New York's $5 Billion Game Industry Takes Center Stage at Premier Industry Event
Meet New York's Game Development Community at Booth S1327
ESD Launches Digital Game Channels: Find @ESD_digitalgames on Twitch and Discord
Empire State Development (ESD) today announced that New York State will participate in the 2025 Game Developers Conference (GDC), taking place March 17-21 in San Francisco, California. This year's pavilion continues to showcase New York's thriving digital game development ecosystem, connecting industry professionals with the state's diverse resources spanning government, higher education, and the gaming industry. Attendees can visit the New York State Pavilion at Booth S1327 to meet state officials, New York-based game developers, educational institutions, and more.
Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "New York State's return to the Game Developers Conference underscores our unwavering commitment to growing this innovative industry that is creating high-paying jobs and economic opportunity across the Empire State. With the Digital Game Development Tax Credit Program now fully established and an unparalleled ecosystem of talent and creative energy, New York is positioning itself as a premier destination for developers of all sizes. We invite industry leaders and emerging talents to visit our pavilion and discover the resources and connections that make New York where gaming's future is being built."
The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is the industry's premier professional event, bringing together the world's largest community of game creators for five days of education, inspiration, and networking. New York's pavilion serves as a hub for the state's game development community, showcasing the innovative work being done across the state and highlighting New York's competitive advantages for game developers and studios.
New York State Pavilion partners include:
- Coolmath Games
- E-Sports and Game Design Collective
- Munity
- NYU Game Center
- On the March
- Polyhedron Productions
- Pratt Game Arts
- Redstart Interactive
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- SoftEthix
- The Strong National Museum of Play
- VibeXP
- Villa Maria College
- Yeshiva University
New Digital Platforms to Connect New York’s Game Development Community
ESD is also announcing the launch of official Twitch and Discord channels dedicated to New York State’s digital game development community. These platforms will provide developers with access to ESD's Digital Game Division, creating new opportunities for networking, collaboration, and information sharing. Twitch will feature regular updates on funding opportunities, industry events, success stories from New York-based developers, and serve as a hub for community building across the state's growing game development ecosystem. Game developers are encouraged to join these digital spaces to connect with state resources and fellow developers.
Join the conversation and connect with New York State’s game development network on Discord and Twitch at @ESD_digitalgames.
From Education to Employment: New York's Complete Game Development Ecosystem
New York State's $5 billion digital game development industry continues on a strong growth trajectory, supported by strategic incentives and investments in:
- Workforce Excellence: Home to more than 13,000 direct and indirect digital game development jobs with an average industry salary of over $168,000
- Educational Leadership: Five New York schools ranked in The Princeton Review's 2024 top undergraduate programs for game design: New York University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York Film Academy, and Cornell University
- Advanced Education: Home to three top digital game development graduate programs at New York University, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Comprehensive Training Pipeline: Twenty-nine colleges and universities across the state offer degrees in game development programming, with additional institutions offering specialized courses
- Company Diversity: Home to hundreds of game developers ranging from major studios to innovative independents, including Rockstar Games, Blizzard Entertainment, WB Games, Atlantic Games, Velan Studios, Second Avenue Learning, Playmatics, Workinman Interactive, Wolfjaw Studios, Rushdown Studios, 1st Playable, Computer Lunch, and Everyrealm
About the New York State Digital Game Development Program
The New York State Digital Game Development Program is a $25 million dollar tax credit fund for digital game development projects produced in New York State. One of the only dedicated digital game tax credit programs in the United States, the program is designed to accelerate economic development by offsetting production costs associated with developing digital games in New York. For more information about New York State's Digital Game Development Program, visit: http://esd.ny.gov/digitalgamedev.
About Empire State Development
Empire State Development is New York's chief economic development agency, and promotes business growth, job creation, and greater economic opportunity throughout the state. With offices in each of the state's 10 regions, ESD oversees the Regional Economic Development Councils, supports broadband equity through the ConnectALL office, and is growing the workforce of tomorrow through the Office of Strategic Workforce Development. The agency engages with emerging and next generation industries like clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing looking to grow in New York State, operates a network of assistance centers to help small businesses grow and succeed, and promotes the state's world class tourism destinations through I LOVE NY. For more information, please visit esd.ny.gov, and connect with ESD on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.
Contact:
ESD Press Office | [email protected] | (800) 260-7313
Emily Mijatovic | [email protected] | (212) 803-3692