State committee convenes hearing on California's game biz this week

Here's an intriguing bit of news for developers who work in California: the state Assembly's Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media is holding an "informational hearing" this Friday to assess the state's place in the global game industry.

A number of notable industry members are slated to testify before the committee, including USC Games program chief Tracy Fullerton, Electronic Arts exec Craig Hagen and ESA senior VP Erik Huey.

It's worth noting that Gamasutra first heard about this conclave from the ESA itself, which spends millions of dollars every year lobbying lawmakers and government agencies on behalf of its member companies. It's yet unclear what role, if any, the trade group had in organizing this hearing.

During the hearing the aforementioned speakers will testify alongside government officials and academics at the University of Southern California on Friday morning in an effort to help all attendees better understand how California's video game industry contributes to the state's bottom line, and how that work can be strengthened via improving education and talent recruitment efforts.

For more details on where and when the event will take place, as well as what will be discussed, check out the official agenda [PDF].