GDAA Calls on Govt and Opposition Parties

Games Developer Association of Australia (GDAA) has made good on their word to pressure the local Government on support for the local games industry. The GDAA is requesting the 40% investment rebate offered to the film industry to apply to the games industry as well.

The press release is below, followed by a copy of the letter to Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Helen Coonan and the opposition Minister Stephen Conroy...

(press release)

GDAA has called on the Federal Government and the Opposition Parties to commit to the interactive entertainment industry by extending the 40% investment rebate to include game developers

?In a letter to the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Helen Coonan and the opposition Minister Stephen Conroy, the Game Developers Association of Australia (GDAA) has called on the Federal Government and the Opposition Parties to commit to extending to the video game industry the 40% rebate which was recently granted to the film industry? said Greg Bondar CEO of the of the Game Developers Association of Australia (GDAA).

(Letter)

Senator The Hon. Helen Coonan
Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Dear Minister

Re 40% Rebate and the Game Developer's Association of Australia (GDAA)

I write further to our meeting on the 19th of June 2007 regarding our Requirement for the 40% Investment Rebate announced in the Budget to be extended to Game Developers.

To date we have not received a reply to our letter.

The Game Developers' Association of Australia (GDAA) is a peak body and voice for the local game developers. It is also the industry authority on all game related issues. In this regard we have a commitment to ensuring that participants in the interactive entertainment industry are equally competitive with our overseas competitors. In this regard, the Australian game industry us currently not operating in a 'level playing field' either internationally but particularly domestically.

We urgently request that the same investment incentives (40% rebate) that were afforded to the film industry in the recent Budget be immediately extended to include the interactive entertainment industry (game developers).

The electronic game industry is a significant contributor to the Australian economy. It is also part of a larger global entertainment industry (now bigger than film) and a major export industry.

There is now a window of opportunity to aggressively grow the industry and increase Australia's share of the global game development pie through investment incentives resulting in more export dollars and more jobs!

I have attached a presentation about the funding model in Canada (nationally and by Province) which has resulted in a 20-25% discount in man-month cost.

GDAA has also estimated (TBC) that if the 40% rebate was extended to game developers it would result in around $5m per anum in new investment into the industry and costing government $2 - $20m per annum over a 10 year period.

Sincerely
Gregory A Bondar
Executive Director