[2] The association was launched as a means for consumer rights advocacy following a string of anti-games legislation aimed at criminalizing the sale of certain video games[which?].

[3] The organization does this through a variety of initiatives including netroots and lobbying efforts at the state and national governmental level, an activity permitted by its 501(c)(4) status.

On May 12, 2010, the ECA announced that they would be submitting an amicus curiae (friend of the court) document in support of the gaming industry in the Schwarzenegger v. EMA First Amendment case.

[8] The ECA merged a number of long-standing staple brands when forming the organization which lent it early credibility and built-in expertise in the respective fields.

Among the more prominent brands was GamePolitics.com, a blog originally written and maintained by Dennis McCauley, now run by game journalist Pete Gallagher, the former Editor-in-Chief of GameDaily.com.

GP, as it had come to be known in the business and by the site's fans, is an information portal for all matters related to game legislation and grass roots lobbying initiatives.

The newsletter informs and educates gamers about current and potential anti-games legislation, and acts as a call to arms in the association's grass roots lobbying initiatives employing electronic advocacy.

[10] Journalist and co-author of SmartBomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution, Aaron Ruby, was hired on to be the Editor-in-Chief.

There were also complaints about the change in the terms and conditions being made without notifying the membership, which struck some members as ironic given the ECA's stance regarding End User License Agreements.

[22][23] Heather Ellertson, the ECA's Vice President of Marketing sent out a press release saying that Gerard was in the process of turning his life around and they "wanted to give him the opportunity to be a voice for gamers and a positive role model for gaming".