By Stanley Pierre-Louis, Chief Executive Officer, Entertainment Software Association
This past year has been monumental for the video game industry. More than 164 million adults in the United States play video games. There is at least one video game player in 3 out of 4 households. And the video game industry continues to grow with our players. In 2018, our industry generated more than $43.4 billion in revenue in the United States alone. Globally, we are a $135 billion industry.
It has also been has been a big year for us here at the Entertainment Software Association. Last month, we released our annual 2019 Essential Facts report, which offered insight into who today’s video game players are. What our research revealed is that video game audiences are growing and evolving, just as our industry is. People across every demographic – age, gender, ethnicity – play video games to have fun, relieve stress, learn, and spend time with family. Moreover, more than half of parents report playing video games with their kids on a weekly basis and the number one reason they tell us is because it’s fun for the whole family.
As the video game community continues to grow, it is more critical than ever for us to reach all of our stakeholders to tell the story of the industry. As the voice of the industry, we must engage and work with policymakers, parents, the media, and industry observers at-large.
That’s why I’m excited to welcome you to our new website. This site represents the video game industry in an impactful way. The development of this website was a major undertaking that will impact how we communicate and reach our diverse, growing audiences.
In addition to increasing our discoverability and storytelling capabilities, the site is also a home for our tools and resources. The “In the Spotlight” section highlights industry priorities, as well as new initiatives being rolled out. The “Our Policies” section shines a light on policy issues of importance to our industry. The “News & Resources” section also has exceptional search functions to help visitors find what they’re looking for, whether it’s a policy filing or an ESA statement. And, the “About ESA” section shares who we are, who our members are, and how you can join our team.
Most importantly, this website serves as a powerful storytelling engine. Our priority is making sure we’re an active voice of thought leadership in the critical conversations currently going on in and around our industry.
Our members create some of the most engaging, entertaining stories and digital experiences that have captured billions of fans around the world. As such, our approach to storytelling should be held to the same standard. Our industry produces world-class experiences and we’re dedicated to providing the same. We will continue to improve and innovate and create so we can tell the story of the video game industry most effectively.
Make sure to stay tuned as we continue rolling out updates, especially during next week’s E3, the industry’s biggest showcase of innovation.
This is just the beginning: there’s a lot more to come.
Best,
Stan
