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[Drof]

I hope this is the right forum. I couldn't really decide where it should go.



http://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/senate/environment_and_communications/video_game_industry

If you haven't heard, parts of the Australian government is doing an extended inquiry and report on the games industry in a hope to improve it where possible. They're asking for ideas and opinions at this stage. All you have to do is go to that link and send an email about what would make your life as an Australian Dev easier. Every submission counts here!

And so long as you aren't being unrealistic, don't assume you have to be a master on the subject. Just keep it relevant to you, and keep it brief.

Deadline is soon - Friday the 18th of September!

Also, I'd be keen to hear what any of your thoughts are on the matter. I was going to suggest government funding on collaborative workspaces. The Arcade in Melbourne I consider to be a strong influence on the quality and collaboration of indie development there, and it'd be really good to get something like that working in other cities like Brisbane, and I'm assuming Sydney, Perth, etc. as well.

[MeshGearFox]

heeheee

[starsrift]

Pretty sure the censorship in Aus is a good killer for foreign investment in games, which is the best way Aus could improve their industry.

That said, I've been a frequent fan of Aus games, from Freedom Force and LA Noire to Armello.

[Mittens]

There's so many things our government needs to fix if they want to support game developers.
Our structure for companies is totally whack as you can learn here


Our tax system is convoluted and illogical when applied to the context of tech industries. Even if the system wasn't such an unwieldy beast to grapple with, it doesn't offer any breaks for honest local start-ups to reach sustainability.
Also, we don't have enough grants/funding to apply to at state or federal levels.
Our government also moved against an internet infrastructure upgrade which is a severe disadvantage when competing on the international stage.
In other words, at every single turn where it's possible, the Australian government has done everything within it's power to squash Australian game businesses

[Drof]

As far as I can tell, attracting existing game development companies is the wrong approach actually. Australia just isn't really suited for it. Most devs I know who are submitting are saying something to that sentiment. Anything AAA will be difficult to collaborate due to our locale - and it'll be expensive.

Any misconception that bigger is better needs to be removed from the Australian Governments list of preconceptions.

In other words, at every single turn where it's possible, the Australian government has done everything within it's power to squash Australian game businesses

At least on a federal level, yeah. But Victoria has got a lot going for it, it seems. I'd be happy with my submission if all it reads is "bigger and better Victoria everywhere" on it. Not to say that Victoria is acceptable, just a hell of a lot more acceptable than anywhere else.

[starsrift]

As far as I can tell, attracting existing game development companies is the wrong approach actually. Australia just isn't really suited for it. Most devs I know who are submitting are saying something to that sentiment. Anything AAA will be difficult to collaborate due to our locale - and it'll be expensive.

The reason you want to attract foreign investors, like EA and whatnot, because is because it's capital, not because they're good businesses. Once you have one or two big players in the local market, then you get spinoffs, employees leaving and building their own companies, and so on; it provides a way for local talent to cut their teeth with a financial cushion, as well as a centre for social networking.

Hundreds of indies each hoping for a breakout hit is not a viable industry model.

[Drof]

I'm not arguing against the benefits of a local AAA business, but I don't think it's what Australia can handle it. And any resources put into it will be wasted if the bubble pops like it did last time, which as far as I can tell, seems likely to happen.

Instead, I think we can invest a little more into as you said - a hundred seperate indies. In Brisbane, we've got one or two 'III' studios which are really good at getting people that experience required to form their own studios. Small teams are becoming harder and harder to do in general anyways. There's plenty of options which can be provide more safety nets for indies so that they don't starve if they fail and become millionaires if they don't.

I don't know if Melbourne is the model of the Australian indie environment yet, but it's definitely showing that a lot of places have been doing it wrong so far. The Arcade I think struck something really special - it's had a profound cultural impact even all the way to Brisbane, and has definitely proven it's worth investing into.