The Sims Free Play.
Australia’s largest games development headquarters has been unveiled at Electronic Arts’ Firemonkeys studio in Docklands.
Firemonkeys was established when local independent studios Firemint and IronMonkey were bought and merged by global games giant EA Games in 2012.
The studio, with 170 employees, now creates mobile games for the global market including The Sims Free Play, Need for Speed: No Limits and Real Racing 3.
Moving from its former offices on St Kilda Road to the new Docklands HQ "will allow Firemonkeys to attract and retain the best talent and increase its technical capacity in the years ahead," said the Victorian state government in a statement.
Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley said: “The digital games sector is one of the fastest growing global industries and ensuring that Victoria is the best place to do business. The Firemonkeys’ story is one of innovation, creativity and global success.”
“The expansion of Australia’s leading games company – and its continued success – will mean more jobs for local developers so Victoria can continue to keep and attract the world’s best talent.”
“Melbourne is where Australia’s games sector began and today we continue to lead the way – creating some of the most popular digital games in the world.”
Melbourne is home to almost half of Australia’s game developers with 107 development studios.
Firemonkeys GM Tony Lay said the studio was "proud to be Australia’s largest mobile game developer, and our new Docklands office represents a continued commitment to innovation, creativity and collaboration, which is at the core of Firemonkeys’ work and success.”
“It also signals our commitment to Melbourne, which we believe is the creative heart of the mobile gaming industry in Australia – and increasingly at a global level too.”