U.S. video game content generated $35.4 billion in revenue in 2019, a 2 percent increase over 2018*, according to new data released today by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and The NPD Group.
At its core, the video game industry is centered around vibrantly creative people, who often can be overshadowed by their creations. Learn more about the creative minds behind Total War, Final Fantasy XIV, Kingdom Hearts, Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, and more.
Video games moved beyond their roots as pure entertainment vehicles long ago. Today, several other industries have adopted core video game technology and adapted it to their own needs. In many cases, that’s a game-like training device. In others, it’s using the graphical advances game developers have pioneered in other forms of entertainment.
Bonnie Ross didn’t grow up playing Atari or Nintendo or Sega or PlayStation. A Mattel handheld game of football was about as immersed as she got. Today, though, she’s in charge of one of the video game industry’s biggest franchises.
Maya Rogers is in charge of the family legacy. As CEO and president of Blue Planet Software, she heads the company that’s responsible for safeguarding and managing all aspects of the classic game Tetris. From her office in Oahu, Hawaii, Rogers oversees everything from merchandising to promotional opportunities to new games building on the arcade title that debuted in 1984 and remains as popular as ever with players.
There aren’t many game makers with a track record as impressive as Ted Price. For 25 years, Insomniac Games, the company he founded and where he still serves as CEO and president, has consistently been creating hit titles that have burrowed into the hearts and minds of players. Together, he and his team are responsible for mega-franchises including Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank. Resistance: Fall of Man, Sunset Overdrive, and Marvel’s Spider-Man.
“The impressive economic growth of the industry announced today parallels the growth of the industry in mainstream American culture,” said acting ESA President and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis. “Across the nation, we count people of all backgrounds and stages of life among our most passionate video game players and fans. Interactive entertainment stands today as the most influential form of entertainment in America.”
With an expanded emphasis on featuring never-before-seen content and providing immersive new experiences for attendees, E3 2019 will be unlike any prior E3. In addition, this year’s E3 will include an expanded presence for burgeoning video game sectors, including esports and the independent video game development community.
As one of the most dynamic sectors of the tech industry, video game companies prioritize fostering greater workforce diversity. ESA members are leaders in adopting and enforcing anti-discrimination and harassment policies in the workplace. In addition, the ESA Foundation, our industry’s philanthropic arm, has awarded more than $700,000 in scholarships to women and minorities since 2007.
ESA surveys more than 4,000 American households (including the heads of and most frequent gamers within each household) about their video game playing habits and attitudes, resulting in these survey results for 2018.
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