The GDAA has stated that "the videogames industry in Australia is experiencing a serious fiscal inequity and imbalance compared to the film and special effects industry sector," drawing focus to the fact that that the government is offering a 40 percent rebate to companies in the film industry. They suggest the same deal be extended to game developers.
Other countries, including Canada and France, have recognized the growing state of the industry and have created initiatives to foster this growth.
A large contributor to the nation's economy, the gaming industry, according to the GDAA, brings in ($AU) 400 million dollars of domestic sales and adds ($AU) 100 million growth in exports. Along with this they claim that the industry supports many jobs including; 8500 people - 5000 in retail, 2000 in development and 1500 in publishing and distribution. Should financial incentives be introduced, they expect a huge expansion of industry.
The GDAA have predicted that, "with the production rebate extended to the game development industry [they] envisage that, skills shortages not withstanding, the number of people employed in game development in Australia could triple to 6000 within three years."
It appears that the GDDA have the support of the Victorian state government. Talking to The Age newspaper's Screenplay, Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Tim Holding, said "this is a very important change that we want to see the Federal Government make". He went on to say, "It shows a misunderstanding of where our entertainment industry is going. Film is still hugely important to us, but interactive entertainment is growing incredibly quickly, and the animation studios and the games studios that are here today you can't deny them access to the same the same tax concessions without having a significant impact on the industry."
With a federal election on the horizon it is almost guranteed that there will be a slew of promises from both sides of the major political party fence, it's therefore possible that the Australian games industry may still get the boost it deserves.
Loading...
