Video Game Industry Adds 5 Billion Dollars to US GDP

The Entertainment Software Association has claimed that the video game industry has contributed no less than 5 billion dollars to the Gross Domestic Product of the United States, with the trend being overall positive despite the economic downturn.

The ESA says that at the moment the video games industry directly employs 32,000 people with another 120,000 indirectly involved. The number has been increasing steadily since 2005 and total compensation for all the workers who are directly employed has reached 2.9 billion dollars in 2009, according to the ESA.

California is the biggest state when it comes to video game company presence, with about 2.1 billion dollars added to the economy in 2009 and with an annual growth race of 11.4 percent from 2005 to 2009.

Other states that are significant for the video game industry include Texas, Washington, New York, Massachusetts and Illinois.

Michael Gallagher, the president of the Entertainment Software Association has stated, “Despite a challenging economic environment, the entertainment software industry continues to grow and create new jobs at a rapid pace.”

“Computer and videogame companies have made an important contribution to our nation's economy while stimulating technological innovations and expanding the impact of games on our daily lives. As the findings of this report suggest, the entertainment software industry is well positioned to sustain these economic and social contributions well into the future”, he added.

2010 has so far not been a great game for video games, with overall sales number in the United States slipping during each month except March when compared to the same period of 2009.

There's hope that the fall will bring growth, mainly because of the launch of the Microsoft made Kinect and the Sony made PlayStation Move, motion tracking systems that will enhance the abilities of home console and open them up to a bigger potential audience.

Significant video game launches include Call of Duty: Black Ops, Medal of Honor, FIFA 11 and Civilization V.