Studios take $240k in Australia fund plan

Four Australian studios have received a total of AU$244,450 as part of a regional funding initiative.

Australia’s south-eastern Victoria state awarded the grant money to help bolster the region’s portfolio of game companies.

The four recipients used the money to build a prototype game – all of which needed to be self-publishable downloadable titles.

Touch My Pixel, Tin Man Games, and Khrob Edmonds each received AU$96,650 to build their own titles. Meanwhile, $147,800 was awarded to Andre Spierings to develop the Facebook game Bunni Social.

The funds were awarded by entertainment agency Film Victoria, whose CEO Sandra Sdraulig said she was proud to be aiding aspiring game developers.

“The Victorian game development community is world renowned for its innovation and capability in mobile games,” she said.

“During 2009, Melbourne companies developed three of the top 10 selling iPhone games, including the chart topping Sims 3.

“We believe this development funding will enable some of Victoria’s smaller studios to compete in this lucrative global marketplace.

“The Digital Media Prototyping program is vital to this growth, ensuring that projects such as these are allowed to develop to maturity in Australia – rather than be lured, or be commercially forced overseas.