As a result of the 2014/15 Budget announced last week, the Australian Interactive Games Fund as administered by Screen Australia has ceased operation.
Let’s Make Games Inc. is disappointed in this decision by the Federal Government. The AIGF was not only a source of support for young developers and established businesses, but it also provided resources to communities around Australia that promote and foster game-making as a cultural and artistic endeavour.
With the support of the AIGF’s sector-building program, Let’s Make Games earlier this year partnered with the Perth International Arts Festival to run #CTRLDEV. The one day professional development event gave an unprecedented opportunity for local West Australian developers to engage with the critically acclaimed and renowned international game makers visiting for the Perth Writers Festival.
Games are not made in isolation. It takes a community of professional and skilled developers to share knowledge, provide feedback and help fill in the gaps. A development team may be small, but the number of voices that touch any game can be huge.
The cessation of the AIGF is a setback not only to individual employers, contractors and graduates, but also to the communities that foster Australian art, Australian culture and Australian games.
Now, more than ever, please engage with your local game making community. Offer your time to volunteer at events, moderate groups and message boards, or go and discuss your experiences making games with students. As developers we may not see further government support, but as a community we can reinforce each other and sustain the growing momentum of Australian games.
Anthony Sweet
General Manager, Let’s Make Games Inc.
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