Victorian Industry Hits E3 Ahead of the Game
Victorian Industry Hits E3 Ahead of the Game |
| Media release - 05 May 2006 |
| The Bracks Government is supporting Victoria's largest computer games trade mission of 22 local companies to attend E3 in Los Angeles this week. Information and Communication Technology Minister, Marsha Thomson, said that almost half the record 45 Australian companies attending E3 - the world's largest electronic entertainment exhibition show - are from Victoria. "With over half the Australian games industry actually located in Victoria, the Bracks Government is proud to be the main body supporting local companies to make the annual pilgrimage to Los Angeles," Ms Thomson said. "Our stand at E3 represents real collaboration between governments across the country. We see this collaboration as the best way forward for growing the Australian ICT industry's competitive advantage overseas. "It is great to see more and more companies from around the country following Victoria's lead and getting involved and winning growing support from government. "Last year, Australian games companies secured deals worth almost AUD$30.3 million following their attendance at E3. We certainly see our presence there as a great investment." Ms Thomson said growing our local ICT sector internationally was part of the Victorian Government's ICT Industry Plan, released late last year. "Playing on a global stage and growing our local industry's interests through strategic interaction with international markets is a key plank in our vision for the future of ICT in Victoria," Ms Thomson said. "Since 1999, the Bracks Government has supported more than 550 Victorian ICT companies attend overseas trade fairs and missions, reporting expected export sales of nearly AUD$1 billion. "We have doubled the funding for our ICT Trade Events and Export Assistance Program, which provides Victorian companies with grants to attend international events like E3. "Eight local companies will experience the benefits of E3 for the first time. It's that kind of new participation and global growth for local industry our grants program really seeks to foster." During 9-12 May, companies will have the opportunity to rub shoulders with about 20,000 industry professionals from more than 80 countries to secure new contracts, boost exports and benchmark their products against world standards. "The US is also our largest export market, snapping up 75 per cent of our games sold overseas," Ms Thomson said. "The Australian games industry continues to earn more than AUD$100 million each year, just in exports." Companies attending E3 follow on from Ms Thomson's own successful trade mission to the US, as well as Japan and Israel, where the Victorian industry showcased their talents and introduced local companies to new business opportunities. "We've worked hard to forge strategic alliances with organisations in some of the world's major ICT hotspots and we've secured some fantastic outcomes for Victoria, including a deal between local games company Tantalus Interactive and influential Japanese publisher Kemco," Ms Thomson said. The Electronic Entertainment Expo, E3, Los Angeles, USA, runs from 9-12 May, 2006. |
| The following Victorian organisations are attending E3 this year: |
| 1. Act3Animation |
| 2. Anthony Devine |
| 3. Big Ant Studios |
| 4. Bland Consulting |
| 5. Box Hill TAFE |
| 6. EIN |
| 7. Endgame Studios |
| 8. Firemint |
| 9. Game Mechanic |
| 10. Infinite Interactive |
| 11. IR Gurus |
| 12. Iron Monkey Studios |
| 13. Lunacy Games |
| 14. Magenta Box |
| 15. Red Moon Interactive |
| 16. Shivan |
| 17. Studio Moshi |
| 18. Tantalus Interactive |
| 19. Torus Games |
| 20. Vivo Moco |
| 21. Wicked Witch Software |
| 22. Wontom |
Further Information |
| ICT Trade Events and Assistance Program |
| ICT Industry Plan 2005-2010 |
