At the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello talked about how the gaming industry has fared the economic downturn better than most. He noted that the "explosion of cheap powerful broadband computers consolidated into a network" has disrupted numerous industries, video gaming included, and that the new industries "are often bigger, better and offer better jobs."
In ways that there could be more job creation, Riccitiello suggested that the U.S. should alter its immigration policy, allowing some of the best foreign engineers to work here. "They can't work at my company here, they will work at my company in Shanghai," he noted. "We can't hire them in this country and so we literally hire them somewhere else. It is direct exportation of jobs."
He also said it was important to emphasize the hard sciences, including technology, engineering and math. "The world is increasingly being divided into those who understand numbers and those who don't," Riccitiello said. He noted that art, music and literature are important, but it should come only "after they understand their math homework.”
Finally, Riccitiello talked about American tax policy. He took umbrage with a recent New York Times article that criticized the tax breaks the gaming industry receives, noting that "companies move to locations where they find agreeable tax treatment, and that's not going to change.”
[Thanks Gamasutra]
