News article written by Corbett Communications. The statements made or opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Engineers Australia.
ITEE engineers who follow their playful side into business are up against major obstacles in Australia, according to the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA) which has told government the time for playing games with the sector’s future is over.
The interactive game industry is worth in excess of $2.4 billion, increasing exponentially each year, according to the Senate report Future of Australia’s Video Game Development Industry from April 2016. But, despite the eight recommendations handed down by theSenate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications in that report, IGEA said nothing is being done.
The report stated, “It is apparent that Australian video game developers face both exciting opportunities and significant challenges” but interactive game developers say the government is yet to respond more than a year later. The recommendations include creating a successor to the defunct Australian Interactive Games Fund and other financial assistance and focuses on internet infrastructure, innovation hubs and more.
The interactive game industry has the potential to take an international lead in the emerging industry of ‘serious games’ (for non-entertainment purposes), according to IGEA. Games that can be used in dementia care, rehab for stroke patients, to promote road safety or deliver positive mental health outcomes for youth are where interactive games intersect with AR and VR.
Ubiquitous interactivity
Statistics cited in the Senate report revealed 98% of Australian homes with children under 18 have a device for playing interactive games. With 68% of the population playing interactive games, it’s not limited to any one age group or gender, with 78% of those 18 or older playing; 71% aged 18 to 64; 23% are 50 or over; and 7% are over 65. And 47% are female.
Importantly, with a nod to the future of ITEE engineering, 27% of players have tried making* interactive games using software and 9% have studied or plan to study interactive games as a subject.
“Video games can also be harnessed for learning, particularly when it comes to getting Australian youth interested in STEM fields,” IGEA CEO Ron Curry stated. “Just look at the success of coding clubs, where children use and develop these skills in learning how to create their own games.”
The potential is there for young Australians to end up in tertiary studies like that of Torrens University Australia’s Bachelor of Software Engineering (Game Programming) which partners with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe to develop games for PlayStation.
However, in a recent open letter to Senator Mitch Fifield, the federal Minister of Communications and the Arts, the IGEA questioned why the interactive games sector has been “specifically excluded from government funding”. In the wake of the year-old report, the association threw down the gauntlet to the minister asking if it should move to another government department to get something done.
*For those interested, the Australian STEM Video Game Challenge is on until 25 August 2017 for students to design, build and test an original video game.
Author: Desi Corbett
Image: Torrens University Australia software game (student work). Source: TUA.