Earlier this year Screen Australia commited itself to providing $20 million of funding to video games. Today it announced the recipients of $6 million of that funding.
The local studios receiving a share of the cash were…
Defiant Development (QLD)
ODD Games (SA)
Soap Creative (NSW)
Tantalus Media (VIC)
Tin Man Games (VIC)
Torus Games (VIC)
Twiitch (VIC)
Uppercut Games (NSW/ACT)
The Voxel Agents (VIC)
Wicked Witch Software (VIC)
The key word in today’s announcement was ‘diversity’. Multiple different studios, large and small, working across different types of games, received funding.
Screen Australia CEO Fiona Cameron that the games industry is a fast growing industry and local studios deserved the chance to compete in the global marketplace.
“Screen Australia’s Game Enterprise program provides a diverse range of Australian companies with valuable funds to help develop original IP, employ more people, including promoting internships, and expand distribution and marketing opportunities,” she explained.
“The successful companies represent a diverse range of Australian game studios, from start up companies to larger developers. Funding will ensure an expansion in the workforce, allowing smaller developers to gain critical mass and larger developers to shift from a reliance on work for hire to developing original projects.”
Congratulations to everyone who received funding. The above list feels like a solid representation of the wide spectrum of game development that exists across Australia: larger studios such as Tantalus co-existing alongside smaller teams like Tinman Games and The Voxel Agents. Can’t wait to see what comes of this long overdue investment.
Head to Screen Australia for more info.
Comments
9 responses to “Screen Australia Provides A Six Million Dollar Stimulus To Local Developers”
Great news!
I’m slightly disappointed that I’ve only ever heard of one of those companies before. :/
*Goes and educates himself*
I know I’ve heard a lot of those names before, but I feel bad that I can’t think of a single thing that any of them have done 😛
No WA devs =(
This is a band-aid on a severed artery. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that the industry is finally getting some support, but I worry that it’s too little, too late.
Wow. I notice a theme with those studio names. It’s like no effort was made to come up with a normal, professional company name.
Here are a few names I just made up. They are about as good as any of those in that list.
Super Monkeys Fire Wrench!
Atomic Goblin Games
DeCaffeinated Media
Apocalyptic Cyanide
Ores, Plastic and Rubber Bands
Four Eyed Freaks
They make video games not medical supplies.
You should probably instil your superior values on the likes of
Naughty Dog
Insomniac
Bungie
Blizzard
That Game Company
Guerrilla Games
At the end of the day a company name is irrelevant, what matters is the games they make.
I’ve never heard of any of these companies, unfortunately, except Tantalus. So I look them up because I’m not 100% sure where I heard of them from, and what did they make? Funky Barn.
I’m ashamed to admit I did watch a couple of Funky Barn livestreams on Wii U launch day.
Good on them. And well done to Screen Australia. Keep making great games and we’ll keep buying them!
Soap interactive got a piece of the pie? Don’t they have an LA Studio as well?