Screen Australia today announced investments in seven projects in its final Games Production funding round.
The projects were selected by Screen Australia executives and industry consultant Alex Hutchinson, Creative Director at Ubisoft Montreal.
Screen Australia’s Senior Manager, Interactive and Multiplatform, Tim Phillips, said, “Our final round of projects is from a mix of newer and experienced teams, and will deliver entertaining games across a variety of genres and platforms. These final games show the diversity of talent and ideas from Australian teams.”
Majestic Nights, from Sydney-based studio Epiphany Games, is a new action-adventure title for PC, Mac, consoles and mobile, with intriguing plotlines and conspiracy theories, and a retro aesthetic.
Melbourne studio Kumobius is developing the next in its ‘Bean’ platform game series, Bean Dreams, for mobile, PC and Mac.
Rebound, from Victoria’s Pub Games, is a futuristic, multiplayer sports game for PC and Mac, in which players compete in a fast-paced environment to score goals and knock out other players. Another sports title, All Stars Tennis, will be a fun, casual tennis game on mobile devices from Sydney’s Bubble Gum Interactive.
Flick Fighters will be the next mobile title for Adelaide studio Six Foot Kid. The game is a turn-based strategy game combined with a unique touchscreen, combat mechanic.
From Victoria comes Baffles’ History of Puzzles, a game offering mobile players a chance to solve hundreds of the world’s best- known classic puzzles. Particulars is a ‘subatomic particle adventure’ with striking visuals for PC, Mac and Linux from SeeThrough Studios in NSW.
Screen Australia’s Games Fund has now closed. Over its duration, the agency has provided project support for 36 individual titles under the Games Production program, and business funding for 10 studios under its Games Enterprise program. Screen Australia has also provided funding for nine industry development activities and initiatives under its Sector Building Program.
With the vast majority of funded titles still in production, gamers should look forward to a steady stream of fun, high-quality Australian game releases over the next few years.
New releases will be profiled at www.screenaustralia.gov.au/productions/Whats_On/games.aspx. You can also keep track of releases by liking the Games Fund Facebook page.
In acquitting Screen Australia’s total spend on the Games Fund, Chief Operating Officer Fiona Cameron said, “We are proud to advise that every dollar of the fund’s $10 million allocation has been spent directly on the Australian games industry. The agency has absorbed all the administrative costs of running the fund to provide the maximum possible benefit to Australian developers."
Screen Australia thanked all those involved in helping set up the guidelines for the fund, including Antony Reed from the Game Developers Association of Australia, who provided invaluable assistance. Special thanks also to the world class pool of industry advisers: Robert Murray (founder of Firemint), Siobhan Reddy (Media Molecule), Morgan Jaffit (Defiant Development), Simon Joslin (The Voxel Agents), Sarah Van Rompaey (Lady Shotgun Games), Matthew Hall (KlickTock), and Alex Hutchinson.