Film Insider tells local Games Industry to stop whinging

An ITWire article has captured the indifferent words of an Australian Film insider during a conversation on the issue of an equal Government rebate for the local games industry that the film industry enjoys. The Australian Fim insider offered advice for the local games industry to keep it stronger, leaner, and much more robust. From ITWire...

"The problem with the games industry in this country," the insider said "is that it is full of many small studios that should be left on their own to see who survives".

The comment didn't escape Game Developers' Association of Australia president, Tom Crago, who was able to respond directly to it in the ITWire article...

"...it's a bit rich for the film industry to say that games should go it alone. The fact is, we have gone it alone since day 1, receiving no federal support whatsoever. In spite of this, we have been able to become far more viable commercially than our friends in film. The bottom line here is that screen culture in all its forms should be treated equally."

ITWire also asked Tom about the merging of larger companies to build a stronger industry, but the GDAA president explained why such an idea doesn't gel too much for the local games industry...

"For some, unquestionably, that objective will be to sell to a larger player. To others, it will be to stay small. Every company, and every entrepreneur, has their own take on the ingredients for success. It has to be said, though, that consolidation is inevitable in the Australian industry. But that doesn't necessarily mean a decline in either quality or creativity. I can envisage a number of companies existing together as a group, but maintaining that spirit of entrepreneurship and independence that made them successful in the first place"