Here's some background on the major industries that FIEA serves.
Gaming Industry
Nationally
The gaming industry continues to grow and shows no sign of slowing down. Nine video game titles were sold every second in the US in 2008 and US sales of video games, consoles and accessories rose 36% in the first half of 2008. Gaming has already passed Hollywood in some sales metrics and the release of Grand Theft Auto 4 in 2008 was the best 24-hour debut in entertainment history, with sales of more than $310 million in one day.
From 2003-2006, sales of entertainment software in the U.S. grew 17% while in that same period the economy grew only 4%. By 2009 the videogame industry is expected to employ more than 250,000 people.
Locally
Any discussion of the gaming industry in Central Florida starts with Electronic Arts' Orlando headquarters, EA Tiburon. Tiburon is EA's fastest-growing studio and its more than 600 employees produce such well-known titles as Madden NFL Football, Nascar: Chase for The Cup, NFL Street and Superman. Orlando is also home to other interactive entertainment companies like Disney, cMerge Media, Lightmaker, Monster Media, n-Space and Kosmo Studios.
In addition, Orlando is also home to more than 1,000 businesses specializing in software development and service, data processing and information retrieval. Employing approximately 12,000, these companies generate nearly $1 billion in annual revenue and serve the well-established modeling, simulation and training and digital media industries, which are heavily involved in developing programs for use in such applications as film and television, interactive entertainment, military exercises and transportation planning.
More Info:- Entertainment Software Association
- Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission
- Orlando Chamber of Commerce
- Florida High Tech Corridor
Modeling Simulation & Training Industry
Nationally
Modeling, simulation and training (MST) is one of the fastest-growing high-tech sectors in the world. From training military personnel to use new weaponry to helping students learn how to drive, companies are working to capture the powerful potential of advanced technology.
Locally
The MST industry in Metro Orlando was launched in the mid-1960s when the Naval Training Systems Center relocated from Long Island, NY. Since that time, the industry in Metro Orlando has grown to include 140 companies (the largest in the nation), which specialize in a variety of applications from entertainment to emergency preparedness.
Prominent Orlando companies utilizing interactive technology include Lockheed Martin, SAIC, Northup Grumman, General Dynamics, Saab, L-3 Communications, Evans & Sutherland, CAE and Silicon Graphics. Embry Riddle and UCF's Institute For Simulation & Training provide some of the world's best research and training.
More Info:- National Center For Simulation
- UCF Institute For Simulation & Training
- Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission
- Orlando Chamber of Commerce
- Florida High Tech Corridor
Film & Digital Media
Nationally
We all have friends who have tried to "make it" in the movie business. And every year, thousands more do. In recent years, the American film industry employed approximately 270,000 people, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the industry will experience 17 percent growth over the next decade. In 2002, $9.5 billion worth of tickets were purchased in the U.S. alone.
Locally
Florida is the third largest film and entertainment production center in the U.S., behind only New York and Los Angeles. With its low cost of doing business and great weather, more production companies and television channels are calling Orlando home, as film and television production has grown into a $586 million dollar market. Scores of films as well as channels like Nickelodeon, Sunshine Network and the Golf Channel originate in Orlando.
Orlando is also home to more than 1,200 digital media companies that focus on content creation and interactive technologies to serve the modeling, simulation and training industry, the film industry and the theme park industry. From creating interactive kiosks for the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field, to developing Battle Stations, an interactive training game for the Navy, these Orlando companies are leaders in the field.
More Info: