Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Screen Australia invests over $2 million in Australian Games Industry

04/09/2024

04 09 2024 - Media release Screen Australia invests over $2 million in Australian Games Industry

Zodiac Mountain

Screen Australia has announced over $2 million in funding to boost the Australian games sector. This includes support for 12 games through the Games Production Fund, 27 games through the Emerging Gamemakers Fund and funding for three events through the Games Event Fund.

The Games Production Fund and Emerging Gamemakers Fund offer critical support to Australian independent gamemakers, aimed at providing funding for original games with budgets below $500,000; and fostering new talent with professional development opportunities.

These initiatives are backed by the Federal Government's National Cultural Policy Revive, which includes a commitment of $12 million over four years from the 2023/24 financial year to Screen Australia's games funding.

Minister for the Arts Tony Burke said, Video gaming has come a long way now this global multi-billion-dollar industry offers a staggering variety of unique ideas and techniques for storytellers to connect audiences and explore their creativity. Our Government is committed to nurturing emerging talent in this booming field with $12 million to press play on gamemakers' careers.

CEO of Screen Australia, Deirdre Brennan said, This significant investment highlights our ongoing commitment to fostering growth and innovation within Australia's games industry. By supporting these projects and industry events, we're nurturing local developers and small to medium studios, reinforcing our position as a global leader in independent game-making.

Demand for games funding is growing, with Screen Australia receiving over 370 applications, twice as many as the previous year. This reflects the increased role of targeted support for our local industry in an increasingly competitive landscape, said Brennan.

Since March 2022, Screen Australia has provided over $12.5 million in tailored games funding programs, for projects including Feed the Deep, Diets and Deities and The Sacred Acorn. The agency supports games across a variety of platforms, such as PC, Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch and iOS/Android, with games aimed at release on the App Store, Google Play, Steam, itch.io, Nintendo eShop and more.

The projects supported through the Games Production Fund include:

Cozy Commons (SA): A life simulation game where players take on day-to-day activities as they discover the secrets of the town and the inhabitants who live there. Players can engage with the community, build their skills, search for collectables and decorate their home, all while discovering the rich world of stories from the characters they meet along the way. The team includes lead developer Tom Longo and lead artist Rebecca Hadland.

Doggy Don't Care (NSW): In this comedic, adventure platformer, players unleash adorable chaos as a mischievous pup. By exploring, collecting and smashing their way around the house and beyond, players fetch the approval of their feathered friends - digging into a list of fun-filled tasks to earn mischievous badges. The team includes founder/creative director Rohan Nowell, graphic designer Carlo Delos Santos and composer/SFX artist Dominique Parker.

Frogreign (QLD): In this story-driven platformer, players join frog prince Rill on an amphibious action-adventure to unravel a royal conspiracy. Using Rill's tongue as a grappling hook and other frog abilities to seamlessly leap, swing, dive and swim through a variety of locations and challenges. Players can explore the depths of the realm of Callidrya, filled with chaos and secrets. The team includes creative director Bryce Watson, designer Dallas Smart, writer Natasha Cox, lead developer Nico Plotz, composer Alejandro Perez Heinze and audio engineer Andres Buitrago.

Jupiter Junkworks (VIC): A fast-paced new take on the arcade puzzle genre featuring a narrative campaign mode where players rebuild a spaceship salvage yard. Jupiter Junkworks is from lead developer and producer Will Deragon, character illustrator and narrative designer Georgia Pedersen, composer Jam Nawaz (JAMATAR), sound designer Zander Hulme, 3D artist Paul Mahoney, animator Kiat-Boon Pierce and voice artist Audrey Willowbrook.

Zodiac Mountain (WA): In this roguelike deck-building adventure game, players embark on a mystical journey as a determined Panda, seeking to prove their worth by challenging mythical creatures and the Chinese Zodiacs. The team includes CEO/MD/Founder Kevin Jiang, game designer/2D artist James Knight, 2D artists May Huang and Sylvia Lian, lead programmer Laurence Anthony Valentini, UI/UX designer Daisy Chan and sound designer Ian Chen.

The projects supported through the Emerging Gamemakers Fund include:

Aussie Rules (SA): A sports party roguelite game fusing action-packed gameplay with absurd Aussie humour. Players can challenge friends to unpredictable matches driven by wild mechanics, all tied together by a retro aesthetic and surrealist satire based on Australian culture. The team includes producer David Ashby, developer Tyler Roach, writer and voice artist Broden Kelly and composer Dario Russo.

Feral Scape (NSW): From developer Joseph Dowsett (BARCHboi), Feral Scape is an open-world fantasy RPG where player choices drive exploration, crafting, and game modding. Drawing inspiration from Australian locations, players engage in exploration and community-building within a fantasy setting in order to complete quests related to a wolf prophecy - aiming to unite different factions.

LunaGenesis (VIC): An adventurous, experimental RPG where players take on the role of a young witch lost in a cursed city whose residents are trapped in their own nightmares. To escape, players navigate dream realms and uncover secrets about a shape-shifting antagonist. LunaGenesis is from creative director/prog
LINK: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/sa/media-centre/news/2024/09-04-2-m...
See more stories from screenaustralia

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

06/02/2026

Chris Myers Joins Net Insight as SVP of Sales, Americas

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/02/2026

Sen. Cruz Announces Hearing on Broadcast Media Ownership Rules

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/02/2026

NAB Show Relocates TV and Radio HQ To LVCC Central Hall

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/02/2026

Sony Solutions Widely Deployed for Super Bowl LX in San Francisco

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/02/2026

Telemundo Puerto Rico Launches In Mainland U.S.

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/02/2026

February 05, 2026

How invisible vaccine scaffolding boosts HIV immune response Scripps Research scientists designed a DNA scaffold that carries HIV vaccine proteins into the bo...

05/02/2026

Tech Focus: Wireless Audio, Part 2 - RF Mics Have a Key Role in Sports Broadcasting

Three examples of how wireless microphones are deployed to bring fans in deep an...

05/02/2026

Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra Camera To Capture the Opening Ceremony

Broadcast coverage will include 25 cameras distributed around the venues, including to some athletes; Galaxy AI Interpreter will also be deployed The Opening C...

05/02/2026

Kiswe to Power Mountain West Conference's New Direct-to-Consumer Streaming Platform

Kiswe has partnered with the Mountain West Conference to power the next iteratio...

05/02/2026

NBCUniversal, Roku Launch the NBC Winter Olympics Experience

NBCUniversal and Roku announce the launch of the 2026 NBC Winter Olympics Experience, a destination delivering NBCUniversal's comprehensive CTV coverage of ...

05/02/2026

Vizrt Transforms Corporate Communications with AI-Powered Augmented Reality in Zoom

Vizrt, which specializes in live production technology as well as transforming v...

05/02/2026

Canon Intros RF7-14mm Fisheye Zoom, RF14mm Prime Lens

Canon USA has launched the RF7-14mm F2.8-3.5 L fisheye STM zoom lens and the RF14mm F1.4 L VCM prime lens. Building on Canon's legacy of innovative optics, ...

05/02/2026

UMass Lowell's Tsongas Center Upgrades with Ikegami UHK-X600 Cameras

The Paul E. Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell in Massachusetts has chosen Ikegami cameras for incorporation into its broadcast-quality television production facili...

05/02/2026

Exchange, NBCUniversal to Provide Service Members with Free Streaming of Winter Olympics

Once again, service members and Veterans worldwide will enjoy free access to NBC...

05/02/2026

Advanced Systems Group Appoints Industry Veteran Derek Pezzotti to Lead Sports and Venue Market Growth

Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media ...

05/02/2026

Broadcast Management Group Expands Management Team to Support Managed Services and Live Production Growth

Broadcast Management Group (BMG) is strengthening its leadership team to support...

05/02/2026

NBC Sports Selects Comcast Technology Solutions for Production of Winter Olympics

NBC Sports selects Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) to provide multiscreen vid...

05/02/2026

AIM Sports Group Enhances AIM Sportsplex With Spiideo's Advanced Automated Video Technology

AIM Sports Group, a sports enterprise dedicated to elevating youth athletics thr...

05/02/2026

Inside the 2026 Milano Cortina IBC: How Tech Makes a Difference for Rightsholders, Fans, the Environment

Designed for efficient use of shared services and resources, the home of OBS pro...

05/02/2026

SVG Students To Watch: Brandon Malin, University of Michigan

The Yankees fan from Connecticut is executive producer of BTN StudentU for the Wolverines In the live-sports-video industry, the future is bright. Our series S...

05/02/2026

OBS Is Ready To Deliver for Milano Cortina Opening Ceremony

In an Olympic first, the ceremony will be held in four locations simultaneously...

05/02/2026

Remembering Charlie Jablonski, an Olympic Broadcasting Legend

Members of the broadcast and tech communities share four decades of memories of the technology leader The 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics are upon us, and every O...

05/02/2026

NBC Sports Has an Army of Technology Providers Supporting Winter Olympics Production

Key vendors include Appear, Audio-Technica, Canon, Chyron, Cisco, Comcast Techno...

05/02/2026

Spotify Partners With Bookshop.org and Debuts Page Match Feature to Bridge Physical, E-book, and Audio Formats

Since bringing audiobooks to Spotify in 2022, we've helped listeners discove...

05/02/2026

How to Use Page Match to Seamlessly Switch Between a Book and Its Audiobook on Spotify

Today, Spotify announced two new updates to give book lovers a more personalized...

05/02/2026

HC-130J Aircraft Enhances Coast Guard Readiness

A U.S. Coast Guard HC-130J aircraft during a test flight at L3Harris' facility in Waco, Texas....

05/02/2026

Al Seer Marine and L3Harris Deepen Strategic Agreement to Advance Maritime Unmanned Systems in the Middle East

Al Seer Marine and L3Harris have announced a strategic partnership combining UAE...

05/02/2026

Well-Thought-Out UX: The Quiet Power Behind Our Latest Improvements

AI should balance automation (replacing tasks) and augmentation (empowering humans). Automate the mundane and augment the creative by applying the right AI type...

05/02/2026

Football And Younger Viewers Drive Ad Supported TV Viewing To 2025 High, Nielsen's Q4 2025 Ad Supported Gauge Finds

During this period, streaming comprised the majority of ad supported TV (45.6%),...

05/02/2026

New Orlando TV Station Focuses On Puerto Rican Viewers

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/02/2026

Teads, Google TV Partner To Grow CTV HomeScreen Ad Availability

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/02/2026

Advanced Systems Group Appoints Industry Veteran Derek Pe...

Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, announced the appointment of Derek Pezzotti as Sen...

05/02/2026

Taurus Technologies Elevates Podcast Production with Brig...

Taurus Technologies, a Dallas-area professional AV systems integrator, has upgraded its in-house podcast studio with Brightline Lighting's AV/720 low-voltag...

05/02/2026

NBC Sports Selects Production Infrastructure and Signal P...

NBC Universal to Present XXV Olympic Winter Games Feb. 6-22 and Milan Cortina Paralympics March 6-15 NBC Sports to Utilize Grass Valley's Frame Rate Conver...

05/02/2026

Atomos Unveils All New Shogun AV-19

Atomos today announced Shogun AV-19, a rack-mountable, 19-inch 4K HDR monitor-recorder-switcher designed for professional live production, broadcast, and video ...

05/02/2026

Vizrt revolutionizes corporate communications with AI-pow...

Vizrt, the leader in live production technology, revolutionizing viewer experience and engagement, today introduces two brand new solutions in partnership with ...

05/02/2026

Appear Appoints Simon Frost as Chief Marketing Officer to...

Appear, a global leader in live production technology, today announced the appointment of Simon Frost in a newly created role as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). ...

05/02/2026

Noah Chamis ICLS Illuminates Only Murders in the Building...

New York gaffer Noah Chamis, ICLS ( You Deserve Each Other , The Half of It , Project Runway ) practices a mix of technical precision and creative play in his...

05/02/2026

NBC Sports Deploys Audio-Technica Microphones for Winter Olympics

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/02/2026

Hemisphere Media Group, Entravision Launch WAPA Orlando

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/02/2026

SMT Providing Timing And Production Data Services for Winter Olympics

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

05/02/2026

BBC Studios and UKTV appoint Karin Marelle as Global Head of Acquisitions

BBC Studios and UKTV have appointed Karin Marelle to lead their Global Acquisitions team, overseeing the sourcing of content across BBC Studios' global chan...

05/02/2026

The Miniature Wife, A Sky Exclusive comedy drama starring Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen, to land on 9 April

Thursday 5 February 2026 The Miniature Wife, A Sky Exclusive comedy drama starr...

05/02/2026

Trailer Revealed for Sky Original Film FUZE starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Sam Worthington

Thursday 5 February 2026 Trailer Revealed for Sky Original Film FUZE starring A...

05/02/2026

Rohde & Schwarz at MWC Barcelona 2026: Enabling connections, empowering innovations

Rohde & Schwarz at MWC Barcelona 2026: Enabling connections, empowering innovati...