IGEA response to Queensland Government taking game development funding to the next level

28 October, 2021,  IGEA is delighted to see Queensland take its screen funding to the next level, announcing a significant new 15% incentive for game development, the most generous state incentive available in Australia right now.

The Queensland Premier, The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, made the announcement this morning.  The Premier also revealed that the Queensland Government has moved to lower the threshold on access to the Post-Production, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) and video game incentive from $500,000 to $250,000. The new games incentive will commence in 2022, following consultation with industry.

Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA says “Queensland has a history of developing world-renowned video games and is home to some amazing and well-known game development studios such as Gameloft, Witch Beam, Halfbrick, 5 Lives Studios, Disparity Games and Toast VR. This new game incentive, coupled with the Federal Digital Games Tax Offset to be introduced in July 2022, will ensure that Queensland will see a surge in employment and economic return for those companies creating games and game related technologies. Further to that, we expect to see increased investment from international game studios looking to establish a base in Australia, with Queensland now potentially set to become one of the most attractive places for game development anywhere in the world”.

Studio Manager of Gameloft Brisbane and IGEA Board Director Dylan Miklashek added, “Gameloft and IGEA have worked tirelessly with Screen Queensland and the Queensland Government to deliver this immensely exciting news. On the back of this, Gameloft are adding a second team and hiring 30-40 new staff. Without this incentive, that would not have been possible.”

Curry went on to state, “We congratulate the Palaszczuk Government and Screen Queensland for recognising and committing to this highly creative and highly skilled sector and expect that immediate rewards will flow. The future is bright for our industry, and we are well positioned to take advantage of the growing global demand for games and the incredibly future-proofed workers who create them.”

MEDIA CONTACT

Raelene Knowles raelene@igea.net 

About IGEA

IGEA (Interactive Games & Entertainment Association) is the peak industry association representing the voice of Australian and New Zealand companies in the computer and video games industry. IGEA supports the business and public policy interests of the games industry through advocacy, research and education programs, and working with many stakeholders including all levels of government, agencies, media and other trade associations. Further details are available at www.igea.net.