Screen Australia releases proposed breakdown of $30m Multi-platform and Interactive Games Fund
Screen Australia has released the draft guidelines and distribution streams for the $20m Interactive Games Fund proposed last year.
Bundled with the pre-existing multi-platform program, the national screen agency will commit $30m over the next three years, of which, a proposed $12m across a number of programs will be over the first 12 months.
Screen Australia’s chief operating officer Fiona Cameron said: “This suite of programs will encourage relationships across screen production sectors, acknowledging the similarities as well as the differences between games development and other screen production activity.”
The guidelines follow consultations in December with the games and screen industry.
The agency proposes funding in the first 12 months as:
- $4-5m through Games Production – aiming to support games developers to produce individual games.
- $2-3m through Games Enterprise – support development of games business and ongoing development of projects.
- $2-3m through the Multi-platform Drama Production – support for innovative and online drama projects and support multi-platform assets of film and TV projects.
- Up to $2m though Signature Documentary – supporting online and multi-platform documentary projects as well as big screen film festivals.
- Approximately $400,000 for sector development and special initiatives.
Cameron added: “Games are growing faster than any other entertainment sector and Australian developers have had extraordinary global cut through as demonstrated by the success of home-grown games such as Real Racing, Fruit Ninja and LA Noire.”
“The pressure facing the industry is job migration and falling foreign investment. These programs released in draft today go a long way towards realising a strong and sustainable Australian games development sector, to ensure we tap into the huge global appetite for interactive entertainment.”
Screen Australia is open to comments until 1 March via feedback@screenaustralia.gov.au
“Home-grown games such as … L.A. Noire”???
It was financed, commissioned, and for a big part produced overseas by Rockstar. Team Bondi had some input but in the most part it was not a home-grown game. Not to mention, Team Bondi went bankrupt before/as it was released. — Hardly a good example of booming Australian game developers
The other two are iOS/mobile games which is like including board games as the “games” industry.
I’m sick of hearing Australian politicians boast about our booming games industry without offering any real substantial help to developers.
FruitNinja originally cost more than the entire allocated budget for games production per year — LA Noire cost near the HUNDREDS of millions.
This is hardly going to help.
I’m sure developers appreciate it – but please I beg do not let this allow for complacency or sign of any real assistance by the Aus Government into the gaming industry.
You may ask why hate, why flame – because its beat ups like this article that show that government thinks it is doing enough, when clearly they aren’t.
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