Clara Reeves, CEO of digital games studio Hipster Whale, has joined the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) board for a three-year term.
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The games industry in Australia is entering a new era, with the Digital Games Tax Offset and increased
direct investment in games from Screen Australia and state screen agencies. IF examines how the support will stretch beyond developers alone to benefit visual effects and post-production companies and creatives who have traditionally worked in film and television.
Screen NSW will support a selection of games practitioners to travel to represent the state at this year's Gamescom trade conference in Cologne, Germany.
Up to two First Nations game studios will receive $150,000 per year for two years under a new initiative from Screen Australia.
Screen Queensland will deliver a $1.3 million boost to the state's game sector, funding nine independent games studios through the Games Grants initiative and supporting three projects through the Digital Games Incentive.
Screen Australia has appointed a dedicated head of games, with Emmy, Peabody, and Webby Award-winning digital content specialist Joey Egger taking over the portfolio from head of online Lee Naimo.
The Victorian Government has added a $15 million Digital Screen Rebate to its suite of incentives, with grants available to post-production, animation, digital games, and VFX projects that are undertaken within the state with local workers.
The Australian games sector has built some solid momentum over the past couple of years, but developers should be wary of increased economic challenges before stepping up their operations in 2024, according to IGEA CEO Ron Curry.