At “The Ecosystem of the Gaming Industry” event, Atlanta leaders, businesses, universities, and game development studios came together to discuss the impact of the gaming industry and its growth in Georgia. Local studios demoed games and products, and Rocket League was queued up in the conference room. Keynote speakers included Stephen Johnston, Jr., Founder/CTO of Launch Media Network; E. Jane Caraway, Director of Life Sciences and Technology at the Georgia Department of Economic Development; and Todd Harris, Co-Founder and COO of Hi-Rez Studios.
A New Niche Market in the Gaming Industry
Launch Media Network is a global fan-focused media company comprised of premium properties (Gamer Launch and GameSkinny) and a curated network of millennial, geek, and gamer focused member sites. GameSkinny is an authoritative source for video game industry content using Native Journalism, and Gamer Launch helps communities have more fun playing the games they love with social networking.
Stephen Johnston, Jr., discussed his decision to relocate his company from Richmond to Atlanta and the growth he’s seen as a result.
Georgia on My Mind
Along with a 30% tax credit, Georgia offers those in the games, animation and digital effects, and the film entertainment sector access to top talent from leading academic institutions and the support of an established digital media industry.
Stephen Johnston, Jr., Launch Media Network
E. Jane Caraway, Asante Bradford and other representatives from the Georgia Department of Economic Development were in attendance to educate attendees about the digital media and interactive entertainment scene in Georgia.
Click here for information about opportunities available in Georgia for those in the digital entertainment industry.
The relationship the Georgia Department of Economic Development has cultivated with those in the gaming community lets us know what those companies need to succeed.
We are here to partner with game-based companies for long-term success. Georgia is in the top-ten tech talent market and moving up rapidly.
- E. Jane Caraway, Georgia Department of Economic Development
The Power of Games and eSports
In 2005, Hi-Rez Studios, creators of SMITE and Paladins, came to Atlanta. The development studio started with 4 people and grew to 20 people by the end of the year. The company now has 275 employees and intends to create additional jobs over the next 12 months.
Todd Harris, Co-founder and COO of Hi-Rez spoke about the company’s growth in Georgia and the impact of eSports.
Whether you’re looking for universities with strong game-development programs, or you’re a development studio looking for a place to build headquarters, Georgia affords a plethora of opportunity for those in the gaming industry.
- Todd Harris, Hi-Rez Studios
What’s your Georgia gaming success story? Let us know in the comments!
