Victoria Leads Australian Games Industry at E3 Expo

Media release - 12 May 2005

A record number of Australian computer game companies will make the annual pilgrimage to the world's biggest electronic game exhibition, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), in Los Angeles this week.

Information and Communication Technology Minister Marsha Thomson, said today said the record contingent of 42 Australian computer game companies including 19 based in Victoria, would reap the rewards of attending E3.

"E3 is the peak event for the computer game industry and by attending, these companies put themselves on the world map, which is so important for high-tech industry players," she said.

"It provides these companies with the opportunity to secure new contracts and so boost export sales, or to benchmark products against the world's best, or even to form new joint ventures and develop new product ideas."

Ms Thomson said that as Victoria was the nation's computer game capital, it was only fitting that Victoria is Australia's major government contributor towards the Australian stand at E3, with a contribution of $50,000.

"This is money well-spent. The computer game industry is one of the world's great growth industries, and is already worth more than $38 billion per year worldwide," Ms Thomson said.

"The Australian computer game industry employs around 1000 game developers, and Australian developers export $100 million per annum - with the industry aiming to reach $500 million by 2010."

"Victorian game companies and facilities represent more than half of the Australian games industry. We have a proud 20-year history in computer game development, and are home to the Game Developers Association of Australia (GDAA), as well as the industry's annual Australian Game Developers' Conference.

"Last month I was proud to launch in Melbourne an Australian-first games innovation centre - the Australian Games Innovation Centre - comprising the GDAA, the Games Innovation Showcase and the Academy of Interactive Entertainment, under the one roof."

The 19 Victorian companies attending E3 2005, which runs from May 18 to 20, are: Atari Melbourne House, Blue Tongue Entertainment, IR Gurus Interactive, Bullant Studios, Firemint, Infinite Interactive, Iron Monkey Studios, Tantalus Interactive, That Game, Torus Games, Wicked Witch Software, Act 3 Animation, Magenta Box, NMG, Studio Moshi, Australian Knowledge Abroad, Pier 57, Third Wave Games and Primal Clarity.

Ms Thomson said in addition to its contribution to the Australian Games stand, the Bracks Government has provided funding for eligible Victorian companies attending E3, as part of its International Trade Fairs and Missions Program that encourages Victorian ICT companies to take their products to the world.

Ms Thomson also said that IR Gurus' Interactive locally developed game, Heroes of the Pacific - the first game developed through the Bracks Government's Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2) Development Kit Program - had been chosen to feature on the high profile Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox stands.

Ms Thomson said the Victorian Government was the world's first government to put in place a computer game development kit program in which free access was granted to Sony PS2 development kits - and more recently Xbox development kits - in order to develop demonstration games on the popular platforms.

"We are blazing a trail with these kits because they will help local companies minimise their costs and provide a springboard into the global market."

In other E3 news, Tantalus Interactive will debut Anaka, a new game developed for the Nintendo Dual Screen, and the company will also have its N-Gage title Payload on the Nokia stand at the show.

With the assistance of Victorian animation studio Act 3 Animation and the Victorian Government's Digital Media Fund, Tantalus has produced a short film to showcase the Anaka brand.