By James DexX Dominguez
Australian game developers are "mystified" by the loss of a fund that encouraged Australian innovation, creativity and sector growth without any industry consultation.
The video game development community's representative body, the Game Developers' Association of Australia, has expressed disappointment and confusion at news that a new federal fund to foster growth in the local industry is no more.
Not consulted: Antony Reed, CEO, Game Developers’ Association of Australia.Credit: File
The Australian Interactive Games Fund has been abolished in the federal budget announced this week, only a year after it began operating. It was managed by Screen Australia, which is set to suffer cuts of its own.
The $20 million fund was announced in late 2012, along with a months-long industry consultation period to determine ideal distribution. The first recipients were revealed in March 2013.
Yesterday, GDAA issued a statement stating that its members were "disappointed and mystified" by the announcement.
"Formulated after substantial consultation with industry, the fund was designed to be an accelerator for the Australian game development industry, providing financial support for local business growth and the development of new intellectual property that would not be shipped offshore, but retained in Australia," it said.
Chief executive of the GDAA, Antony Reed, expressed his own disappointment. "It is concerning that the decision to end the Australian Interactive Games Fund was made with absolutely no consultation with industry," he said.
"We made numerous attempts to contact the Attorney-General's office in the months leading up to last night's announcement, including providing economic data and highlighting the successes the Australian game development sector has had on the global market. We are yet to receive a single response."
The GDAA's argument in favour of the fund centres around the financial and cultural benefits of a healthy local games development industry. They say games are primarily an export product, with the potential to bring in significant amounts of money from video game fans overseas.
Games are also becoming a significant cultural phenomenon, and the GDAA argues that the Australian industry should have the opportunity to create its own unique content. Government support would encourage the creation of original Australian properties.
"If the government is serious about creating a better future for Australians, then supporting innovation, creativity and culture is essential, and the Australian game development industry represents one of the most exciting sectors of the knowledge economy," Reed concluded.
Of the original $20 million allocated, $6 million had been allocated in the first of three planned allotments over three years. Among the recipients were Brisbane studio Defiant Developments, creators of Ski Safari; Melbourne's Voxel Agents, creators of Train Conductor; and Melbourne's Tin Man Games, makers of the Gamebook Adventures series. All of these games are popular on mobile phones and tablets.
When the allocation was announced in November 2012, the then Minister for the Arts Simon Crean stated that it would "help build a sustainable base for the Australian interactive entertainment industry to respond and grow in a global market expected to reach $90.1 billion by 2015".
It was only last month that local game developer Trent Kusters told Fairfax Media that independent Australian studios were hoping for more government assistance. Now even the little they had has been taken away.
On Wednesday Kusters said it would not have been possible to get his game Armello off the ground without the help.
DexX is on Twitter: @jamesjdominguez