According to the results of a recent study released by the Center for an Urban Future, New York City is missing out on a big chance to have more of an impact in the video game industry.
The study, entitled Getting in the Game, goes on to show that while the city has an abundance of creative talent and the industry is growing (30 firms in the city now, compared to five in 2003), the allure of the industry’s strong presence on the West Coast along with losing highly trained programmers to large finanical or tech firms are playing a big part.
“We’re fighting over a limited pool of talent,” says Nick Fortugno, co-founder of Rebel Monkey. The two-person video game startup has hired 13 people since it started last year. “We have been lucky,” he says.
Other factors like high office rent and labor were also significant reasons for the lack of growth. In order to alleviate the problem, the study recommends that city’s Economic Development Corp. designate game industry liasons that would work with local companies, in addition to a dedicated online recruiting program.
NYC gets low score in video games - [Crain's New York Business]
Tags: growth, Industry, new york city, nyc, video games, west coast
