ATLANTA — The video game industry is big business in Georgia.
The industry generated an $830 million economic impact on our state in 2018, employing more than 2,000 people. The Georgia Game Developers Association keeps track of those numbers.
In a newly released study, it said there were 452 new jobs created last year.
The numbers give us some interesting perspective ahead of this weekend's DreamHack. It's a gathering of gamers from around the world.
Here’s a guide of what you need to know for this weekend’s festivities.
Where is DreamHack taking place?
For the third year, DreamHack will take place at Georgia World Congress Center, Building C.
Before coming to Atlanta this year, the gaming festival traveled to 12 major host cities, including debuts in Dallas, Texas; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Additional locations have included Leipzig, Germany; Tours, France; Valencia and Sevilla, Spain; Montreal, New Delhi, India; and DreamHack Summer in Jönköping, Sweden.
What are some of the events at DreamHack?
During the 24 hour-a-day festival weekend, DreamHack Atlanta features everything related to the gaming genre under one roof.
Just to give you some insight, last year gamers competed for nearly $2 million in pro Esports tournaments, collegiate and high school Esports matches.
But it doesn’t stop there! There are music concerts, cosplay competitions, panels, art gallery, arcade, virtual reality, expo and more.
“We are the physical manifestation of gaming and Esports. It’s the actual way for you to experience gaming from a first-hand standpoint. So you come in, there is an indie zone and there’s all types really hot new titles coming out and that people are working on, and you can play, experiment, and build, and talk to developers and give feedback. You have the stages set up and each stage is geared to different games,” Trevor Marks, logistics coordinator and marketing assistant said.
Check out the full list of events here
Parking & Public Transit for DreamHack?
The closest parking lot to Building C is the Gold Lot. Parking instructions are provided by Georgia World Congress Center on its website.
If you’re taking public transit, there is a a MARTA station conveniently located right at the GWCC.
It is possible to park in various lots around Downtown, though those will cost you around $10 to 20 for the day, and none will get you as close to the GWCC entrances as the MARTA stop.
If you’re planning to use Uber or Lyft, be aware that during big events, finding a pickup spot in the area around the GWCC/CNN Center/Mercedes-Benz Stadium can be a bit of a scrambled process.
There usually are designated pickup points, but they can sometimes be tricky for drivers to find or might generally be out of the way for you.
MORE FROM THE A-SCENE!