Australian Greens Promise $4 Million to Video Game Development in WA
The Greens party of Australia today announced a plan to deliver a $4 million AUD injection into video game development in the state of Western Australia, under an improved version of the Australian Interactive Games Fund (AIGF). The plan, entitled "Level Up WA", comes as Western Australia prepares to enter a State Election on Saturday, March 11.
Western Australia Greens Senator Scott LudlumIf passed, the proposed amount would be devoted over a period of 4 years, and contribute to assisting small independent development studios in their ongoing business costs.
Scott Ludlum, Greens Communications spokesperson and Senator for Western Australia, stated in a press release that, “The average Australian gamer is now indistinguishable from the average Australian - they are one and the same. The video games industry is the fastest-growing entertainment industry in the world.”
"The massive success of mobile gaming, and the emerging technology of VR, present huge opportunities for the industry, and with just a few key measures, we could see a considerable amount of that work undertaken in Western Australia.”
Senator Ludlum pointed to a number of schemes in other Australian states as examples of positive initiatives for game development, that the Greens hope to replicate in Western Australia.
Examples cited were: “the Arcade co-working space in Melbourne, funded in part by the Victorian Government; a soft grants scheme with low interest or zero interest loans, similar to the current Queensland scheme; the ‘living salary' grant scheme to pay modest wage for the crucial first stage of development, similar to the current Victorian scheme; and a marketing assistance fund for game makers, that enables them to travel interstate and overseas to showcase their work.”
Starhammer: The Vanguard Prophecy (2015) from Western Australia-based Black Lab GamesThe full plan for the Greens' proposed Australian Interactive Games Fund can be viewed on their website.
Western Australia's game development scene is currently supported by Let's Make Games, a non-profit initiative to foster the scene in the state. They previously assisted in hosting events such as the Perth Games Festival, and The Game Changers which hosted developers like Steve Gaynor (Gone Home, Tacoma), Clint Hocking (Far Cry 2), Dan Pinchbeck (Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs), and Jill Murray (Assassin's Creed III & IV).
The Interactive Games and Entertainment Association recently reported that the Australian Industry had earned nearly $3 billion In 2016.
