Government pledges to restore games fund

The Albanese government has pledged to restore a $12 million fund for financing games after it was cut in 2014.

The Albanese government has launched its new National Cultural Policy, named “REVIVE”, which includes a provision to restore a $12 million games fund that was cut in 2014.

The Australian Interactive Games Fund (AIGF) was first established by the Gillard government in 2012, with the government at the time promising $20 million to help fund the development of video games in Australia.

The AIGF had a wide scope, and allowed for the funding of Australian independent developers such as SMG Studio, who made Moving Out, Witch Beam Studio, the creators of Unpacking, and The Voxel Agents, who developed The Gardens Between. The Gardens Between and Unpacking are both some of the best short games for busy people, while Moving Out has gained critical acclaim across the world.

The fund was ultimately shut down before the entire $20 million could be spent when the Abbott government came into power in 2014, a move that caused frustration among game developers. Now, the government seeks to restore the AIGF, promising $12 million in funding for Aussie developers.

The AIGF helped establish studios like Witch Beam, which soared to global success with the release of Unpacking. Picture: Witch Beam

The National Cultural Policy document released by the government says that two thirds of Australians play video games in one way or another, but there was “potential to expand the domestic games industry” by tapping into the global games market, which it says is worth $250 billion.

The government will also be establishing a body called Creative Australia to oversee the management and funding of creative arts projects in Australia, with Screen Australia falling under the umbrella of the body alongside a newly created Music Australia. Screen Australia will be in charge of administering the newly restored AIGF, the policy document says.

The Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA), the peak games industry body in Australia, has welcomed the announcement from the government, saying that the restored fund, alongside the previously announced Digital Games Tax Offset, “lays a solid foundation for a thriving game development ecosystem”.

IGEA, the peak industry body for games development in Australia, has welcomed the move. Picture: IGEA

“Not only is IGEA and the games industry celebrating the funding and further commitment from the Albanese government for the development sector, but we are also delighted to see games positioned within the broader national cultural, screen and creative industries,” IGEA CEO Ron Curry said, “This commitment recognises that Australian game developers have an essential role to play in the digital delivery of stories to local and international audiences”.

IGEA recently released a report showing that the Aussie games industry was doing better than ever, with the Australian games industry almost doubling in size in the last six years. IGEA says that over 770 new jobs were created in the industry in the last year alone.

Written by Oliver Brandt on behalf of GLHF.