The video game industry is a significant global entertainment sector focused on the development, marketing, distribution, and monetization of video games, supporting thousands of jobs worldwide. Evolving from a niche interest into a mainstream economic powerhouse, it generated a record $191 billion globally in 2021, showcasing consistent growth since at least 2015. Beyond entertainment, the industry has profoundly influenced technological advancements in personal computing, pioneering innovations such as sound cards, graphics cards, and 3D graphic accelerators that later benefited other sectors.

Its complex value chain encompasses distinct layers, including game development, publishing, distribution, and hardware platform manufacturing. For instance, in the U.S. alone by 2017, the industry comprised over 2,300 development and 525 publishing companies, directly employing nearly 66,000 people and involving over 220,000 when indirect roles are included. While traditionally reliant on retail, the shift to digital markets has streamlined parts of this value chain.