Booming video games industry “ticks all the boxes” for innovation, so why isn’t there more government funding?

A report from the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association has revealed the Australian video games industry is booming, despite industry figures saying federal funding for the sector has all but “disappeared”.

From 2013 to 2016, total sales of video games in Australia increased from $2.04 billion to $2.96 billion.

The Digital Australia 2018 report, completed by the IGEA and Bond University, surveyed over 1200 households and 3100 individuals. Three quarters of respondents agreed video game production benefits the Australian economy.

An additional survey of video game developers also revealed that 78% of those surveyed were projecting business growth for the 2016-17 financial year, with nearly two thirds looking to on-board additional staff.