Image: Game play still from Macabre, from Games Grants recipients Weforge Studio
- Crisafulli Government delivers $1.25 million to nine local games studios through Screen Queensland's Digital Games Incentive and February Games Grants round.
- Supercharged investment makes Queensland the second largest state for games development in Australia.
- The games sector generates almost $350 million for Australia's economy.
The Crisafulli Government is delivering $1.25 million to nine local games studios to create jobs for Queenslanders, boost the economy and grow the State's reputation as a powerhouse for games development.
As Australia's second largest state for games development, Queensland is home to 25 percent of the nation's games studios, employing 27 percent of the sector's games developers.
Nine games studios in Queensland will share in the $1.25 million to help fund their next projects, which can take years to develop.
Minister for the Arts John-Paul Langbroek said he was committed to growing Queensland's games development sector.
"We're supercharging our local industry and setting our state up to become a games mecca," Minister Langbroek said.
"The Crisafulli Government is committed to bolstering opportunities for local studios and the talented developers building sustainable careers here.
"This is putting Queensland on the map as a serious contender for games development, helping to lure international investment and ensuring Queensland-owned IP can be enjoyed by games enthusiasts worldwide."
Screen Queensland's Chief Creative Officer, Dr Belinda Burns said the agency's Games Grants are vital to growing the local industry as they provide small to mid-size studios with the capacity to devote time to these projects.
"We're supporting emerging games developers and start-up studios to take those critical first steps and stay with them as they grow into sustainable small businesses, creating local IP and reflecting the creativity and innovation here in Queensland," Dr Burns said.
"Our targeted funding streams have tremendous knock-on effects.
"In the 2023-24 financial year, Screen Queensland supported 30 games, translating into 263 jobs for local developers and over $15.5 million of expenditure in Queensland."
Three projects funded through the Digital Games Incentive included Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, with the popular game ported by Brisbane studio Tantalus North and released in May to an all-new audience on Sony PlayStation.
Projects funded through the February Games Grants round included Macabre from the Sunshine Coast's Weforge Studio, a game that began with a successful Kickstarter campaign and has drawn strong interest on international games marketplace Steam.
Screen Queensland Games Residency alumni Tex Barnes and Mars Bleach, known as independent games studio Owl Machine, were also funded to take their residency project, Key Fairy through to release. The game also recently won the People's Choice Award for the second time at the Queensland Games Festival.
Key Fairy will be the third game developed through the successful Games Residency program to achieve full release and will follow on from In Shambles Studio's Catto's Post Office, which launched on Steam in August.
Co-founder of Weforge Studio and Games Grant recipient, Jay Topping said that like many in the industry, he grew up in Queensland but moved south in search of opportunities.
"When Screen Queensland introduced dedicated games funding, it gave me the confidence to return and commit fully to building something back home," Mr Topping said.
"That support helped us grow Weforge Studio, hire talented local developers and stay independently owned.
"In just a few years, our debut title Macabre has reached over 220,000 Wishlists, placing it in the top one per cent of upcoming games on Steam. It shows that Australian developers can create innovative games with global appeal.
"By investing in local talent, we are building a stronger, more competitive industry for the future."
