Australia’s Gaming Landscape

To put it simply, Australians love gaming.  

In 2021, Australian gamers “spent close to $4 billion on video games and consoles” as reported by the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA). This ridiculous amount of money can be explained by the 17 million Aussies who on average spend 83 minutes a day playing their favourite video games on consoles, mobiles, PC’s and more. A further breakdown of the data reveals that mobile gaming accounted for an incredible $1.51 billion, followed closely by a $1.41 billion slice which is attributed to digital games expenditure. This includes in-game transactions, purchasing digital copies of video games and subscriptions. The remaining portion has been assigned to traditional purchases like hardware, software and peripherals which together totalled $1.07 billion. 

In addition to the vast consumption of video game products and consoles by Australian consumers, Australian game industry statistics are continuing to climb. Compared to 2020, the Aussie video games sector increased its revenue by 22% to $226.5 million in 2021. These current figures are set to grow dramatically with new tax incentives and initiatives being provided by both federal and state governments. The Digital Games Tax Offset (DGTO) is said to be the main driver for this predicted boom as it allows Australian game studios to claim 30% of eligible expenditures for games costing above $500,000, and Screen Australia’s Game Expansion Pack will cover those indie start-ups who aren’t eligible for the DGTO. 

As for the game studios themselves, Australia is home to a truly innovative developer scene. In no particular order, listed below are some of the best games, and their respective studios, to come out of Australia: 

• Fruit Ninja – Halfbrick Studios 

• Hollow Knight – Team Cherry   

• Golf With Your Friends – Blacklight Interactive  

• Untitled Goose Game – House House 

• Jetpack Joyride – Halfbrick Studios  

• Crossy Road – Hipster Whale  

• Getting Over It with Bennet Foddy – Bennet Foddy 

• de Blob 1 and 2 – Blue Tongue Entertainment  

• Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel – Micro Fortè 

• Game Dev Tycoon – Greenheart Games 

• LA Noire – Team Bondi  

• BioShock 1 and 2 – 2K Australia (and 2K Boston) 

• AO Tennis 2 – Big Ant Studios 

• The Artful Escape – Beethoven & Dinosaur 

• Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel – 2K Australia (and Gearbox Software) 

• Dumb Ways to Die – Julian Frost & Samuel Baird 

• Hell Let Loose – Black Matter 

• The Legend of Spyro Series– Krome Studios 

• Stranded Deep – Beam Team Games 

• Unpacking – Witch Beam  

Another area to consider when diving into the Australian gaming industry is the slow but continual rise in popularity of Aussie esports. In comparison to the 2021 global esports revenue of $1.136 billion, Australia’s esports revenue of $7.5 million is a small drop in the international esports ocean. Although lagging behind when compared to the world scene, Australian esports has a history of producing high quality talent who have made ripples across the globe. Infamous players include the likes of Anathan “ana” Pham who is regarded as one of the all-time greats in Dota 2 esports history, Justin “JKS” Savage who achieved the title of being the first-ever Australian to win an S-Tier CS:GO tournament and James “TGLTN” Giezen who is one of the best PUBG players on the planet. With Australian teams like Renegades and Chiefs vying for international standing, the Australian esports landscape is forever evolving and looking to take that next big step onto the world stage. 

Image Credit: SCREEN POST

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