Unleash Your Potential as a Game Producer

Sep

Organa and IGEA have joined forces to deliver an Agile Game Producer Course which has been designed for:

Junior and aspiring video game producers to develop and enhance the skills required in this crucial game development role;
More experienced producers who want to learn a more modern and adaptive approach.

Developed by Agile and Lean experts who understand the unique challenges of the games development process, this course is your ultimate guide to becoming a competent leader in the industry.

Dates and Duration

A practical, hands-on learning experience over 4 days (16 hours), followed up by 4 knowledge sharing sessions

Half-day learning workshops:

Mondays, 1:00pm – 5:00pm AEST
30th Oct, 6th Nov, 13th Nov, 20th Nov
Virtual delivery (Zoom)

Post-course knowledge-sharing sessions:

Mondays, 3:30pm – 5:00pm AEST
27th Nov, 4th Dec, 11th Dec, 18th Dec
Virtual delivery (Zoom)

Learn more here: Agile Games Producer Course

IGEA Members receive a 20% discount. Please email Jens for details.

Register here.

IGEA announces the 2023 Australian Game Development Awards Finalists

Sep

Friday, 1 September 2023 – The Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) celebrates the finalists for the 2023 Australian Game Developer Awards (AGDAs). The AGDAs are set to be held on October 4, 6.30pm AEDT at the Forum Melbourne, as a part of Melbourne International Games Week celebrations. For those unable to attend in person, the event will be live streamed on the IGEA Twitch channel. The awards span 13 game categories and four Career and Culture awards, with the goal of highlighting the contributions of our local talent.

“The AGDAs are Australian video game excellence on display, a chance to celebrate successes as an industry and reflect on the year that has been,” said Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA. “Every year we come together to celebrate local talent and lift them onto the pedestal that they deserve. IGEA is proud of the Australian video games industry and its contribution to the local economy. The AGDAs are our chance to celebrate the creativity and technical capabilities of the teams and individuals making world class games right here in Australia and enjoyed all over the world. This is my favourite event of the year.”

While there are many categories to celebrate at the AGDAs, the coveted Australian Game of the Year award includes four nominees: Gubbins by Studio Folly, Moving Out 2 by SMG studio, Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical by Summerfall Studios, and Vactics by Lemur Conspiracy. All four finalists have received high praise from the AGDAs judging panel along with nominations in multiple other categories.

As we celebrate the pinnacle of excellence in the industry, IGEA also highlights upcoming local talent with the Excellence in Emerging Games award. This year there are three nominees, Final Profit: A Shop RPG by Brent Arnold, Partum Artifex by DalaKoala Games, and Rooftop Renegade by Melonhead Games. Each game is a prime example of the future of the Australian video game industry.

IGEA is delighted to welcome Gemma Driscoll from Good Game Spawn Point, and Harry Jun, the host of ABC Gamer’s Loot Drop, as the 2023 AGDAs presenters. Gemma, with five year’s experience working within the industry, has a deep passion for education and entertaining Australia’s young gamers. Comedian Harry Jun comes off of sold out runs at the Sydney Comedy festival in both 2022 and 2023 and has performed in venues all across Australia.

This year the panel of judges includes over 80 industry professionals, with varied specialisations in games development and journalism. IGEA believes in a transparent and fair judging system, click here to learn more about how we strive to achieve this.

IGEA presents the 2023 AGDAs finalists, please see the full list below.

2023 AGDAs Finalists

Excellence in ART

Gubbins by Studio Folly
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical by Summerfall Studios
The Master’s Pupil by Pat Naoum

Excellence in GAMEPLAY

Moving Out 2 by SMG Studio, Team17
Phantom Abyss by Team WIBY
Vactics by The Lemur Conspiracy

Excellence in NARRATIVE

Amarantus by ub4q
Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County by Worm Club
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical by Summerfall Studios

Excellence in SOUND DESIGN

Gubbins by Studio Folly
KILLBUG by Samurai Punk
Vactics by The Lemur Conspiracy

Excellence in MUSIC

Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County by Worm Club
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical by Summerfall Studios
Vactics by The Lemur Conspiracy

Excellence in TECHNICAL DESIGN

Moving Out 2 by SMG Studio, Team17
My Little Pony: Mane Merge by Gameloft Brisbane
Phantom Abyss by Team WIBY

Excellence in ACCESSIBILITY

Moving Out 2 by SMG Studio, Team17
Spin Rhythm XD by Super Spin Digital
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical by Summerfall Studios

Excellence in EMERGING GAMES

Final Profit: A Shop RPG by Brent Arnold
Partum Artifex by DalaKoala Games
Rooftop Renegade by Melonhead Games

Excellence in IMPACTFUL GAMES

Earthlingo by Earthlingo
Sometimes by Elliot Cox
The Flying Canoe by Threshold

Excellence in MOBILE GAMES

Gubbins by Studio Folly
My Little Pony: Mane Merge by Gameloft Brisbane
Words Collide by Lamington Games

Excellence in AR/VR Games

Espire 2: Stealth Operatives by Digital Lode Immersive Media
Sea of Islands by PHORIA, United Nations DPPA
Spatial Fusion by PHORIA, Meta, Lusion, Zelig Sound

Excellence in ONGOING Games

Crossy Road Castle by Hipster Whale
Kinder World by Lumi Interactive
Wylde Flowers by Studio Drydock

GAME OF THE YEAR

Gubbins by Studio Folly
Moving Out 2 by SMG Studio, Team17
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical by Summerfall Studios
Vactics by The Lemur Conspiracy

Media spokespeople available:

Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA
Game Developers of finalist games and studios on request

MEDIA CONTACTS

Felicia McEntire
felicia@doublejump.com.au
0455 143 650

Paul Jones
paul@doublejump.com.au
0411 348 155

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 games industry’s business and public policy interests through advocacy, research and education programs. For more information, please visit www.igea.net

New Zealanders play games to level up

Sep

A new report from IGEA shows that video games bring joy to Kiwis’ lives, nurture mental health, and create connections with family.

Wellington, 1 September 2023 – Game on, Kiwis! According to the New Zealand Plays report released today by IGEA in conjunction with Bond University, 79% of all New Zealanders play video games, a 6% increase from the previous report. New Zealand Plays (formerly known as Digital New Zealand) is the 7th report in the series spanning 14 years and explores the demographics and behaviours of New Zealand video game players and their attitudes towards games.

“New Zealanders have always loved video games, but this year we can see that this popular medium is growing faster than ever before across a wider demographic. Not only is the average video game player in New Zealand 35 years old, but Kiwi women over 45 years of age are more likely to play video games than men!” said Dr. Jeffrey Brand, Professor at Bond University and author of the report.

“The report reflects that gamers are everyone – highly educated professionals, students, your grandparents or auntie. Video games provide something for everyone.”

“This long running series of research delivered by Dr Brand and Bond University, again highlights the importance of games to the lives of every day New Zealanders. 79% of Kiwis play video games, and they play for fun and joy. Playing games will continue to grow as a popular past time across all age groups, whilever people are looking to create joy in their lives,” said Ron Curry, IGEA CEO.

New Zealand Plays found that the average Kiwi gamer is 35 years old, has played video games for at least 11 years, and spends 97 minutes per day (on average) playing games.

Highlights from the New Zealand Plays report:

79% of all New Zealanders play video games (up from 73%)
94% of New Zealander households have a device for playing video games (up from 92%)
- 81% of game households have 2 or more devices for playing games
The average age of the New Zealand gamer is 35
48% of New Zealanders who play video games are female
- After the age of 45, women play more video games than men
The average New Zealander who plays video games has been playing for 11 years
New Zealanders over 65 years play to be challenged and improve mental health
New Zealander adults of all ages play to:
- 91% – create feelings of enjoyment
- 79% – bring joy to their lives
- 60% – Nurture mental health
Naturally, fun is the main reason all New Zealanders play, regardless of age. For adults who play video games, having fun means:
- 93% – achieving
- 80% – exploring
- 79% – competing
Of adults who play video games:
- 71% – enjoy building in them
- 68% – enjoy getting lost in a story
- 62% – enjoy making mini-games and levels
- 49% – enjoy attending in-game events
93% of New Zealander parents who play video games do so to connect as a family
Adults think games can:
- 93% – inspire students to be creative
- 93% – help students manage stress
- 89% – improve thinking skills for players of all ages
- 88% – help students learn science and reading
New Zealander video game players’ top genre choices:
- 37% – puzzle
- 32% – action/adventure
- 22% – board/card

If you would like to learn more about New Zealand Plays 2023, you can download the media kit, visit the IGEA website, or pick up the infographic (PDF or PNG), report, and key findings documents separately.

Australia Plays was also recently released and reflects similar results to New Zealand Plays.

Media spokespeople available:

Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA
Dr Jeffrey Brand, Professor at Bond University

MEDIA CONTACTS
Felicia McEntire
felicia@doublejump.com.au
0455 143 650

Paul Jones
paul@doublejump.com.au
0411 348 155

About IGEA

About New Zealand Plays

New Zealand Plays is a study of 809 New Zealander households represented by adult participants aged 18 and over. Household-level statistics include demographics, household device profiles, attitudes, and knowledge questions. Parents represent 287 of the 809 household adult respondents. Data on play time (including frequency and duration, location, time of day, genre preferences, and common playing experiences) were drawn from adult participants and one other nominated household member (n=1,328). Age, gender and player status were drawn from the participants and all members of the household (n=1,923). Participants were drawn randomly from the Qualtrics XM panel in April 2023; research was designed and conducted at Bond University. The margin of error is 2.7%.

Unlocking the Power of the DGTO Recording

Aug

Do you want to know how to leverage the Digital Games Tax Offset (DGTO) to supercharge your studio’s growth and creativity?

We’re excited to share the results of our webinar with the Office for the Arts and demystified the DGTO process, and offers invaluable guidance on how to prepare for and benefit from this exciting initiative. You’ll learn about the fundamentals to successfully lodging your first claim, including the importance of documentation and keeping your accounts in order.

This webinar is an enriching experience for all game developers, from seasoned veterans to aspiring newcomers.

Watch the recording here:

Australia Plays 2023 Recording Released

Aug

For the past two weeks, all the team has been involved across the Australian states to bring you the statistics of Australia Plays.

Led by Dr. Jeffrey Brand, Professor at Bond University and author of the report, we kicked off in Sydney:

Headed down to Melbourne:

Back up to Canberra:

Made our way further up to Brisbane:

The week after, we went to Adelaide:

And finally, the final Australia Plays 2023 presentation in Perth.

We are so thankful to over 540 of you that came out to chat, and even more that engaged with our stats online, sharing and resharing. We spoke with game developers, publishers, investors and media who all wanted to know how Australians Plays.

Each event brought out new questions, ideas and engaging conversations about the industry we serve, and we thank all of you who helped make it a success.

If you weren’t able to make it, we have put together a recording of the Melbourne event for you to enjoy. You can watch it here:

If you would like to learn more about Australia Plays 2023, you can visit the IGEA website, download the media kit, or pick up the Australia Plays 2023 Infographic, Report, and Key Findings documents separately.

Australia Plays

Jul

Please join us for the launch of Australia Plays.

Australians play video games for many reasons – for entertainment, for fun, to connect, to educate and to create.

Australia Plays is the latest in the Digital Australia research series spanning 18 years which explores the demographics and behaviours of video game players in Australia and their attitudes towards games.

Dr Jeffrey Brand from Bond University, author of Australia Plays will present the latest findings and be available to answer questions.

Please join us at a location near you (Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, & Perth)

Please RSVP via Eventbrite as capacity is limited in some venues

Please direct any inquiries to events@igea.net

We look forward to seeing you there.

Australian games industry celebrate passage of DGTO bill through legislation

Jun

21 Jun 2023 – The highly anticipated Digital Games Tax Offset (DGTO) legislation (Treasury Laws Amendment (2022 Measures No. 4) Bill 2022) has passed through legislation today, to the delight of the Australian video game development industry.

The DGTO is a federal initiative that provides a 30% tax incentive to Australian video game developers with projects above $500,000. Together with state government digital games rebates, Australia will now have one of the most generous games incentives globally, which supports highly creative and skilled digital businesses to deliver projects globally. The DGTO has also been designed to attract investment and encourage multinational game studios to establish a base in Australia.

Recent funding announcements from the Federal Office for the Arts, including a $12 million increase in investment to support small to medium independent games studios (Revive National Cultural Policy) and Screen Australia’s First Nations Game Studio Fund, ensure that support is being provided to diverse creators and companies across the entire Australian game development ecosystem.

Australian games businesses have been preparing for the passage of the DGTO legislation since the policy’s announcement in May 2021, scaling their businesses accordingly. The sector feels confident, buoyant and ready to embrace all the opportunities the DGTO will deliver. IGEA’s last survey into the size of the Australian game development industry highlighted that revenue generated by developers had increased 26% over the previous year and the accompanying growth in full time employment was 59%.

Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA, commented, “Today is a momentous occasion for Australian games creators, who have an extraordinary reputation internationally. These developers can now confidently proceed, expand and scale their businesses to deliver in-demand game content to a global audience and are well positioned to drive the knowledge economy.

“Recognition and support for our sector has been a long time coming and we cannot express how grateful we are to the Albanese Labor government for pushing the DGTO legislation through, to the Opposition for their bipartisan support for a policy proposal that had its genesis under the previous government, and to the Senate for passing it today.

“We are grateful for all the champions on both sides of the Parliament who have led the way for game development becoming an integral part of the broader Australian screen and creative industries, including the Senators who spoke in support of the DGTO yesterday.

“Making games has the ability to engage artists and technical specialists across the industry. We are excited for the career opportunities that growth in game development will bring to Australian creators.”

The DGTO will have retrospective effect from 1 July 2022, boosting not only new game projects going forward but those that have already been in development for the past year.

Update – 12.30pm – IGEA has just been advised that the Senate amended an unrelated part of the bill (unrelated to the DGTO), so the bill will need to go back to the lower house before it is passed by parliament.

Further Update – 6.00pm – IGEA has just been advised that the bill has passed through both Houses of Parliament

ENDS

Media spokespeople available:

Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA
Australian game developers who are eligible for the DGTO and have been preparing accordingly

Please contact igea@doublejump.com.au

About IGEA

Announcing the IGEA Educates Summit 2023: Access All Areas

Jun

IGEA is thrilled to announce that the IGEA Educates Summit is returning this year. Featuring talks, panels and studio visits, the theme this year is ‘Access All Areas’ and will be online and in person on 17 and 18 July 2023. Attendees will learn about the latest game development practices and ensure that newcomers to the scene have the resources to help them make a successful debut.

The first day is The Summit, an online conference that features two tracks:

The Educator Track is focused on helping educators to build a stronger understanding of the modern game development industry.
The Student Track for early career/emerging developers features talks designed to bring them closer to the industry and tips on securing employment.

Featuring high quality presentations from AWS, Two Bulls/DEPT, Mighty Kingdom, Organa, mod.io, The Tech Council, ACS and The Stem Video Games Challenge to name a few, the schedule offers a backstage pass to the Australian games industry. The full schedule can be found here, but we have prepared a handy guide for students and educators below.

The IGEA Educates Summit will continue to connect students directly to industry via 2 pathways:

AMA’s with industry experts – 30 minutes with an industry professional and get them to ask anything related to their discipline and the wider industry. Bookings will be available via The Summit’s online platform.
Student Showcase – Students will get a chance to present their work in an online showcase allowing the industry to check their demos and possibly “recruit them to their band”. This is an opportunity for final-year students and fresh graduates to put their best foot forward and present their work to game industry professionals all over Australia. Those students who submit have a chance to win a ticket to GCAP, Australia’s premier professional development and networking event for the games industry. Submissions will be accepted via The Summit’s online platform.

On day 2, we are inviting our educator guests to go ‘backstage’ and visit two prominent, leading Melbourne-based studios PlaySide Studios and Two Moos. Game development educators will be able to immerse themselves in the latest industry practice, studio cultures, and networks. Peer behind the curtain of a modern development studio and stay up to date on what your students can expect when they enter the workforce.

To grab your tickets, which are FREE (except for the Studio Tours) please follow the link below and bring your friends too!

Get your Tickets now!

IGEA thanks PlaySide Studios and Two Moos for their generous support of the 2023 Educates Summit!

For more information please contact jens@igea.net

About IGEA

IGEA and Awesome Black: So, you want to hire Blackfullas? Webinar.

Jun

Join the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) and Awesome Black for a discussion on sustainable hiring practices and how to apply them to seek out, recruit and retain Indigenous employees and partners.

Hosted by Travis De Vries and Ben Armstrong from Awesome Black, this 90-minute session is an introduction to the Dos and Don’ts of hiring First Nations staff.

Travis and Ben will take you through what you need to know about:

Engaging Indigenous candidates in ways that are appropriate and not self-serving
Avoiding tokenism and approaching the process with authenticity
Scaffolding networks and services that ensure long term safety and support for Indigenous staff
Understanding the importance of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) to the games industry
Deciding whether your organisation is equipped and ready for Indigenous staff – and if it’s not, what you need to do to get there
Looking beyond a single-hire to create sustainable Career development practices for First Nations staff within the wider industry
Going beyond recruitment to focus on relationship building and community engagement

And much more!

Awesome Black is a creative social enterprise, developing original First Nations talent and unique storytelling content across a variety of mediums. In all things, Awesome Black practice and preach First Nations, first. Generating opportunities for First Nations people to build sustainable and successful careers in the arts and creative industries, Awesome Black is committed to building pathways out of poverty and towards equitable access to authentically represented, resourced and compensated participation in the creative industries for First Nations people.

Watch the recording here:

Help! I Want To Work In Video Games!

May

Are you looking to get into the video game industry and don’t know where to start? IGEA has collaborated with industry to build a handy guide of different jobs within the games industry.

There are so many different roles in the game industry, each with unique strengths and fields of study. This list aims to provide a comprehensive but not exhaustive list of major areas of study, roles you can have and what areas you should study.

Each role listed above has a corresponding sheet to print and share.

Access all the Game Job’s here.

Microsoft Releases Xbox Gaming Safety Toolkit

May

In partnership with IGEA, the eSafety Commissioner (eSafety), Department of Home Affairs, Office for Classification of Film and Literature, Netsafe, and the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, Microsoft today has released their Xbox Gaming Safety Toolkit.

The Xbox Gaming Safety Toolkit provides carers with an overview of common safety risks as well as practical advice for responding and enhancing safety in the digital world.

Microsoft, and by extension Xbox, takes a holistic approach to safety on their services. This centres on the idea that safety requires engagement from everyone including platforms and players. When children are gaming, there is also a critical need for parents and caregivers to be involved in their gaming experience.

“IGEA is pleased to have supported the development of the Xbox Gaming Safety Toolkit. This comprehensive resource will provide parents and caregivers of gamers to better understand the digital ecosystem and the steps they can take to keep their children safe when playing games online. Whilst this resource focuses on Xbox, it is a useful toolkit that can be used to understand common concerns across any platform.” Ron Curry, CEO IGEA

Last year in the first ever Xbox Transparency Report, Microsoft outlined the behind the scenes actions they take to protect players and moderate content. The new toolkit complements this by providing clear guidance for parents and caregivers on steps they can take to better understand the gaming ecosystem, common safety risks, and the tools and controls available on Xbox.

Open discussions, building mutual trust, and supervision are all crucial aspects of keeping children safe online. The Xbox Gaming Safety Toolkit gives parents and caregivers the resources to facilitate safe, accessible gaming for children of all ages.

You can access the Australian kit here, and the New Zealand one here.

IGEA Presents: Export Market Development Grant Webinar

Mar

The Export Market Development Grant (EMDG) is a key Australian Government financial assistance program for Australian exporters. Each year, it helps Australian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) start or expand their export business – including game developers.

It provides targeted financial assistance for promotional activities and the development of marketing skills to Australian studios: You can receive up to 50% back on eligible marketing and promotional activities, including attending overseas expos. At the same time, not everyone in the games industry is across the program – and even if you are, its guidelines constantly change.

To demystify the program and process, we ran a webinar on the EMDG on March 15, the day the third round of the program opens. We were joined by Warren Cross, CEO and Legal Counsel at Export Incentives Pty Limited, a trusted partner of IGEA-member Nagle Accounting.

Watch the Webinar here:

IGEA Industry Briefing – Newzoo presents their latest updated Global Games Report and predictions for 2023.

Mar

Tom Wijman, Lead Analyst for Games at Newzoo will provide an update on the latest sales and forecasts for games and discuss how ANZ is performing comparatively to other regions.

Tom will also discuss what the games industry can expect as we head into 2023 and be available for Q and A.

Learn more about Newzoo here.

Access the slides here: Newzoo Slides

Watch the Webinar here: