The GDC's Career Pavilion was packed with companies like Microsoft and Sony looking for razor sharp professionals. And yes, even students.
The seasoned pros say the Career Pavilion was the biggest and busiest it's ever been. Experts say the explosive growth is partly because games are recession proof. Hour for hour, they're one of the cheapest forms of entertainment. But there's also another reason -- it turns out more people are playing video games than ever before.
"Gamers are hanging on longer to gaming," Riot Games spokesperson Vladimir Cole said. "It used to be that a guy would hit 30 and have family responsibilities and say, 'I need to give up my toys.' But now actually the average gamer is 30-years-old, and men and women are playing games."
Cole says in part, that's because games have gotten more interesting. They're not just about shooting or jumping anymore. Technology has let them become more like interactive movies or cartoons.
And all those new players mean one thing, "We're looking for artists, we're looking for producers, we're looking for engineers and software guys," Cole said. "Pretty much name it and we're looking for that sort of person."