Kotaku is reporting that the Entertainment Software Association paid more than $5 million last year to stop hosting the E3 trade show in Los Angeles. As we all know, this move lasted all of a single year and now the E3 show is back in Los Angeles, although it is still uncertain whether “a vengeance” will be accompanying E3 on its return.

According to the article, the ESA paid out $5,377,808 in “event cancellation fees” to move the show out of Los Angeles, while membership dues quadrupled in that same amount of time, up to $4.5 million. However, all of this may not have stopped the ESA from losing considerable revenue — but we won’t know that until the ESA can “close the books” on fiscal 2007.

But what about E3? You would think that with big name publishers abandoning ship left and right, the ESA would be concerned about E3, right? Nope. In fact, only nobodies will be skipping E3. Quoting ESA VP Rich Taylor:

Anyone who is anybody who has anything to do with the industry will be at this year’s E3.

So, what does that make Activision, then?

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