Today is a day of rejoicing for the gaming community. After years of under representation and demonizing by both the government and the media, the gaming community finally has a voice within the U.S. government with the formation of the Congressional Caucus for Competitiveness in Entertainment Technology, or E-TECH for short.
While the formation of such a group will not sweep the Schwarzenegger v. EMA / Entertainment Software Association Supreme Court case under the rug, it’s definitely a step in the right direction. Joined by over three dozen U.S. Representatives, the aim of the caucus is to promote the positive social, economic, and education impacts of computer and video games, such as these:
- In 2010, computer and video games contributed $24 billion in sales to the U.S. economy.
- The computer and video games industry employs 120,000 Americans in high-paying jobs in 34 states.
- Computer and video games help soldiers rehabilitate, keep seniors active, and educate our children.
Again, while this may have no impact on the current Supreme Court case, this is definitely a positive step in the right direction for both gamers and the industry itself.