Aussie game developers on cutting edge

Australian video game developers are making millions producing games for cutting edge gaming consoles such as Xbox, Wii and Playstation, a new snapshot of the industry reveals.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia’s 45-business-strong game development sector earned revenue of $136.9 million in 2006-07, with a before-tax profit of $8.5 million.

The lion’s share of that revenue comes from developing games for console formats, accounting for 71.1% of earnings compared to just 17% for Mac and PC games.

And, unsurprisingly, the vast majority of game developer’s business comes from overseas – the game industry is primarily based in the US and Japan – with 79.1% of total income received from overseas businesses for the provision of game development services.

The game development sector is heavily concentrated in Victoria and Queensland, which account for 35.6% and 22.2% of business respectively.

Interestingly, however, the Queensland businesses punch above weight in terms of revenue, bringing in 40.4% of the national total compared to Victoria’s 33.2%.

Game developers employ just over 1400 people across the country, of which 89% are male. The largest number, 34%, are employed as artists and animators, with 29% working as programmers and 14% in managerial and administrative roles.