Digital pros hope to attract more gamers to Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Imagine being offered a lucrative job as a programmer or engineer for a well-known video game company.  The salary is good, the work atmosphere seems  nice and you have the chance to work on games that you know will become some of the most popular titles in the industry.

But the job is in California. So, you turn it down.

This may seem crazy but officials from the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development say that scenario is playing out more and more frequently.

That's why Electronic Arts, Disney Interactive and Epic Games and ChAIR Entertainment are just some of the game makers that have decided to make a home in the Beehive state.  

"There is a great talent base here. It's been here for quite some time and it's growing. It's growing quickly," said Laura Mustard with Epic Games and ChAIR Entertainment.

A big reason the electronic game industry is able to attract talented programmers and engineers to Utah is the lower cost of living, compared to other states. They can pay competitive salaries to their workers who can then get more for their money. Mustard says for the same amount of money it would cost to rent a 300-square-foot apartment in New York, someone can afford a nice home.

Utah's outdoor recreational activities also have a role in an employee's decision.

"It's not just about work, right?  There is a quality of life issue. You want to work somewhere that you enjoy, but also, when you're not working, you want to be able to do great things either with your friends or with your family," she explained.

The video game industry is one of the main clusters of industries the state is trying to attract. This cluster also includes aerospace, digital media, information technology and software. Its efforts to recruit more of these companies to the state seem to be paying off.

"Through this last nine month period, (companies) have been adding about 2,000 workers through our cluster areas," said Gary Harter, managing director with the Governor's Office of Economic Development.

In all, there are roughly 181,000 employees in these fields within Utah. Harter says the ripple effect the high paying jobs in these industries has on the rest of the state is unquestionable.

"As we bring in more high paying jobs and grow high paying jobs within the state, those types of jobs spin off other service related jobs. They move their families here. Their families stay here in Utah and they have demands on the local economies around their area," he said.