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Nintendo confirmed the rumors that have been swirling for weeks that it is working on a next-generation Wii. The company released sparse details about the game console, other than it is set to be on store shelves in 2012 and will be unveiled at the video game industry conference, E3, held in Los Angeles this June.
The states of California, Texas, Washington, New York and Massachusetts currently have the highest number of video game jobs, according to the ESA’s "Video Games in the 21st Century" report. Collectively, these areas directly employ 22,279 workers and post nearly 71 percent of the industry’s total direct employment.
Succumbing to the primal pull of gameplay, millions of new consumers are joining the nearly ubiquitous adventure of exploring the pixelated worlds presented in video games, seeking personal recreation, relaxation, amusement, even escape — and the industry is feeling the profound effects of that stampede. Ginormous metamorphoses continue to roil the busy, merciless landscape of today’s $28 billion U.S. video game business.
In what could turn out to be one of the most high-profile lawsuits in the electronic entertainment industry, the man who created the very first Madden-inspired football video game is now suing the game’s publisher for nearly 20 years of unpaid royalties, in addition to every cent of profit the company has earned from the series over those years.
Don’t hit that pause button just yet. Despite the tanking economy and an increasing number of video game-industry layoffs, many believe 2009 will be a year of evolution for games. The combination of innovative new titles, long-awaited franchise follow-ups and desire for escapism could spawn a gaming renaissance.