Though the US gaming industry took a turn for the worse in 2009, it still generated heaps of money for the businesses involved. According to the NPD Group, total 2009 retail hardware, software, and accessory sales amounted to nearly $20 billion in the US. Factoring in used games, online sales, downloadable content, and mobile sales, NPD's software figure alone ballooned to more than $15 billion.

　　The games industry is 120,000 people strong. Unsurprisingly, the game industry has given the US economy a multibillion-dollar bump as a result. According to a new study commissioned by the Entertainment Software Association, the game trade organization and lobby, the game industry added nearly $5 billion to the US economy last year. The study, titled "Video Games in the 21st Century: The 2010 Report," was conducted by Economists Incorporated, an economic consulting firm.

　　The ESA study also found that despite last year's contraction, the gaming industry remains a powerful source of growth. Between 2005 and 2009, the industry's grew by over 10 percent, a figure the ESA notes is seven times that of the overall US economy.

　　Taking a more granular look at the industry, the study found that more than 32,000 individuals directly work for gaming publishers or developers, a figure that has risen nearly 9 percent annually since 2005. Average annual compensation for these employees hit $89,781 in 2009, according to the study.

　　Adding in those working in support industries, such as specialty retailer GameStop, more than 120,000 people in the US were directly or indirectly a part of the games business last year. All said, those working in the games industry earned some $2.9 billion in total compensation during the year.

　　As for individual states' contributions, the study found that California housed the largest number of game-related jobs last year, followed by Texas, Washington, New York, Massachusetts, and Illinois. The fastest-growing state, though, is Virginia, which has expanded its presence by 77 percent from 2005 to 2009.