Columbus hasn't joined the video game gold rush
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Columbus aspires to be a Midwest tech hub, but it has yet to find its footing in the lucrative video game industry.
Why it matters: As gaming booms, with revenue dwarfing the movie and music industries, Columbus hasn't been able to develop or attract major game studios.
Driving the news: Friday is National Video Games Day, commemorated by sales, celebrations and promotions around the country.
By the numbers: Over 190 million Americans representing 78% of U.S. households have played video games in the last 12 months, the Department of Commerce estimates.
- The industry contributed $66 billion to the U.S. GDP in 2023, and supported 350,000 jobs.
Yes, but: For the most part, Columbus hasn't been able to tap in.
Zoom in: Small independent developers like Multivarious, FreshGames, BlackFoot Studios and Max Gaming Studios have tried their hand at fundraising and launching games, but few have gotten off the ground.
- Multivarious tried for years to raise funds for its project while paying the bills by collaborating with clients like Nationwide Children's Hospital.
- FreshGames "farmed out" ideas to other developers for more than a decade, but has since been acquired.
Zoom out: Other Midwest communities have nurtured their own developers or attracted local headquarters for international gaming companies.
- Cities in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan boast a variety of studios that have created games like Mortal Kombat, PUBG and Tunic.
- But Multivarious CEO Chris Volpe sees opportunity in Columbus.
What they're saying: "There's no city right now in the Midwest—and in most of the country, to be honest—that has a claim on this industry, outside of like New York and California," he told 614 Magazine in 2020.
State of play: We may not develop games, but Columbus still loves to play.
- Most of Central Ohio's gaming ties come from the esports world, like Major League Gaming and a variety of former and planned gaming arenas.
- OSU has a local esports program, and the nonprofit Esports Ohio helps schools build programs.
Plus: We're home to GDEX, an annual gaming expo that just finished its 13th year.
- And popular conventions like GalaxyCon, Origins Game Fair or Matsuricon often include guests from the video game industry.
Fun fact: Columbus' biggest claim to gaming fame may be its use as the setting in the popular video game-focused book and movie "Ready Player One."