California Business Minute™

Hi, I am Tim Johnson and welcome to the California Business Minute.

In a report released last week by the Entertainment Software Association, it
places California as the  leader in video-game development and publishing
in the nation.

The report identified that nearly 35,000 Californians are employed in this industry
singularly the largest population employed in the industry nationally, the state of
Washington at #2 has 9,400 employed in the industry. 

The report identifies that as a state, California accounts for 40 percent of the total
employment nationwide.  The average compensation for employees in the sector
in the state is $100,410. In the report, it was identified that the split between game
developers and publishers is about even in California as compared to lop-sided
ratios in other states.  In 2006, the computer and game industry in the state grew
by 12.3 percent, nearly 3 time faster than the state’s overall growth and added
$1.7 billion to the state’s economy.

Nationwide the industry grew by 6 percent in 2006 to $7.4 billion almost tripling
industry software sales since 1996.  Worldwide sales are at $20 billion and are
forecasted to be $25 billion by 2009

I am Tim Johnson and this has been the California Business Minute.