In a landmark return to positioning for growth and relevancy, the Australian government today announced the restoration of the Australian Interactive Games Fund as part of the launch of the Australian National Cultural Policy which will see a huge boost in support for farious industries and initiatives in the arts and creative spaces.

Here's an official statement from the IGEA:

IGEA celebrates the announcement from The Hon Tony Burke MP that the Australian Interactive Games Fund will be restored. Minister Burke and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese launched the Australian National Cultural Policy today, and the inclusion of games is a significant moment in history for our sector.

IGEA was an active advocate for games in the development of the National Cultural Policy, and in our submission and continual engagement with the Office for the Arts we recommended the launch of a game development fund beyond the $6 million that had been awarded to Screen Australia for the Games: Expansion Pack.

The restoration of the Australian Interactive Games Fund (AIGF) has been a key focus of IGEA’s advocacy for many years as it will provide much needed and equitable funding for small to medium Australian video game creators. According to the Revive National Cultural Policy, there will be a $12 million increase in investment to support small to medium independent games studios through Screen Australia. The Digital Games Tax Offset (DGTO) set to pass through parliament any week now is focused on larger scale projects/studios and, together with the return of the AIGF, lays a solid foundation for a thriving game development ecosystem in Australia.

Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA commented, "Not only is IGEA and the games industry celebrating the funding and further commitment from the Albanese government for the development sector, but we are also delighted to see games positioned within the broader national cultural, screen and creative industries. This commitment recognises that Australian game developers have an essential role to play in the digital delivery of stories to local and international audiences.

"We look forward to reading more details on the fund and will work with the great team at Screen Australia to educate the industry on accessing the support."

As stated above, a more detailed outline needs to be poured through, but on the surface of things we're finally heading back in a forward trajectory for game development and industry growth in Australia.

You can watch the full launch embedded below.

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