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Games Industry Growth Outpacing US Economy

Posted by Zonk on from the plenty-of-blocks-and-coins-to-go-around dept.

Gamasutra is reporting that the Entertainment Software Association believes the games industry has outstripped the US economy as a whole. In fact, the group found that the industry grew by an astonishing 17% between 2003-2006, some 13% faster than the general US economy. "The ESA states that the video game industry contributed $3.8 billion to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product in 2006. Though 24,000 are directly employed, according to the report in total 80,000 are employed directly and indirectly by the industry in 31 states and U.S.-based game industry employees received a total of $2.2 billion in compensation. Predictably, California is the largest employer in the video game industry, accounting for around 40% of the nation's industry jobs. California industry growth was 12.3% last year, which the ESA claims is "nearly three times faster" than the state's overall growth."

7 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. Eating someone elses lunch by king-manic · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's likely eating at other parts of the entertainment industry. $50 and 20h spent on COD 4 is $50 and 20h not spend going to movies or buying CD's. Music and cinema have declined in the last 10 years. This may be why (not piracy).

    --
    "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
    1. Re:Eating someone elses lunch by feepness · · Score: 4, Funny

      Music and cinema have declined in the last 10 years. This may be why (not piracy). If music and cinema didn't want their lunches stolen they should have marked there lunches and not left them in the fridge over the weekend.
  2. Why is this stat relevant? by davevt5 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm not being facetious in asking why the growth RATE of the games industry being higher than the growth rate of the economy is a big deal? Don't all new technology industries have higher growth rates than the economy as a whole?

  3. In related news... by siufish · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Children growth outpacing adults. We're doomed!

  4. Not that amazing, really... by Lendrick · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...seeing as how nowadays you can outpace the US economy just by not tanking.

  5. Re:Maybe we're the best at making games... by Turn-X+Alphonse · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That is an extremely arrogant point of view to have.

    Britain and Japan both have amazingly good game makers and no single country really excels above the others, they're just better in some areas in general. One could argue that the US's biggest games company is EA, which most Slashdotters at least see as the lowest of the ;low in terms of quality products.

    --
    I like muppets.
  6. Re:Move? by Saige · · Score: 3, Funny

    You can do it my way.

    Keep trying to find a position at Microsoft until you get one. Once you do, then they'll relocate you to the Seattle area. Spend a couple years on the team doing good work and befriending people on the Xbox team until positions open up. Start applying for them.

    Here I am, working on the Xbox, and I love it. And now that I have experience in the game industry, it'll be a lot easier to continue to stay in it should I want to leave Microsoft.

    Yes, I realize that to most people on /., the thought of working at MS is unpalatable. I'm just saying.

    --
    "You know your god is man-made when he hates all the same people you do."