From the July 2009 Members Newsletter emailed to all ECA Members:

[QUOTE]Hello and welcome to the first edition of our monthly members only newsletter. We are making it a top priority to keep you updated on our work and we're thrilled to share the latest ECA news and happenings with you. We will be issuing a new ECA Newsletter at the beginning of each month, so look forward to hearing more from us about our exciting developments. If you have any suggestions about how we can improve the piece, what can be added or what more you'd like to know about, please drop us a note to [EMAIL=feedback@theeca.com]feedback@theeca.com[/EMAIL].

Thank you for your continued support. And enjoy!

[B]Marketing[/B]

[LIST]
[*]ECA members can now receive a 10% discount at [URL=http://www.amazon.com/]Amazon.com[/URL] on all purchases of new video games and accessories.

[*][URL=http://www.aafes.com/]Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES)[/URL] is now selling ECA membership cards through their website. All men and women in the military with a valid .mil domain extension receive a 25% discount on their annual membership dues.

[*][URL=http://www.target.com/]Target.com[/URL] is now selling our membership cards on their website, joining the ranks of [URL=http://www.walmart.com/]Walmart.com[/URL] and other major merchants in their support of the organization.

[*][URL=http://www.buy.com/]Buy.com[/URL] offers millions of products in a range of different categories, and is pleased to offer ECA members $5.00 off any purchase of $75.00 or more not only on games, but movies and music as well!

[*]Members receive15% off at game downloads at [URL=http://www.direct2drive.com/]Direct 2 Drive[/URL] on leading Action, RPG, Strategy and MMO titles! Receive your discount before the offer expires on July 24, 2009.
[/LIST]

[B]In The News[/B]

[LIST][*]USA Weekend ran a feature on the association titled, How Gamers Can Score Discounts in their June 21 edition. To read the full story online, click [URL=http://www.usaweekend.com/09_issues/090621/090621think-games-eca-discount.html]here[/URL].

[*]Wired.com posted a feature on DRM issues and protecting IPs. The [URL=http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2009/05/game_ars]story[/URL] ran on May 26 and included comments from our associations president, Hal Halpin.

[*]On May 20, the ECA [URL=http://forums.theeca.com/showthread.php?t=5982]spoke out[/URL] against California's appeal of the violent video game law to the Supreme Court. The official reaction statement was picked up by several news outlets including: USA Today, Joystiq, and Crispy Gamer.

[*]We will be in full force at this years Penny Arcade Expo (PAX), which takes place over Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4-6th in Seattle, WA. Stop by our booth, #342, and hang out in our ultra-swanky new membership lounge!

[*]Keep your eyes and ears open for more exciting news and announcements coming soon![/LIST]

[B]Advocacy[/B]

[LIST][*]The ECA strongly supports the Broadband Internet Fairness Act, H.R. 2902, and needs your help in stopping Internet Providers from introducing bandwidth caps. As a result of ECA member protests so far, Time Warner has stopped price gouging for broadband usage and H.R. 2902 is a response to this epic battle. To learn more and let your voice be heard, go [URL=http://action.theeca.com/t/2858/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2810]here[/URL].

[*]Video games are under attack and we need your help in preventing two bills from becoming laws. H.R. 231 is a national bill that would require warning labels stating excessive exposure to video games has been linked to aggressive behavior to be affixed to all video games rated T and up. Additionally, New York bill AB1474/SB699 is being considered and would restrict the sale of violent video games to people under the age of 18. To learn more and take action, click [URL=http://action.theeca.com/t/2858/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2509]here[/URL].

[*]As a direct result of our members speaking up and getting involved, a number of onerous taxes on digital goods and downloads were struck down across the country. Great job, everyone!

[*]Don't forget to join and have your friends join the ECA group on [URL=http://www.facebook.com/]Facebook[/URL] it's a great way to hear about campaigns and issues up to the minute!

[*]The number of gamers following our [URL=http://twitter.com/theeca]Twitter[/URL] account keeps rising! Look for new Twitter features (prize drawings, members-only Tweets, etc.) coming soon. And if you're not following us yet, come on.[/LIST]

[B]Chapter Updates[/B]

[LIST][*]Two new ECA Chapters have recently formed; one in Chattanooga, TN and the other in Vancouver, BC. An amazing 46 regional chapters are now active across the U.S. and Canada. To learn more about joining an existing chapter or starting up one of your own, go [URL=http://www.theeca.com/eca_community]here[/URL] for more info.

[*]Game on! Don't forget that the ECA Game Night takes place every Saturday night from 9-12pm EST. For more info on specific games and how to join in the fun, check out the ECA Facebook page or click [URL=http://www.theeca.com/game_night]here[/URL].

[*]The next meeting of the chapter presidents is scheduled for July 12. The previous meeting was held on June 14 and the notes have been posted to the [URL=http://forums.theeca.com/showthread.php?p=101403#post101403]ECA Chapter Forums[/URL].

[*]Check out our cool contest that we do from time to time with in our chapters.[/LIST]
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