The ESA was always in it's own self interest. Not for the gamers, not even for the companies that it supposedly represents.

But just to continue it's own existence. Their only actual goal did nothing for gaming. Getting ratings onto games. It was always a way to ban things they felt objectionable. Entire countries will wait for ESA style governing bodies to rate a game, and then ban anything Mature and up for reasons.

It reminds me of those block lists on social media. You join it, thinking it's in your best interest to avoid dealing with people. But you have no idea who you're blocking. Are they horrible people? Are the people making the lists ideologically driven? You have no idea. You just let someone else gatekeep what you can and cannot see.

It's really dumb to let others have that much power over you. But in the ESA's case, it was self govern or bow to government control. And given how the government operates, you don't want them anywhere near something you enjoy.