Last Wednesday we asked you to send us your questions for Tom, who is not only the head of the GDAA but also of Melbourne studio Tantalus. Tom’s kindly given his time to answer your questions and I hope you find his responses as informative as I did.

Also, a quick thanks to everyone who submitted a question and stay tuned for the next Question Time candidate later today…

Here’s your interview with Tom Crago:

TSM
Is is true that the GDAA was formed in Australia to create a salary cap situation for between key game development studios in both Melbourne and Brisbane?

Wow, I haven’t heard that one before! But I do love a good conspiracy theory and the prospect of sitting, cloaked, in a large stone room with a group of game industry CEO’s, collectively pulling the strings of the local industry is attractive indeed. Look, this is certainly not the case… There is no agreement between any Australian development studios in relation to salaries. In fact, we actively compete for talent. At Tantalus we opened a studio in Brisbane specifically to get access to programmers, artists and designers working in that city. There’s a lot of movement of employees between studios in Australia.

Kirby
How do you get into the games industry in Australia?

These days you really need to have dome some sort of games-specific study once you complete high school. There are a lot of courses offered at universities, and other tertiary institutions. You need to get one of these courses under your belt, and be up towards the top of the class. Then, most importantly, you have to have a very impressive body of work that you can show a prospective employer. If you’re an artist, this means a kick-ass show reel. If you’re a programmer, you need a game or engine demo that you created or worked on. And if you’re a game designer you need to be a able to show a bunch of paper design overviews that you’ve created. After that, it’s a matter of doing well at the interview and in any tests or trials that your employer might set you. It has to be said: it’s a tough industry to get into. It’s ultra competitive, but once you’re in it’s the best job in the world.

ROM
How do you feel about the stupidity of the “Ratings” system for games? Do you think we will ever see a system introduced that is workable and concrete across all media?

Yeah well I think we all know it’s a joke here in Australia… It certainly will change, it’s just a matter of when. I’d like to think it will happen in the next 5 years.

truncheon
What is our role in the industry? What is our biggest export do you think?

We do pretty well here in Australia. We’re known for working on a wide variety of titles, across a range of platforms. We do a lot of big, licensed titles (Star Wars, SpongeBob, Cars) but we’ve also had success with original titles. de Blob and the Puzzle Quest games are a couple of recent examples of Australian developed games that have been extremely successful. You can go as far back as Dark Reign from Auran and Powerslide from Ratbag for evidence of our ability to successfully bring original titles to market. It’s hard to say what’s the most successful Australian developed game of all time… I tend to claim our game Pony Friends on the DS, which has now sold more than a million copies. Again, it was an original title.

michele
I’m currently studying game design at RMIT and I was hoping for some advice regarding what steps I can take now to help secure me a job in the future. Currently, my peers and I are all planning to search for jobs overseas as most graduates we speak to complain they’re stuck making phone games etc. What’s in store for the Australian game market, and should we stick around?

The Australian game development industry remains healthy and I know there a number of companies hiring. But of course the great thing about being a game developer is that you can work anywhere in the world. So for sure, all graduates should look at options overseas. A lot depends, of course, on the type of game you want to work on, and there’s a sense in which you have to keep your expectations realistic, especially initially. No love for mobile phone games? That’s a shame! We have some of the best mobile developers in the world here in Australia.

Ayrton Coll
Australians buy and play plenty of games, but do you think that until we start producing at the same levels as the U.S, Europe and Japan, the government and Australian culture in general (being primarily rooted in sport/cars/outdoors etc.) won’t take them as seriously?

Well I think we do produce games at that level… but it’s maybe true that we haven’t yet had the global smash hit title that would really put us on the map. Maybe that would help with the Government. But I think it’s more a case of Governments everywhere catching up with the fact that games are now right up there with film in terms of their contribution to the cultural and leisure landscape.

DavidR
I’d like to know what exactly some of the hurdles are when it comes to licensing agreements in Australia? Certain games are delayed or distributed unevenly in this country (Rock Band etc) and I hear responses like ”couldn’t get licensing” or “it’s to do with licensing”. I understand songs need to be licensed but I think people would enjoy hearing a clear definition as to why it is sometimes difficult? Are there games that are harder to license than others? How does it affect non-music based games?

This is probably more a question for a publisher than a developer. We actually don’t deal with licensing issues (nor are we involved in sales or distribution.) At Tantalus when, for example, we work on a Cars game, all the licensing issues are dealt with by Pixar (License owner) and THQ (Publisher). I could only speculate that for music games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero, they actually need to put in place separate agreements in each territory, which would obviously be time consuming. Not that that’s much consolation when you’re waiting for a game that you know was released in America months ago!

James Murchison
Why don’t Australian made games advertise on their boxes that they are Australian made? I can understand not doing so in the USA, but here in Australia the packaging should have an Australian Made logo.

Yeah I think that’s a great idea. The problem again, though, is that this is something controlled by the publisher. And the boxes are all manufactured off shore. Maybe we could look at getting a sticker attached to the boxes, in the local distribution warehouses. I’d love to see it happen.

stalker
How should the Australian industry position itself as more and more global publishers look to outsource production to Asia and Eastern Europe? How much of a challenge to our industry do you think this is?

Great question, and for sure it’s a huge challenge. We can’t be as cheap as Asia, so we clearly need to be better. We have to have a quality proposition that far surpasses any of the low cost options. We also need to be more reliable, easier to work with, and head and shoulders above our competition in terms of our creative spark and innovation. It’s a battle, especially here on the other side of the world, but we continue to punch well above our weight division.

The insider’s dismissal of this goal was somewhat cold. “The problem with the games industry in this country,” the insider said “is that it is full of many small studios that should be left on their own to see who survives”.

Obviously, GDAA prez and Tantalus CEO Tom Crago wasn’t going to have any of it:

“I’m a big fan of Australian films, and absolutely believe that our film industry should be supported by the Australian Government. It’s important to understand, though, that without that support, the industry would not exist in anything like the form that it exists today. To that end, it’s a bit rich for the film industry to say that games should go it alone.

I could quote a load of other insightful morsels, but you’re better off reading the original piece… if you can stomach the the view of the film “insider”.

Film Industry to Games Industry; “Stop whinging” [iTWire, via Tsumea]

Not really. So how’s our country going to make its mark on the industry at large if we don’t burn in the message with our games? PALGN spoke to David Hewitt and Tom Crago of Tantalus to find out.

From Hewitt’s perspective:

“I actually feel as if the contribution of Australian game developers is largely under-credited. It’s not an industry that generates celebrities and recognisable faces, and games developed here don’t necessarily have Australian accents in them, or Australian scenery in the background. Most players would be surprised at the number of high-quality, high-profile titles that are developed here”.

Hewitt goes on to say that this effect can be attributed to the fact that many local titles are designed with an international audience in mind.I don’t believe people buy games – or even get excited about them – because they happen to be overly patriotic or familiar. When I drive around in Grand Theft Auto IV, I see the city as a just that, a city, and not a loose recreation of New York. For some games it’s vital the environment or culture is authentic, as is the case with GSC Game World’s STALKER. I doubt it would have been anywhere near as compelling if it’d been based in Lucas Heights.

While it’d be nice to have games with an Australian feel, I don’t think it should get in the way of making a good game. Sure, inject a bit of local flavour if it adds to the experience, but the “Australian-ness” should be in the form of quality and polish – a signature if you will – rather than forced as a theme in the pursuit of recognition.

What footprint do Australian developers leave on the world? [PALGN]

We are expanding into an exciting new phase of growth and development, aggressively recruiting for a brand new title. The title is an entirely unique Tantalus-originated IP for Next Generation Platforms, funded by a top tier publisher for worldwide release at Christmas 2008.

Turns out the studio’s earlier call for potential employees was less general and more specific. Going by the jobs page, it’s also after 3D artists and programmers, as well as a designer and producer.

I got in contact with CEO Tom Crago, who was able to confirm the statement as accurate. The only addition was that the title has slipped to 2009 (the site’s being amended as we speak). Otherwise, he wasn’t able to say any more, at least for now.

Tantalus recently made the Develop 100 list for 2007 – the only wholly-Australian company to do so – so I can see why a big publisher would be more than happy to trust the company with an important project.

Tantalus [Official site]

True, it’s placed 96th on the list, but still worthy of a hearty pat on the back, considering the likes of Relic and Altus aren’t far ahead.

There’s a short statement from the developer about the news, after the jump.

Tantalus in the Top 100
Melbourne- based Tantalus was listed today in Develop 100’s top worldwide developers (based on revenues their products made in the UK in 2007): www.develop100.com

Other data released this week reveals that Tantalus had 3 titles in 2007’s ‘100 biggest sellers’ worldwide. The games were Cars: Mater National, MX vs ATV: Unleashed, and Pony Friends. All up during this period, Tantalus titles sold an estimated 1.7 million units, for a combined revenue at retail of approximately $85 million.

To have three titles among the year’s 100 best sellers worldwide is a remarkable achievement, and one not bettered by any independent developer on the planet. Not a bad result, and a credit to the small but incredibly talented Tantalus team.

Tantalus is presently hiring across a wide range of positions. More information at www.tantalus.com.au

Rainbow-like appeal aside, we’ve read what EA, id Software and Sega think about gaming on the iPhone. But what about our local guys? Sumea threw a few mobile and iPhone-related questions at Tantalus, Firemint, Infinite Interactive and Sidhe to get their opinions.What I gathered from their replies is that they’re excited about the possibilities and think gaming on the iPhone is a funky concept. This attitude however is tempered by the firm, but politely-put, stance of “we’re not committing to it just yet”.

One of the more intriguing responses came from Firemint CEO Rob Murray:

I am thrilled that Apple has released the SDK and put so much support behind it. But while the iPhone will be an important platform for game developers, it is still just one phone in the mix of all handsets on the market so I wouldn’t focus on the iPhone in isolation. It will be exciting to see how it shapes up against mass market offerings like the new NGage platform as well as other emerging next gen products.

Firemint specialises in mobile development, so I’m not surprised Rob had the most to say. That said, all the developers had something to offer, so go ahead and check out the full article at Sumea.

What our developers think of the iPhone game platform [Sumea]

According to the job description, positions are for three months only, so if you’re not already in Melbourne, it may be out of your reach. Unless you’re related to Inspector Gadget, in which case you can probably just go-go-Gadget there and back.

Have I gone slightly mad? Maybe!

If you’d like to help the developer iron out the bugs in its latest titles, or even get taste of how games are made, be sure to check this opportunity out. Oh, and don’t forget that Tantalus is looking to fill a couple of more senior roles as well.

Welcome to Tantalus Interactive [Official site, via Sumea]

Tom says you shouldn’t feel intimidated or discouraged from applying just because you have no experience in the industry. There are plenty of jobs that equip you with the skills necessary to make it in games development. Says Crago:

I think people in film and television could look at the video game industry as a potential source of employment, along with anyone presently working in more traditional software development. Skilled project managers are always in demand, and of course there is a serious shortage of C++ programmers.

He believes the industry would benefit from some cross-pollination, so don’t feel you need to keep all those juicy, related skills to yourself.

Want some specifics about the roles and a bit of background on Tantalus? Read on!Both positions are senior roles, so you will need to have a firm grasp of the fundamentals. Generally, executive producers make sure games hit milestones and stay within budget. They also tend to handle the scheduling of betas, quality assurance testing and asset delivery. So, while you won’t be hands-on in the design of games, it’s a great place to start to help you understand the organisational magic that happens in the background.

I don’t have much experience with the role of business development manager, but I can say it’s more focused on the relationship side of things. You’ll have to make sure clients, such as advertisers and publishers, are taken care of. Already having strong contacts is a plus.

More detailed descriptions of the roles are available from Tantalus on request (see the end of the post for the email address).

As for Tantalus itself, it’s one of the larger Australian developers. In an interview with Merger Market, Crago said the company is looking to acquire smaller developers to help it expand. From the interview:

“The prevalence of subscale businesses in the space means that consolidation may well be inevitable, and with its reputation, place within the industry, and strong financial backing, it makes sense for Tantalus to be at the forefront of that consolidation.”

Primarily Tantalus is interested in companies that are already making an effort to grow. Developers that would diversify the types of games and platforms the company can work on are also high on the list.

If Tantalus sounds like the sort of developer you’d like to work for, write your name and the position you’d like to apply for in the subject line of an email and fire it off to jobs(at)tantalus.com.au. I’m pretty sure Tom would love to hear from you!

The first part of the interview sees Hilliam deconstruct the failure of Fury, citing poor sales in the US and Europe and the sheer size of World of Warcraft as contributing factors:

“Ultimately, sales of Fury were worse than our low case projections. We did OK in Australia, we were top 10 in Australia, but Europe was a complete write-off. In the US – again the Australian sales have nearly outstripped the US market altogether. When Australia is almost your biggest market, you have a problem.”

It’s not all rotten, though. Tom Crago paints a more alluring picture of the local development scene:

“I think the game development industry in Australia is in a great place in terms of the growth we’ve enjoyed,” said Crago. “Revenue-wise we’re in excess of $130 million.”

Understandably Hilliam doesn’t completely agree with Crago’s outlook. In fact, he’s quick to direct developers away from our sunny shores:

“I’ve spent a lot of time in China and once they … they’re very good at copying things at the moment and I think once they get a bit more creative, they’re really going to be a force to reckon with.

“Asia and Eastern Europe are going to replace Australia as an outsourcing post. I don’t see a lot of confidence in seeing the thing grow and grow as it has done in the last 10 years.”

Ah man, Tony, why do you have to go and be so down on Oz?

Don’t worry, there’s more to the chat than Hilliam’s negativity, so be sure to check out the InvestorTV link for the entire article.

Boom or gloom for battle-hardened video game studios [InvestorTV, via Sumea]

Yesterday, journalist Malcolm King posted a rather scathing opinion piece on the state of the Australian games industry over at the Courier Mail. Many of the statements made in the piece went against what I know to be true.

If the Internet were an online forum, King’s editorial would be considered an excellent attempt at trolling. So it pains me to write a reply, but to have a piece such as this in the open, without rebuttal, would be a disservice.Let’s start from the beginning:

One Melbourne programmer said “you put in the long hours, in part out of enthusiasm, but also because you’d look like a ‘quitter’ if you left work at 5pm. Fifty to sixty hour weeks are the norm and overtime is a rarity”.

This is true for many industries, not just games development. According to responses to the article on the Courier Mail’s website and Oz games development portal Sumea, it’s not even the norm.

“If you’re normally putting in fifty to sixty hour weeks and you’re not one of the very senior staff or company directors then something is wrong with the way your projects are managed,” said a commenter at Sumea.

“Comments from one CEO who is madly spinning to try to keep his company [Auran] afloat plus one programmer do not make an industry-wide trend. At the company I work for, most people are out the door 7.6 hours after they started, the vast majority of the time. There is no pressure to stay longer,” stated another on the Courier Mail’s website.

The article then appears to focus on the online gaming, which is obviously only a part of the industry as a whole. King provides 200,000 as the amount of people playing games online in Australia (sourced from The Fin and “toy and hobby trade magazines”), but does this figure include people playing games that aren’t MMOs, such as Counter-Strike, Warcraft III, Battlefield 2 and countless others? Does it include people playing games offline? Surely they’re just as important? Australia also isn’t economically isolated – games developed here are sold overseas. The PC version of Bioshock was made in Canberra by 2K Australia, and that’s done extremely well.

In my opinion, King has latched onto the downfall of Auran, and used it as an example of the Australian games industry at its finest. It’s like saying Enron was the pinnacle of business management.

King also states that “as a taxpayer, I object to spending money on projects that should be funded by the private sector”. Does King realise that the film and television industry currently enjoys the tax rebates the Oz game industry is lobbying for? King doesn’t state whether he draws issue with this fact, but it seems somewhat hypocritical that he has yet to pen an article about it during the time the rebate has been in effect.

It’s after this comment that we see the most surprising part of the article:

Government funding of online games with their adolescent fascination with slaying monsters or the combat genre, come very low on the agenda after infrastructure development, renewable power generation, massive water conservation projects, building more hospitals and educating school children.

Again the focus is on online games, but it also zeros in on a single genre as well. The tax rebate for games development in Quebec has seen a monumental boost in the province’s economy. If anything, a booming local games industry would bring more money and jobs into Australia to help pay for the social projects King mentions. And games certainly don’t have to be hack’n’slash titles like Fury, which King is clearly isolating with his statement. Super Mario Galaxy doesn’t involve stabbing anyone with a sharp implement, and neither does Guitar Hero, Buzz or Singstar – all extremely social and friendly games.

King ends his article with the following:

“There’s never been a better time as a student to get into this industry – hopefully the graduate talent pool will be big enough to meet the demand because I anticipate seeing even more hiring from Australian studios in the next 12 months,” said Tom Crago, CEO of Tantalus at the Melbourne Games Development Conference last December.

But strangely neither he nor any one else mentioned the less than shining example the scaled-back Fury had set in the same week.

Fury has hurt the local games industry, that’s true. But if you’re going to mention the bad, you should also highlight the good – Bioshock (2K Australia), Destroy All Humans! (Pandemic), The Legend of Spyro series (Krome Studios), Medieval 2: Total War (Creative Assembly Australia), Heroes of the Pacific (Transmission Games) and more. These companies have done well, and nothing suggests they won’t continue to do so. And Auran made a huge impact with Dark Reign, which despite Fury’s failure, should not be neglected.

Malcolm King does present us with a reality of games development – a distorted one. I suggest if he wishes to take shots at the industry in the future, he should, at the very least, consult with more of those working in it.

I’ve contacted both Tantalus’ CEO Tom Crago and Infinite Interactive’s main man Steve Fawkner for their thoughts. According to Crago, the Courier Mail will be posting his reply in the near future.

Reality behind the passion [Courier Mail, via Sumea]