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Publication date: July 2017

2 DIGITAL GAMES TALENTED AND EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONALS

DIGITAL GAMES 3 INTRODUCTION The Australian development industry has a long INDUSTRY history of performing at a high level within a competitive OVERVIEW global industry. Australian-made games have topped sales charts, received major industry awards and INDUSTRY STRENGTHS enjoyed wide coverage in the international media. The video game sector is bolstered by This report provides an overview of the INDUSTRY strong capability in other complementary Australian ’s key ORGANISATIONS industries, including animation and visual capabilities. It includes a selection of local effects, film and television production, design success stories and details some of the and engineering, advertising and marketing agencies and associations helping to foster ANNUAL EVENTS and new media. Availability of top-quality local development. education and training both in game-focused Talk to your local Austrade representative for courses and in complementary fields tailored information and advice to help your ensures that the pool of talent in Australia organisation connect and partner with the best grows every year, feeding the needs of an that the Australian expanding industry. industry has to offer.

4 DIGITAL GAMES Image courtesy of Latency Latency of Zero Image courtesy Image courtesy of Zero Latency

DIGITAL GAMES 5 With the emergence of new gaming Games in Australia are backed by INTRODUCTION platforms such as mobile and virtual numerous government agencies and reality (VR), the Australian games industry non-government organisations, such INDUSTRY has entered a period of renewed growth as Film Victoria, Screen Queensland and energy. Approximately 60 per cent and Creative Victoria. The industry has OVERVIEW of Australia’s share in the over US$80 an excellent track record of making efficient billion games marketplace is earned use of grants, providing substantial returns INDUSTRY from mobile and web games1, though on government investment and attracting STRENGTHS traditional platforms such as consoles significant private sector investment. and PCs still make up a substantial part A range of economic indicators suggest of the local industry’s output. INDUSTRY that the international games industry will This recent growth has been continue to grow at a rapid pace, with ORGANISATIONS accompanied by a major shift in how industry self-reporting showing that 78 per local businesses operate. In the 1990s, cent of local studios expect to grow in the ANNUAL EVENTS the local industry was dominated by ‘work next 12 months.4 for hire’ contract projects for international With the global games market expected clients, often on licensed intellectual to top US$100 million in annual sales by properties. Today, Australia has shifted its 20205, Australia is well positioned to be focus toward original properties. Of the a key player. 225 companies actively creating games in Australia, over 75 per cent identify themselves as independent studios working primarily on their own properties.2 Growth in the industry has paralleled growth in the use of video games across a wide range of applications. Nearly 70 per cent of Australians play video games for entertainment3, but games are also used extensively in education, medicine, disability services, mental health care and more.

6 DIGITAL GAMES Image courtesy of Pax Australia 2016 Image courtesy

DIGITAL GAMES 7 Video games are unique in that (GDAA) and the Victorian government connecting Australian businesses with INTRODUCTION their creation incorporates both art and is now the permanent home of their contemporaries in the Asia-Pacific and technology, a combination of over 20 studios, publishers and other region. With state government support, INDUSTRY extremely diverse fields of expertise. organisations, as well as providing GCAP and several other events around Commercial success demands top-level temporary facilities and hot-desks for a the same time grew into a week-long OVERVIEW management, marketing, PR, distribution dozen more. The Arcade has grown so games festival, now known as Melbourne and information infrastructure. rapidly that it recently moved from its International Games Week (MIGW). INDUSTRY original building to a newly renovated Australia is ideally placed at this STRENGTHS site with triple the space. intersection of skill sets. Games have A VIBRANT WORKFORCE been made in Australia for almost Local developers work closely with a INDUSTRY 40 years6, boosted by a thriving arts host of not-for-profit industry bodies and Any industry can only ever be as good scene, world-class tertiary education professional associations, all of which as its workforce and Australia’s is among ORGANISATIONS institutions, highly competitive business foster cooperation and skill sharing. the best in the world in the demanding community and a commitment to Some examples of organisations working and competitive business of creating ANNUAL EVENTS science and technology. to promote and advocate for Australian video games. Australian workers are game developers are: among the most educated, multicultural and multilingual in the world, with over A COLLABORATIVE • the GDAA, which, in addition to co- 40 per cent of Australian adults holding founding The Arcade, advocates on a tertiary qualification.7 COMMUNITY behalf of the industry in numerous ways Australia is also home to several Australia is home to not just a games • the Interactive Games and specialised video game tertiary industry but a true games community. Entertainment Association (IGEA) education and training institutions. Developing games in Australia is an is deeply involved in supporting the Private colleges such as the Academy intergenerational pursuit that encourages business side of games development of Interactive Entertainment (AIE), SAE and rewards collaboration and • the International Game Developers Institute’s Qantm programme, JMC mentorship. Veterans and newcomers Association (IGDA) is very active in Academy and CG Spectrum teach share skills and experience resulting in a Australia and has founded chapters in programming, digital art, 3D modelling, robust skillbase across the industry. Many several cities. animation, audio engineering and other organisations and events also encourage The collaborative nature of the local skills vital to creating games. Many non- this cooperative atmosphere. games industry is also reflected in the specialist universities and TAFE colleges The Arcade, a shared workspace for numerous events and festivals every also now offer video game courses game developers in Melbourne, is year where the Australian community ranging from diplomas and certificates a thriving example of the Australian comes together. The longest-running is through to bachelor degrees and games industry’s collaborative culture. Freeplay, a combined conference and postgraduate studies. It was founded in 2013 through festival celebrating independent game a partnership between the Game development. Game Connect Asia Developers Association of Australia Pacific (GCAP) has the additional aim of

8 DIGITAL GAMES Video game development is an economy of ideas and a diverse workforce is inherently capable of producing a broader spectrum of creative and technical inspiration. The Australian population is one of the most diverse and multicultural in the world and the local games industry actively works to increase its diversity via a number of initiatives. For example, lower rates of participation of women in games is being challenged through Film Victoria’s Women in Games Fellowship and Girl Geek Academy’s Girls Make Games workshops. The Australian games industry is well connected to the international industry, which enables a free flow of talent and expertise. Many Australian developers have spent years working in other countries’ games industries, especially the US and the UK. With the rapid growth of independent development many have returned home, bringing world- class skills and knowledge with them. One notable example is Ken Wong, the acclaimed designer of the hit game Monument Valley, who has returned to Australia to found his new studio, Mountains.

Image courtesy of League of Geeks

DIGITAL GAMES 9 A CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT media such as television and stage, A BUSINESS POWERHOUSE INTRODUCTION AWG now welcomes video game Game development in Australia exists writers into its ranks. It is just one of Australia’s political stability, transparent INDUSTRY within a broader cultural context. This many organisations forging ties with the regulatory system and sound country is home to numerous talented development community, recognising governance frameworks underpin its OVERVIEW filmmakers, artists, musicians, designers, their common creative goals. economic resilience, providing foreign animators and writers, meaning that companies with a safe, secure operating INDUSTRY game studios have access to a wealth Market-leading AAA video games are environment and making Australia a STRENGTHS of talent. This proximity to a vibrant arts becoming more like films every year, great place to do business. community helps to make Australian incorporating large studio spaces, With its consistently growing economy, games more appealing, original and casts of actors having their voices and healthy private sector, high levels of INDUSTRY artistically and culturally significant. movements captured and digitised and highly complex sound and music editing. business and finance expertise and ORGANISATIONS Inspiration and knowledge can be shared Several Australian cities are home to booming productivity, Australia is one both ways when game studios and major film and television production of the best countries in the world for 8 ANNUAL EVENTS artists combine their talents. Melbourne- facilities, including Fox Studios Australia in investment. Video games-related made digital board game first Sydney, Village Roadshow Studios on the initiatives can attract high levels of attracted attention with a Film Victoria- Gold Coast and Melbourne’s Docklands investment, such as the funds raised by funded animated short film produced by Studios. These production centres and VR game company Zero Latency through animation studio 12 Field. Conversely, the supporting businesses that have its pre-IPO funding round. game technology can also enrich the formed around them provide capacity for The Australian games industry enjoys arts, such as the experimental VR film Australian game companies to expand the broad support from the federal and The Turning Forest. This unique project, scale of their projects in coming years. state governments, including direct created by Australian artist Oscar Raby, funding through a diverse suite of cash uses video game technology to engage In addition to film production facilities, grants and in-kind payment schemes, its audience in a way that a two- Australia’s thriving performing arts business support programmes to aid with dimensional screen cannot. community is a rich of talent for video game production. Modern games overseas travel and attracting investment Professional bodies and cultural may require recorded voiceovers, three- and a range of government-sponsored institutions not traditionally associated dimensional motion capture, performance conferences, festivals and conventions with games are recognising the capture for facial animation and more. to aid with recognition, skill sharing and significance and cultural impact of this Perhaps the most prominent example business networking. new medium. The Australian Writers is Australian actress Claudia Black, who In addition to tertiary education for Guild (AWG) is a prominent example. has become one of the world’s most game developers, Australian educational While it was formed to oversee the recognised video game voice artists. institutions also offer world-class courses wellbeing of writers for performance in business management, finance,

10 DIGITAL GAMES marketing and public relations, business During the peak of Australia’s ‘big studio’ law and other skill sets that aid the game development era in the 1990s and business side of game development. early 2000s, the most profitable work This wealth of expertise ensures that frequently was not original properties, but Australians not only make great games, licensed properties made for third parties. but can also create sustainable and While this style of doing business is now profitable businesses. less common, it is the core activity for several of Australia’s oldest game studios. The worldwide games industry is the Tantalus Media was founded in 1994 and largest entertainment business in the world, has produced licensed games for , generating more income than either film Dreamworks, Disney and Nickelodeon. or music. Even a single hit video game is Other successful studios operating in this capable of generating massive international space include Big Ant Studios and Wicked sales. Australian-produced global hits Witch . including , Ski Safari, and have collectively earned revenue in the hundreds of millions of dollars.9–12 Video games themselves offer many options for businesses, with multiple business models proving to be potentially lucrative. ‘Buy once’ or ‘premium’ games offer all of their content for a single fixed price. Popular Australian-made premium titles include Framed, Hacknet, Train Conductor and Hollow Knight. Other games offer a complete experience either at low or no cost, with ongoing revenue from ‘in-app purchases’ — small in-game purchases including cosmetic upgrades, in-game currency and additional game content. Successful Australian-made examples of this business model include Ski Safari, Gems of War, Real Racing 3 and many others.

Image courtesy of Zero Latency

DIGITAL GAMES 11 INNOVATION FOR Games technology is now being adapted Even within the field of games for INTRODUCTION for industrial and scientific applications, entertainment, Australian companies A BRIGHT FUTURE with many Australian companies at are pioneering new technologies and INDUSTRY Australia is technology-rich, with local the forefront of this development. The approaches. Melbourne’s Zero Latency OVERVIEW developers creating not only games, but University of Melbourne incorporates has used VR hardware and motion also advances in the technology that VR surgery into its medical curriculum, tracking to create a dedicated-site underlies them. Australian companies allowing medical students to perform entertainment product: groups come INDUSTRY are on the leading edge of new virtual surgery on highly realistic digital to the Zero Latency game space STRENGTHS developments in software engineering, patients. Games technology can also where they engage in a single play electronic hardware and emerging be used to visualise architectural plans session. Similarly, ‘escape rooms’ are a INDUSTRY applications such as virtual reality (VR) before the foundations have even been growing entertainment phenomenon, and augmented reality (AR). poured, allowing buyers to ‘walk through’ challenging players to escape elaborate ORGANISATIONS their future homes. rooms by solving puzzles together. The hardware and software developed Many of these incorporate video game While many companies focus on for entertainment games has been elements, such as Pop Up Playground’s ANNUAL EVENTS making games directly, other studios successfully adapted to create games Room Service experience. and other experiences intended for also find great success developing serious purposes, such as public safety, ‘middleware’ – software licensed by other charitable fundraising and raising developers to create their games. These awareness of social issues. ‘Serious can be large-scale products like entire games’ has grown into a respected field, 3D engines, such as the Australian- spawning multiple annual conferences made BigWorld Engine, used by the and other events. A prominent example international hit game . of the medium is the Virtual Dementia Smaller products can also be licensed to Experience, developed by Opaque other studios, such as Opaque Media’s Media Group for Alzheimer’s Australia interface for importing motion-control Vic, which uses game technology to data into the , or Sydney- simulate the challenges of living with based Epiphany Games’ proprietary Alzheimer’s disease. enhancements for the Engine.

12 DIGITAL GAMES Image courtesy of Zero Latency Latency of Zero Image courtesy

DIGITAL GAMES 13 League of Geeks: an Australian studio bringing together global talent

Case study in an extended transmedia promotional campaign that incorporated web The studio behind the hit digital board content, media engagement, conference game Armello is one that could not appearances, a successful crowdfunding have existed a decade ago. While campaign on .com and even their core team is based in Melbourne, the creation of a plush toy. League of Geeks was founded as a distributed studio that uses cutting-edge Initially created for PC, League of Geeks collaboration tools to work with the best later partnered with to bring Armello people anywhere in the world. to PlayStation 4. This experience was invaluable when the team helped Push Me The contributors are paid through a Pull You, another Australian-made game, to proportional profit-share arrangement; the be published on that platform. better the game performs, the greater the reward for everyone involved. This approach Since then they have continued to on also allows the company to maintain a Armello’s success, releasing an One variable workforce according to available version and ongoing expansion packs of funding and project needs. additional content for all platforms.

Armello first attracted public interest leagueofgeeks.com with an eye-catching animated short film that was produced with help from Screen Australia. This was the first step

Image courtesy of League of Geeks

14 DIGITAL GAMES and Mighty Games: the dynamic duo of accessible mobile games

Case study powerhouse. While Mighty Games releases original games like Shooty One of the Australian games industry’s Skies, Charming Keep and Charming biggest success stories happened Runes, Hipster Whale has partnered with over a remarkably short period. After global brands Disney and Bandai meeting at a conference, two friends to create Disney Crossy Road and founded a studio together and created Pac-Man 256. The instant accessibility an instant classic. Under of Crossy Road even allowed it to be their new name of Hipster Whale, the adapted into an arcade machine. pair took just 12 weeks to create Crossy Road, an international hit that has been Hipster Whale are now seeking other downloaded over 150 million times. independent game producers who need a publishing partner, while they and Mighty Crossy Road established the design Games continue to work on their own philosophy that would shape all of their original and licensed projects. future projects. The three pillars of Hipster Whale design are to attract the player with hipsterwhale.com fun and colourful visuals, engage them with mightygamesgroup.com easy-to-grasp gameplay and then monetise the experience through a non-intrusive free- to-play model. Based on these principles, Hipster Whale joined with other veteran game creators to found Mighty Games Group. The two companies are now a development and publishing

Image courtesy of Hipster Whale

DIGITAL GAMES 15 Zero Latency: out of the computer and into the world

Case study After achieving great success at home in Melbourne, Zero Latency is now Virtual reality (VR) is an exciting new expanding globally. Sites have been technology and Melbourne’s Zero launched in the US, Japan and and Latency has emerged as a world leader this home-grown company is accelerating in VR innovation. their expansion into an international A typical VR experience ties players to network of company-owned as well as one spot, but Zero Latency has partnered licensed sites. with global technology leaders to develop A remarkably successful pre-investment a revolutionary new VR platform that sets campaign raised $7 million ahead of players free. This proprietary solution a upcoming IPO, so Zero Latency is allows wireless, free-roaming multiplayers on its way to becoming a worldwide for a truly social experience. entertainment phenomenon. Within a specially converted warehouse zerolatencyvr.com space, each player wears a lightweight backpack incorporating a powerful computer and a VR headset. High-tech cameras track the players through the game area, allowing them to interact both with each other and a shared digital world. Groups of friends work together to fend off hordes of bloodthirsty zombies, explore futuristic outer space environments, or solve puzzles in a surreal dreamscape. Even more diverse experiences are in the planning stages.

Image courtesy of Zero Latency

16 DIGITAL GAMES Nnooo: the little studio that grew into a publisher

Case study began to lend this considerable expertise to smaller studios. While they still make When an independent studio is their own games – most recently Blast successful enough, it can sometimes ‘Em Bunnies – they published Cubemen grow into a game publisher, repurposing 2 on U resulting in the first Nintendo its expertise to help other small to offer both a cross-platform developers reach a bigger audience. Few multiplayer experience and cross-platform companies exemplify this transformation user-generated content. better than Nnooo. Nnooo’s most recent published game Located in Sydney, the small team was The Legend of Kusakari on Nintendo began work on the fast-paced Pop 3DS. The team are currently working on for Wii, Apple devices and Nintendo bringing Rogue Singularity, Anodyne and DSi. Nnooo continued to work on the Majestic Nights to a range of consoles. handheld DSi platform, designing a series of popular lifestyle apps for note- Recognising Nnooo’s proficiency on taking and calendar management. PlayStation 4, Sony selected them as a partner for PlayStation First, a unique Next came their biggest success to date, program giving game development the frenetic, neon-bright action game students a head start through escapeVektor, which began life on the experience developing games Wii but later came to both Nintendo and for PlayStation platforms. Sony portable gaming devices. All three versions were critical triumphs, picking up nnooo.com several industry awards. Having spent years amassing extensive knowledge and experience in delivering polished games to consoles, Nnooo

Image courtesy of Nnooo

DIGITAL GAMES 17 Halfbrick Studios: creators of Australia’s first billion-download app

Case study to come. Around its fifth birthday, Fruit Ninja reached a billion downloads The creators of the most downloaded across mobile, home console and other Australian-made game in history had platforms. At its peak, it was installed on humble beginnings. one third of all iPhones in the USA. Halfbrick began in 2001 with five Next came Jetpack Joyride, another friends in a Brisbane basement. As was runaway hit downloaded tens of millions common for Australian developers at of times across platforms including the time, the fledgling studio established mobiles, home consoles and handheld itself creating licensed properties for gaming devices. large international publishers. Over a dozen games have followed In 2009 they started making their own on many platforms and Halfbrick has games for the emerging mobile phone become an international studio. While still market, leading to the 2010 release headquartered in Brisbane, it employs of the game that would launch them more than 100 staff in six offices across internationally – Fruit Ninja. four countries. They have forged strong This revolutionary title was perfect for international partnerships, bringing Fruit touch-screen gaming and its immediate Ninja to the Xbox Kinect with the help accessibility, bite-sized fun factor and of and achieved huge sales in low price turned it into an instant hit. China through deals with local publishers. Three months after its release it reached halfbrick.com a million downloads, but more were

Image courtesy of Halfbrick Studios

18 DIGITAL GAMES Opaque Media Group: using game technology to change the world

Case study through authentic astronaut training, culminating in a trip into orbit. Melbourne’s Opaque Media is a digital solutions company that illuminates real- Earthlight is the result of a close partnership world issues using virtual reality (VR), with NASA; the team had the chance augmented reality (AR), motion detection, to visit a training facility and use the surround sound and other video game equipment. Actual space program trainees elements. Their portfolio of clients and had the chance to play Earthlight in a collaborators includes medical research simulated microgravity environment. institutes, spaceflight agencies, local Earthlight is being taken to market by government, universities and charities. Opaque Space, an Opaque Media Group One of their most audacious projects company currently going through HTC’s was created with Alzheimer’s Australia. highly competitive Vive global VR The Virtual Dementia Experience uses accelerator. Opaque Space sister company, wall-sized screens, motion capture and Hollywood VR solution provider Opaque immersive audio to simulate the challenges Studios, is another successful Vive X entrant. faced by people living with dementia. The Opaque Media Group is unique in having Virtual Dementia Experience has won two spin-offs go through the Vive X program. multiple local and international awards for In addition to these games and its impact on the aged care industry. experiences, Opaque Media Group also Recently the company has attracted major make licensed software that others can use press interest with Earthlight, an immersive for their own projects, including the Kinect VR game that puts players into the role 4 Unreal software for accessible, high of trainee astronauts. The painstakingly- performance, interactive motion capture. researched experience takes the player www.opaque.media

Image courtesy of Opaque Media Group

DIGITAL GAMES 19 The following are some of the Film Victoria is the State Government International Game Developers INTRODUCTION organisations involved in the Australian agency that provides strategic leadership Association (IGDA) is a non-profit games industry. Contact your local and assistance to the film, television and professional association built from a INDUSTRY Austrade representative about connecting digital media sectors of Victoria. It aims global network of collaborative projects OVERVIEW and partnering with this industry. to be a responsive advocate for the and communities from all fields of game local screen industry through funding development, from programmers and Australian Writers Guild (AWG) has content, arranging industry placements, producers to writers, artists, QA and been the peak body for writers for INDUSTRY administering financial assistance and localisation. It brings together developers stage, screen and radio in Australia for more. It has several ongoing grants at key industry conferences and in STRENGTHS more than 50 years. Its is to see and assistance programmes to support special interest groups to improve their performance writing and writers thrive as the games industry and supported 19 lives and their craft. IGDA has local a dynamic and integral part of Australian INDUSTRY projects that went into production in chapters in several Australian cities. storytelling, representing the Australian 2015/16. film.vic.gov.au igda.org ORGANISATIONS cultural voice in all its diversity. AWG has founded a dedicated advisory committee Games Developers Association of Screen Queensland’s purpose is to ANNUAL EVENTS to foster and promote writers who work Australia (GDAA) is a non-profit, non- grow the screen industry and to be a in digital and interactive media, including government membership organisation significant contributor to the economic games. awg.com.au that aims to raise the profile of the and cultural wellbeing of Queensland. Australian game development industry Aiming to foster creativity, courage Creative Victoria is the state domestically and internationally. and discipline within the diverse government body dedicated to It encourages participation and screen-based industries, it promotes championing, growing and supporting engagement from members to ensure a supportive culture, progressive Victoria’s creative industries by investing it is aware of industry needs, is able to ideas, innovation, collaboration within in the ideas, talent, organisations, events meaningfully support the sector and can the industry and strong professional and projects that make Victoria a continue to foster the Australian game leadership. screenqueensland.com.au creative state. It encompasses disciplines development community. gdaa.com.au as diverse as games development, graphic design, fashion and film-making, Interactive Games and Entertainment from commercially-driven products to Association (iGEA) is an independent community-based projects. industry association representing the creative.vic.gov.au business and public policy interests of Australian and companies in the computer and video game industry. Its members publish, market, develop and distribute games and related hardware and it is administered by a board of directors comprising senior executives from interactive games and entertainment companies. igea.net

20 DIGITAL GAMES Image courtesy of PAX Australia 2016 of PAX Image courtesy

DIGITAL GAMES 21 Global Game Jam (GGJ) – January around the world as exhibitors. Organised to promote the local industry and foster INTRODUCTION GGJ is listed by Guinness as the world’s by retail chain EB Games, the expo professional connections. Curated by largest game jam. In just 48 hours, tens moved to Sydney for several years before Creative Victoria, MIGW incorporates INDUSTRY of thousands of creative individuals in returning to where it was founded on the a wide range of events for game almost 100 countries design, make and Gold Coast. ebexpo.com.au developers, game publishers, educational OVERVIEW deliver thousands of playable games institutions, other industries with an PAX Australia – October based on a common theme. Australia interest in games and the general game- Expo (PAX) is a multi-city INDUSTRY hosts some of the largest sites and playing public. gamesweek.melbourne event across the United States, with its Australians are deeply involved in STRENGTHS and shows claiming the Game Connect Asia-Pacific (GCAP) – making this huge event happen every title of the two biggest gaming events November year. Australian jam sites have even in North America. PAX Australia was GCAP is Australia’s premier game INDUSTRY spawned several projects that became founded in Melbourne in 2013, the first development conference, focusing commercially released games. ORGANISATIONS time PAX had expanded outside the specifically on skills development, globalgamejam.org United States and has been a similarly addressing industry and forging ANNUAL EVENTS RTX Sydney – February huge success, bringing together tens of connections between international RTX is the fan convention for Rooster thousands of game fans and hundreds of businesses. GCAP delivers thought- Teeth, which began its life making exhibitors every year. aus.paxsite.com provoking, creative and innovative short, funny YouTube videos, including sessions, covering programming, art, Unite Melbourne – October the popular video game comedy Red design, management and more, from Unite Melbourne allows developers Vs Blue. They leveraged the popularity leaders in the local and international to connect with engineers behind the of their videos into the creation of game development industry. extremely popular Engine, providing an international media empire and gcap.com.au an opportunity to learn how to get the are now one of the leaders in digital most out of this engine and network Freeplay – multiple events entertainment. RTX was founded in the with other professionals. This Australian Based in Melbourne, Freeplay is United States and now has a sibling branch of a global series of conferences Australia’s longest-running and largest event held every year in Sydney. This across Asia, Europe and the United independent games festival, bringing consumer expo covers many fields of States brings developers from around Australia’s independent game community interest, with independent video games the globe to learn, network and party in a together through its conference, public a major component. rtxsydney.com creative and energetic environment. events program, playable games arcade EB Games Expo – October unite.unity.com and awards. The festival unites players, Australia’s largest video game event makers, critics, artists, academics and Melbourne International Games Week is both an industry conference where students for a critical celebration of the (MIGW) – October/November publishers can preview their upcoming artistry of games and digital culture. Melbourne is home to almost half of games and a huge fan convention. It is freeplay.net.au Australia’s game studios, making it the an international event, attracting some ideal setting for an entire week of events of the biggest games companies from

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DIGITAL GAMES 23 REFERENCES 5. Johnson, R. Why video games should 10. Serrels M. The Ski Safari story: how be Australia’s next ‘clean’ export. one Australian left Rockstar North to 1. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 8679.0 – 21 December 2016. chase his indie dreams. Kotaku 20 Film, Television and Digital Games, gizmodo.com.au/2016/12/could-video- December 2012. Australia, 2011-12. Released 18 June games-be--next-big-clean- kotaku.com.au/2012/12/the-ski-safari- 2013. export/ Accessed 29 March 2017 story-how-one-man-left-rockstar-north- abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/mf/8679.0 to-chase-his-indie-dreams/ 6. Knight SJ, Brand JE. History of Game Accessed 29 March 2017 Accessed 29 March 2017 Development in Australia. Australian 2. Game Developers’ Association of Centre for the Moving Image. 11. Lefebvre R. How Crossy Road Australia. Submission to the enquiry 2015.acmi.net.au/media/2457231/ developers made $10 million in 90 into the future of Australia’s video games_history_australia.pdf Accessed days. Cult of Mac 4 March 2015. game development industry. 29 March 2017 cultofmac.com/314240/crossy-road- 18 September 2015. developers-made-10-million-90-days/ 7. Austrade. Why Australia aph.gov.au/DocumentStore. Accessed 29 March 2017 ashx?id=3769392e-1795-4d9a-8330- Benchmark Report 2017. 155483f2946e&subId=402690. austrade.gov.au/International/Invest/ 12. Ella T. How Jetpack Joyride uses game Accessed 29 March 2017 Resources/Benchmark-Report psychology to keep you hooked. Accessed 29 March 2017 Venture Beat 20January 2013. 3. Brand, J. E. & Todhunter, S. Digital Australia venturebeat.com/ 8. Ibid  2016. Eveleigh, NSW: IGEA 2015. community/2013/01/20/how-jetpack- igea.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ 9. Masterson A. Fruit Ninja hits a billion joyride-applies-almost-a-decades- Digital-Australia-2016-DA16-Final.pdf. downloads and still climbing as Australia worth-of-game-psychology-to-keep- Accessed 29 March. 2017 punches above its weight. Sydney you-hooked/ Accessed 29 March 2017 4. Interactive Games & Entertainment Morning Herald 5 September 2015. Association. Infographic: A snapshot of smh.com.au/digital-life/games/fruit- the Australian video game development ninja-seo-here-20150831-gjbiuc.html industry. 21 December 2016. Accessed 29 March 2017 igea.net/2016/12/infographic-a- snapshot-of-the-australian-video- game-development-industry/. Accessed 29 March 2017

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Image courtesy of PAX Australia 2016