Screen Australia has revealed the first round games to be supported via the Games: Expansion Pack fund, with 31 titles to share $4 million.
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.
Screen Australia will commit $6 million over two years to support small to medium independent game studios with projects with budgets below $500,000.
The Federal Government will provide an additional $19.6 million over two years from 2023 to expand the Digital Games Tax Offset so that it covers ongoing development work—known as ‘live ops’—on digital games following their release.
The games industry is among the early winners of next week's Federal Budget, which will include a 30 per cent Digital Games Tax Offset.
Queensland-based games projects will now be able to access up to $90,000 in funding as part of the state government's new Games Grants program.
The Interactive Games and Entertainment Association has encouraged the Australian games industry to consider its future pipeline of talent, following new data showing nearly 800 new jobs were created across the sector in the 2021/22 financial year.
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.