I received an interesting package from the State of Georgia over the weekend. It was from the Digital Entertainment Liaison for the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Film, Music and Video office.

Inside was a copy of the “Videogame Style Guide and Reference Manual” and little pack of press releases singing the praises of Georgia and pointing out that the state has become “a hotbed for video game industry development.”

Hotbed you say? Read on.

According to the press release there are more than 50 game developers and publishers in the state employing more than 2,000 people. And Georgia is ranked number four in terms of compensation levels for game developers.

But all that’s sort of icing on the cake, the meat of the pack was about how the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act offers a sizable incentive to video game companies for producing games there. Devs and publishers get as much as a 12 percent tax break.

Why should you care about this? Because it means that state’s are starting to woo game developers they way they woo other businesses in other industries and if they’re willing to spend cold hard cash, in the form of tax breaks, then more than likely they will also be sure to protect their investment from idiotic laws that attack the product of these companies. In other words: State governments are finally starting to open their eyes to the value of the video game industry.

-Kotaku

I am now glade that I live in the great State of GA! Heres hoping to a gaming convention here sometime soon.

Link