Screen NSW has announced a small round of fresh funding for video game development in the state. Applications for the state’s Digital Games Seed Development Program.
According to Screen NSW, the Digital Games Seed Development Program is aimed squarely at “emerging and small-medium enterprise digital game creators.” That’s government-speak for Extremely Small Studios and solo devs trying to secure funding. Luckily, NSW has plenty of those.
Screen NSW says the developers can decide what those funds are used for (within reason). According to a press release, funds “can be used by creators to advance early concept original game ideas to the next stage of development or to secure investment for full-scale development.”
In other words, use it to flesh out your prototype, or tip it into hunting for bigger investment.
The Digital Games Seed Development Program is the latest in a drip feed of games funding for NSW, and is an encouraging sign that local development is of interest to the Minns government. However, it is another small grant for an extremely populous state with a lot of smaller devs. I’m not saying the DGSDP isn’t useful — it is — but it’s another example of government grants that tip a little bit of water into a much larger pool instead of doing the work to fill it right up. These things are a war of inches, of course, and if the government sees returns on these smaller investments, the grants will eventually increase in size.
Or maybe someone could remind them that Victoria is still kicking their arses on the funding front. NSW loves being mad at Victoria (and we them, to be fair). Maybe kicking the interstate hornet’s nest could stir a competitive urge to spend. If we must artificially stoke interstate hostilities to ensure better games funding for both, then I think that’s a very amusing price to pay and something everyone can enjoy.
Applications close Thursday, April 18, 2024. You can find out more about the Screen NSW Digital Games Seed Development Program and apply for funding right here.
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