Triangle Game Conference

Kendall Jones, NBC17: RALEIGH, N.C. -

More than 900 video game enthusiasts met for a two-day conference to promote the Triangle as a hot spot for video game companies.

"Raleigh-Durham is an incredibly important hub for the game industry," Triangle Game Initiative President Alexander Macris said.

The second annual Triangle Game Conference showcased 60 different companies from across the state and the country, before ending on Thursday.

Gaming companies in the triangle employ more than 1200 people and some industry professionals said the state needs to offer more tax breaks in order to keep gaming companies interested in the area.

"It's a great opportunity for our talented young people and a great opportunity for our state to invest in the industry of the future," Macris said.

Experts say the gaming industry is changing and expanding beyond computers and consoles like the Wii and Playstation 3.

"It's an exciting time to be in the games business right now because the games business is really sort of blowing up," Bureau of Film and Games Co-Owner John Platten said.

Instead of relying on big companies, Platten said developers can create their games for products like the iPhone or on a social networking Web site like Facebook.

Also, blockbuster movies like Avatar are starting to employ some of the same technology as video games, which makes Platten think the two will continue to merge closer together.

"We create entertainment and it just so happens that our platform is games," Platten said. "All these things fit together to create an entire experience. That is where the games business and the movie business and the TV business and all these other businesses are coming together to realize, we're all in this together."

The Triangle is already home to the number one and number two game engines in the world, which is attracting interest from other industries.

Strolling between flashing monitors, Lockheed Martin Virtual Labs Chief Architect Richard Boyd said he saw future training devices for his company.

"One of the things we're interested in is the impact of gaming to help us make sense of more complex systems," he said. "What we're finding is today's advanced gaming technology really helps us prepare humans to operate in complex environments."

Boyd said Lockheed Martin is interested in North Carolina because of the multiple video game companies here.

As colleges around the area continue to offer programs specifically geared towards the gaming industry, Macris said that will only improve the opportunity for economic development in the area.

"There's a talent pool here that is finding new opportunities," he said. "Having a game industry offers ideal jobs for today's economy."