(press release)
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a business known for its cut-throat nature, Australian game developers are setting themselves apart from the rest of the highly competitive market by building a collaborative community. With less then 2,000 developers in the whole country, there is stronger affinity amongst the Australians that works toward the general good of their own.
In recent years, several of Australia?s game developers have teamed up on projects, lending their expertise and helping make a stronger final product. The feeling though, is that these collaborations are not just good for the individual developers, but the entire Australian gaming community.
"There is a lot of local support from game developers that can hook you up with some pretty good contacts,? said Grant Davies, the Director of Endgame studios. ?We are lucky to have that level of support in this industry."
A perfect example of this synergy is the award-winning short film, "Anaka." The animated film, partly funded by the Film Victoria Digital Fund, was initiated to promote the game of the same name from development-house Tantalus. However, the final product would not have been as successful were it not for the Pixar-style animation talents of Melbourne-based Act3animation.
?Being competitive is a common trait among gamers, and that can translate to game development companies,? said Tom Crago, Chief Executive at Tantalus and President of the Game Developers Association of Australia (GDAA). ?In Australia, though, that natural competitiveness is complimented by mutual respect and the spirit of collaboration. That spirit enables us to work together on projects like Anaka, and the many other shared titles that come out of Australia each year.?
The collaboration on Anaka was so successful that Tantalus and Act3animation have partnered again to work on the upcoming Tantalus-title ?Pony Friends,? developed for the Nintendo DS and being published by Eidos in Summer 2007.
Krome Studios, Australia?s largest game developer, also has a history of collaborating with local companies, including Halfbrick Studios on games such as the popular ?Ty the Tasmanian Tiger? series for Nintendo?s Game Boy Advanced (GBA). Another noteworthy partnership is that of Torus Games with Endgame Studios on the GBA title ?Spider-Man: Battle for New York.?
Its not really exclusive to here, it happens in the states a little bit, but not to the same degree.
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Da Comrade.
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