The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) produces an exclusive computer and video gaming industry business networking event, featuring many exciting games and related products which are being developed or will be released soon.

As the ESA’s upcoming 2008 E3 Media & Business Summit (E3), scheduled for July 15-17 at the L.A. Convention Center looms on the horizon, many small and medium sized publishing entities, as well as gaming enthusiasts, have wondered why the ESA’s event is structured as an invitation-only gathering.

Upon first glance, it would seem counter intuitive for an organization that ultimately supports free expression and gaming, to place restrictions on who may attend such an important and influential conference as that of E3.

The Game Reviews decided to find out more about how and why the new elite and seemingly restrictive status of E3’s “invitation list” actually came about. Ben Fisher, the CEO of The Game Reviews, spoke with Rick Taylor, former Senior Vice President of the Motion Picture Association of America, who now serves as a senior strategist in his role as ESA’s Senior Vice President for Communications and Research.

Historically, the E3 was actually conceptualized, as a way of securing funding for the ESA. This is the reason why the original structure was formulated toward business dealings, including a comfortable environment for meetings with the larger retailers, and other businesses that support the gaming industry. Over time, the E3 grew to become more expansive, and thus more convoluted, which, according to some reports, reached as many as 80,000 attendees. Thus, the conference became less manageable and veered further away from its purpose as a professional, business networking based activity.