Following in the footsteps of Activision and Vivendi, LucasArts has formally left the Entertainment Software Association. The announcement was made in a statement by the ESA which read, in part:

Today, we can confirm that one of our members, LucasArts, has decided not to renew its membership. We value each member of our association, but respect the unique factors that led to LucasArts’ decision.

LucasArts also made a statement that Joystiq has posted, which confirms that LucasArts is no longer a member of the ESA:

We can confirm that LucasArts is no longer a member of the ESA. As a company we are still committed to bringing consumers the best interactive experience possible and support the ESA’s mission in the industry. LucasArts will be participating in E3.

So, there you go dudes and dolls — LucasArts has left the ESA, but will still be attending E3, thus giving millions of gamers at least one reason to still care about the annual trade show.

What could be spurring this seemingly mass abandonment of the ESA? As was theorized by some (including me), it has to do with the overall ineptitude of the ESA’s current president in the eyes of the industry.

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