Victoria is backing ten developing games with over $500,000 in funding after expanding screen incentives to include gaming.
Back in November, Creative Victoria and Film Victoria announced that the Victoria State Government would invest a further $33.8 million of funding into the Victorian Screen Incentive, with this initiative being expanded from film and TV to also include games.
Now, they’re holding true to their word, pledging $550,000 in funding to ten projects through the Assigned Production Investment program.
The funding will go to a varied list of new and existing local projects, including:
- Broken Roads by Drop Bear Bytes
- Eternal Ones by Steel Sky Productions
- Innchanted by Dragonbear Studios
- Little Ruin by Lucernal
- OvO: Planet Engineer by Two Moos
- Site Unseen by Alexander Muscat
- Trash by 15 Minutes of Game
- Wayward Strand by Ghost Pattern
- Unannounced project by Guck
- Unannounced project by Darcy Smith and Jessica Shipard
ANNOUNCEMENT: THRILLED to say we received Assigned Production Funding from @FilmVictoria for #TrashGame! Helping us create a Public Demo over the next 6 months🥳🥳🥳!! THANKS SO MUCH TO EVERYONE!! Stay Trashy 🗑️🗑️!!#gamedev #indiedev #IndieGameDev #IndieWorldOrder #indiedevhour pic.twitter.com/UyeEQFHicj
— #TrashGame | 15 Minutes of Game (@15MinutesOfGame) February 25, 2021
Alongside these investments, the Victorian Government has launched a 12-month digital games internship program, allowing successful candidates the chance to work alongside Film Victoria and Melbourne studios, Samurai Punk and League of Geeks.
The paid opportunity aims to fast-track the careers of Victorian creatives from traditionally under-represented backgrounds, including those who come from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, are First Peoples of Australia, are living with a disability, or are transgender and/or gender diverse.
If that sounds like you, get started on crafting the perfect application – you have until March 25 to jump on this rare initiative.
🎮 We've expanded our Screen Development Internships for diverse practitioners to digital games! You'll spend 12 months in a full-time, paid role, working across Film Victoria, @LeagueofGeeks & @samuraipunk. More info & to apply: https://t.co/xnKB3B6Z0M #FVsupported #VicScreen pic.twitter.com/IkWMkHYB7S
— filmvictoria (@FilmVictoria) February 25, 2021
This new funding solidifies Victoria’s position as the most exciting state to watch in the development of the nation’s gaming industry, with many of Australia’s noteworthy indie developers having studios based in Melbourne. The city is even home to viral hit games like SMG Studio’s Moving Out and House House’s Untitled Goose Game, and development giants Activision are currently splurging a fortune on their new Melbourne office.
With gaming thriving in 2020 and now being worth $3.4 billion in Australia, the Australian Federal Government can’t continue to ignore this growing industry in need of funding. Victoria’s got it right this time – your move, New South Wales.
