2006
29 Dec 2006
Nobody turned up to play with Lord Sainsbury.
04 Oct 2006
Outshone by competitor, seminal UK show promises bounce-back
10 Sep 2004
No real surprises here - strong Nintendo and Sega presence confirms PlayStation generation hasn't got it sewn up yet.
05 Dec 2003
New ELSPA survey indicates huge shift in game-playing demographics.
10 Apr 2002
Look, if we're not gonna play, let's at least talk about it.
06 Mar 2002
Video game piracy is a bad, bad thing, as a local Yorkshire conman recently discovered.
19 Oct 2001
The games industry comes out fighting following brain-drain games report
22 Aug 2001
It's a story of 20:20... read on
28 Jun 2001
Links from Pirated software to child pornography
28 Jan 2001
The ELSPA has recently announced its winners for software titles that managed to break the 300,000-sales mark.
18 Jan 2001
The year 2000 was a fantastic one for the sales of video games.
18 Jan 2001
The United Kingdom’s video game industry is now officially the third biggest in the world.
18 Jan 2001