Q&A: GDAA head calls for more support for Aussie game industry

The Australian video game industry has been "forgotten" by the federal government and needs to be given the same incentives and rebates as the local film industry, Game Developers Association of Australia (GDAA) president Tom Crago says.

Crago, who is also the head of Melbourne-based development house Tantalus Interactive--is calling on the Australian government to extend the same incentives given to film makers to video game producers, particularly a 40 percent rebate announced in this year's federal budget. Crago spoke to GameSpot AU from the official launch of the Game Connect: Asia Pacific 2007 Conference. The conference, which is the GDAA's peak industry event for the year, will be held in Melbourne in November this year.

GameSpot AU: What is the Australian video game industry asking for from the federal government?

Tom Crago: We've been lobbying the federal government for some time now for a better deal for the video game industry, and I guess we feel that call's fallen on deaf ears. Time and time again, we've seen the film industry in Australia--a wonderful industry that it is--receive a great deal of incentives and support from the federal government. And really, in part, it's been because of that support that the film industry in Australia has been so successful. We think it's time for the federal government to move with the times and realise that more and more people are spending their leisure hours playing video games.

You only have to look at the statistics, the number of people playing video games, the amount of money being played on games in Australia--the world has moved on. And we're not talking kids and teenagers--we're talking people of all ages. We've got a great, thriving video game development industry here in Australia, but we're not really realising our potential. We need some support, we need some assistance to ensure that that potential can be realised. And if we get it, I think this industry has the potential to triple in size in the short term. For gamers, that means more high-quality games coming out of Australia, which I think everyone wants.

GS AU: Do you think a lack of support has hindered the industry so far?

TC: It's just meant that we haven't been able to realise our potential. There have been some terrific titles--there have been games which have sold well all around the world and have got great review scores and have put us on the map, but we want to raise the bar. We want to be producing titles here in Australia that will be considered as among the very best in the world. In order to do that, we do need some support, and we are being held back.

Particularly, I'm talking about games based around intellectual property, games based around concepts and ideas that we invent ourselves here in Australia. The licensed stuff is great and it's been the backbone of our industry for a long time, but I really want to see some big new game ideas coming out of Australia. I want to see our companies selling games based on those ideas all around the world. And that's the challenge for us here in Australia.

GS AU: So what are you specifically asking for?

TC: In the last federal budget, the government announced a 40 percent rebate for feature films developed in Australia. They extended that to the digital effects industry, but for some reason, they left out video games. Now we don't know exactly how that rebate is going to work--it hasn't been announced yet. The high concept was put forward in the budget--the details are coming out this month or in August. We feel that the video game industry deserves to participate in that program in the same way as film and digital effects--that's all we're asking. Again, the details of the program haven't been announced. It's part of the merger of government film bodies in Australia, particularly the FFC and the AFC. The film industry--like us--are wondering exactly how this will work. The finer points are being drawn up, but as a high concept, it means that original Australian productions--titles that are developed here in Australia--receive from the budget a 40 percent rebate. Exactly how that will unfold, I don't know, but however it unfolds for the film and digital effects industry, it should unfold in the same way for the video game business.

GS AU: What do you think the industry's chances of success are in getting this rebate?

TC: I don't know. We have to continue to make our case as strongly and as loudly as we can. I really just feel like we've been forgotten about, so hopefully at some stage before this election, there'll be an acknowledgement from the federal government that they should have included the video games industry along with film and digital effects, and I hope that becomes policy.

GS AU: Tom Crago, thanks for your time.