SCHUMER, IN A PERSONAL MEETING WITH MICROSOFT PRESIDENT, URGES COMPANY TO EXPAND IN THE CAPITAL REGION GIVEN THE AREA’S GROWING VIDEO GAME DEVELOPMENT PRESENCE; FOLLOWING LAST YEAR’S VISIT TO SEE THE REGION’S EMERGING GAME INDUSTRY, SENATOR DOUBLES DOWN ON HIS COMMITMENT TO HELP CAPITAL REGION LEVEL UP AS LEADING TECH & GAMING HUB
Microsoft Recently Proposed Acquisition Of Activision Blizzard Inc., Which Employs Over 200 Workers In The Capital Region; Senator Says Time Is Right To Turbocharge Game Development Presence In Upstate New York
Senator Says Capital Region Has Over 20 Gaming Companies In Its Rapidly Emerging Tech Ecosystem Fueled By Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute That Are Prime To Support Additional Investment & Establish Region As Global Hub For Games
Schumer To Microsoft: Capital Region’s Innovative Game Developers, World Renown Workforce, And Burgeoning Tech Ecosystem Is The Ultimate Combo To Power Up The Next Generation Of Digital Gaming
Following his continued advocacy to make the Capital Region a global gaming hub, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer personally met with the President of Microsoft, Brad Smith, urging the company to expand in the Capital Region, tapping into the area’s emerging game development industry. Schumer urged Microsoft to invest in the rapidly growing tech ecosystem in Upstate New York, and highlighted the game development industry in the Capital Region, which Schumer personally visited last year. Microsoft recently proposed acquiring Activision Blizzard Inc., which employs over 200 workers in the Capital Region.
“The gaming industry generates hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue and shows no signs of slowing down, and some of the most cutting-edge games are being developed right in the Capital Region. I made it clear to Microsoft that if they are looking to level up their gaming biz that the Capital Region has all the components to become the next global gaming hub,” said Senator Schumer. “Our world-class workforce fueled by innovative development programs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and over 20 internationally recognized gaming companies make the Capital Region the ideal spot for investment to turbocharge the next generation of gaming.”
Senator Schumer has been leading the charge to grow the Capital Region’s gaming industry. Last year, Schumer personally visited Troy’s Velan Studios, best known for creating globally famous games, such as Mario Kart Live and Knockout City.
Schumer explained that in New York the video game industry supports nearly 5,000 direct jobs, over 6,000 supplier and support jobs, and had an output of $976.4 million in New York. New York also has over 140 companies centered on the video game industry, nearly 30 higher education programs focused on video game development, and dozens of emerging collegiate e-sports teams. Global game sales in 2021 are estimated at $178.73 billion, with projections that they will top $218.7 billion by 2024. Even during the pandemic, game sales grew nearly 20%. An estimated 2.7 billion people worldwide spent roughly 7.4 billion hours on game streaming platforms last year alone. Schumer said with industry growth showing no signs of stopping investing in the Upstate New York’s gaming and tech ecosystem, top-notch universities, and world-class workforce, is the best way for Microsoft to be on the forefront of the next generation of gaming.
The Capital Region is currently home to 23 game development companies, including Warner Brother Games, Activision, PUBG, MadGlory, and Agora Games, which collectively employ over 600 people. Games like Candy Crush, Guitar Hero, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and Fortnite have all been at least partially developed in the Capital Region.
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