We are seeing the renaissance of the Australian games industry. New studios are opening, existing ones are expanding, and Australian games are topping charts all around the world. Even the Federal government is talking about us!
But if we look a little deeper, there are some troubling signs. The four largest studios are owned by overseas companies. The breakout hits of the last few years were all published by overseas publishers. The rapid expansion risks diluting our talent pool.
It feels like our industry is at a tipping point. This is a moment of great opportunity, but also great risk. Have we learned from the mistakes of the past? Or are we doomed to repeat them?
I find this moment to be both exhilarating, and terrifying! Like it or not, the large publishers are returning, and that raises the bar for all of us. So how can we compete? What opportunities are there for studios that want to scale and grow, to build a billion dollar brand that is Australian owned?
I will attempt to answer these questions and more, by taking stock of where we are, what opportunities we have in our immediate future, and what plans we can make for the long term to create a robust, resilient, and diverse industry.