US games industry 40,000 strong

The Game Developer Census 2007 has determined that there are 39,700 people working in the games industry across the US, with 8100 in Canada.

The survey, carried out by CMP Game Group’s Game Developer Research division, also claimed that more than 46 per cent of 18,300 or so workers responsible for creating games in the US are based in California, while 11.63 per cent are based in Washington and 7.37 per cent in Texas.

The survey was intended to create an accurate list of all companies working in the industry for contractors, service companies wishing to make ties with the sector.

It lists all the 600 companies working within the US and Canada, along with addresses, website information, employee numbers and details on ‘specialties’ – determining whether the firm produces casual, online, mobile, PC, handheld or console games.

However game tools companies, game contracting and service companies, PR, marketing, legal, and other external business services are not listed in the census. Game Developer Research says that they putatively put this figure at around 15,000 in the US.

“The game industry has long been asking for a census to better understand just how many people are creating games professionally in North America, and as the organization behind Game Developer magazine, Gamasutra.com and the Game Developers Conference, the CMP Game Group felt that it was our responsibility to use our expertise to establish an accurate view of its size,” said Simon Carless, editor-in-chief of Game Developer Magazine and director of Game Developer Research.

“It is our hope that the Census and the information it provides can also help build the game business by connecting contractors and service providers with developers and publishers.”