3/13/2006
SXSW panel discusses video games in Austin
KTEN Local News
AUSTIN What started as the "Live Music Capital of the World" is now a movie haven with homegrown talent like director Robert Rodriguez and actor Matthew McConaughey.A group of computer programmers, publishers and others hope Austin can one day be a big player in the ten (b) billion dollar a year video game business, too.
But can Austin really become the Hollywood of video games?
A panel that included some of the area's top video game talent met today at the South By Southwest Interactive conference and discussed just that.
They say the city has a long way to go before that can happen.
Austin has about 50 video game companies which currently employ about 14-hundred people.
According to the Austin Game Initiative, which promotes local game companies, Austin is considered the Number Three location for games development.
Panelists say there are several issues preventing the area from growing in prominence, including a lack of local degree programs to teach video game making skills. They also cited a lack of local organization needed to collectively promote their business.
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AUSTIN What started as the "Live Music Capital of the World" is now a movie haven with homegrown talent like director Robert Rodriguez and actor Matthew McConaughey.A group of computer programmers, publishers and others hope Austin can one day be a big player in the ten (b) billion dollar a year video game business, too.
But can Austin really become the Hollywood of video games?
A panel that included some of the area's top video game talent met today at the South By Southwest Interactive conference and discussed just that.
They say the city has a long way to go before that can happen.
Austin has about 50 video game companies which currently employ about 14-hundred people.
According to the Austin Game Initiative, which promotes local game companies, Austin is considered the Number Three location for games development.
Panelists say there are several issues preventing the area from growing in prominence, including a lack of local degree programs to teach video game making skills. They also cited a lack of local organization needed to collectively promote their business.
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