For decades, Los Angeles has been known as the movie capital of the world, and Hollywood has been the mecca of entertainment and fame. However, in recent decades, the movie industry has given way to a new player: video games. Los Angeles has become the second-most important region in the world for the video game industry, after Tokyo. The city has more than 900 companies in the industry, and the sector provides more than 200,000 jobs in the country, according to US government data.
Major video game companies such as Naughty Dog, EA Sports, Riot Games, and Activision Blizzard have set up shop in Los Angeles. In addition, international giants such as Sony and Nintendo have also chosen the city as an overseas base, and hundreds of independent companies and smaller studios have taken advantage of the area’s tech ecosystem. Video game developers have found in Los Angeles a source of creative talent and innovation, as well as a meeting point to develop their games.
The link between gamers and moviegoers is growing. Hollywood producers are no longer content to sell their film rights to video game companies, but the consoles themselves have become another source of material to bring products to the big screen. Some actors have also made the leap from video games to the big screen, blurring the line between film and video games.
Video game developers have benefited from being close to Hollywood and the larger entertainment industry, which has allowed them to work more efficiently as they also work with voice actors, artists, and film animators, many of whom are also consumers of games. Moreover, the flow of knowledge is not unilateral; the sector has also opened professional paths in reverse, from video game consoles to the cradle of world cinema.