Video games in the United States

Video gaming in the United States is one of the fastest-growing entertainment industries in the country. The American video game industry is the largest video game industry in the world. According to a 2020 study released by the Entertainment Software Association, the yearly economic output of the American video game industry in 2019 was $90.3 billion, supporting over 429,000 American jobs. With an average yearly salary of about $121,000, the latter figure includes over 143,000 individuals who are directly employed by the video game business. Additionally, activities connected to the video game business generate $12.6 billion in federal, state, and local taxes each year.^[1] World Economic Forum estimates that by 2025 the American gaming industry will reach $42.3 billion while worldwide gaming industry will possibly reach US$270 billion.^[2][3] The United States is one of the nations with the largest influence in the video game industry, with video games representing a significant part of its economy.

Major publishers headquartered in the United States are: Sony Interactive Entertainment, Microsoft Gaming (consist of Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks and Activision Blizzard), Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive, Epic Games, Valve, Warner Bros. Games, Riot Games, and others.^[4] Major video game events such as E3, BlizzCon, QuakeCon, Summer Game Fest and PAX are held every year in the US. For many years, E3, held annually in the US, was considered the biggest gaming expo of the year in terms of its importance and impact.^[5] The Game Awards, The New York Game Awards, and D.I.C.E. Awards are some of the most respected video game awards events in the video game industry. 103 million people watched The Game Awards 2022 event alone.^[6] The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is still the largest and one of the most important video game conferences for video game developers.^[7]

In statistics collected by The ESA for the year 2013, a reported 58% of Americans play video games and the average American household now owns at least one dedicated game console, PC or smartphone.^[8] According to estimates from Nielsen Media Research, approximately 45.7 million U.S. households in 2006 (or approximately 40 percent of approximately 114.4 million) owned a dedicated home video game console,^[9][10] and by 2015, 51 percent of U.S. households owned a dedicated home video game console according to an Entertainment Software Association annual industry report.^[11][12] The households that own these items play games most commonly on their console or PC. 36% of U.S. gamers play on their smartphones.^[8] 43% of video game consumers believe games give them the most value for their money compared to other common forms of entertainment such as movies, or music.^[8] In 2011, the average American gamer spent an average of 13 hours per week playing video games.^[13] In 2013, almost half of Americans who were gaming more than they did in 2010 spent less time playing board games, watching TV, going to the movies, and watching movies at home.^[8] When Americans game, 62% do so with others online or in person, yet the other person is more likely to be a friend than a significant other or family member.^[8] The most common reason parents play video games with their children is as a fun family activity, or because they are asked to. 52% of parents believe video games are a positive part of their child's life, and 71% of parents with children under 18 see gaming as beneficial to mental stimulation or education.^[8]