Lowenstein steps down from ESA

Doug Lowenstein will step down from his long-serving role at the Entertainment Software Association early next year.

According to reports on GameSpot, Lowenstein will leave the US trade organisation in 2007, and has accepted a role at a non-games related trade body.

The ESA has recently gone through a series of radical changes, downsizing the annual E3 trade show in favour of a smaller business and media summit, as well as seeing the departure of event organiser and vice president Mary Dolaher.

Lowenstein founded the forerunner to the ESA, the Interactive Digital Software Association back in 1994, which was renamed the Electronic Software Association in 2003.

As well as running videogame industry events, the ESA campaigns for the US trade, and created the ESRB, responsible for rating games in North America.