The Game Developers Association of Australia (GDAA) announced today that it would again petition the federal government for a rebate on games developed locally.
The GDAA claims that such a rebate would enable Australian-based studios to reduce development costs, which would attract more international publishers to start projects down under.
Currently, plans for the Australian film industry to receive a 40-percent government rebate on the cost of films developed in Australia are being finalised. Greg Bondar, CEO of the GDAA, hopes the same scheme can be put in place for the Australian games industry." Based on our current industry standing and projected earnings, we conservatively estimate that if a 40-percent rebate was extended to game developers in Australia, this would lead to an additional AU$25 million in new investment into original Australian titles each year," Bondar said.
The Canadian and Chinese governments offer similar rebates and the number of games coming out of those two countries is increasing. Assassins Creed, Far Cry 2 and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction are just a few of the titles set to come out of Canada in next 12 months, whilst China can add Gears of War to the titles it has shipped.
It's estimated that the Australian games industry employs around 8,500 people. If a rebate scheme is instigated, the GDAA expects that number would increase to 18,000 by 2010.
If Aussie games actually sold well, more would be produced; mostly beacuse investors like money. No really, it's true.
Whether it's films, games or any product for that matter, if it stinks, it won't sell, and if it won't sell, investors lose money and well you can guess how it goes from there.
If an industry isn't viable, then it just isn't viable. Making computer games is not some sort of human right, it's something people do because they want to. If they can make money doing it, all the better. It's a bit cheeky to go into a for-profit business of your own initiative and then ask the government to give you some money. The only thing any business should ask governments to do is get out of their way.
Besides, if you look at the film industry, government subsidies are the reason so much rubbish gets made. They don't have to "pander to the masses" because they don't need the ticket sales to keep making more self satisfying rubbish.