According to revenue forecasts, the Australian games industry is expected to generate more than US $4 billion in 2023. Just as encouraging, small indie studios and startups are now contributing a larger portion of those revenues, having cultivated a superb ecosystem surrounded by technological innovations and flourishing creativity.
Here at techiexpert.com we love good news about startups, and that’s what makes the numbers from Australia even more fascinating, proving the case for one prominent games industry leader who sought a fresh new start. His adventures are just as inspiring for the new generation of talents, as we shall now explore.
BioWare legend heads Down Under
Think about some of the greatest role-playing game (RPG) releases in the last couple of decades, and there’s a good chance that David Gaider has worked on them. As an aspiring and hobbyist game designer, his breakthrough came in 1999 with a job at BioWare, shortly after their successful release of Baldur’s Gate the previous year.
Studio founders Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka promptly assigned Gaider with his first task, designing and writing the narrative for Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn. Upon release in 2000, the sequel received widespread critical acclaim, helping to establish the reputation of BioWare in the games industry.
During the course of a career at BioWare spanning 17 years, Gaider was responsible for creating some of the most memorable RPG characters, including those for the Neverwinter Nights series, along with Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel. He was the lead writer for all three instalments of the Dragon Age saga, which became the top selling BioWare titles of all time.
After departing from BioWare in 2016, Gaider became the creative director at Beamdog, which mostly worked on updated versions of the older BioWare and Black Isle Studios RPG titles. Then in 2018 a chance discussion with Liam Esler revealed plenty of common ground. Shared ambition for their dream game led to an entirely new venture, and alongside Elie Young, the trio co-founded SummerfallStudios.com in 2017.
Based in Melbourne and crowdfunding their first project, Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical was presented at PAX Australia in 2019, where Gaider also made a keynote speech. Once completed and released, that game went on to win the IGEA Game of the Year award for 2023. Australia has now provided the Canadian with an entirely new lease of game development life, within a rapidly growing startup culture full of creativity and innovation.
Gaider has thoroughly enjoyed his time in Australia, often mentoring and encouraging younger developers, providing valuable support and sharing his experience with a new generation of creatives. His adventure is also indicative of just how alluring the gaming scene is Down Under, inspiring domestic and international talents to call this place their home.
Indie Gaming Scene is Thriving in Australia
Although collaborative as an industry and networked around the whole globe, Australia has risen high above many countries elsewhere, consistently raising the standards of games production. This is fruit of a unique societal and cultural impetus in the country, especially in major urban hubs like Sydney and Melbourne, Canberra or Adelaide. These cities have been the location for numerous gaming startups, all seeking to make their mark.
Indie studios may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, especially when there are several major AAA corporations also based in Australia, yet these tiny enterprises are thriving and flourishing, making them key drivers within their local technology focused economies. What’s more, game development revolves within a much larger tech ecosystem, involving numerous branching sectors and niches.
One such niche is the iGaming sector, focused on producing betting software and games for online casinos. Thanks to an established culture of gambling entertainment in Australia, the industry here continues to enjoy massive growth. Among the most popular games are pokies, having successfully transitioned from pubs and clubs to desktop and mobile applications.
In fact, some of the smartest and most innovative pokies are made by indie developers, including a wide variety we might find when checking TopAustraliaGambling.com reviews. Their experts are always on the lookout for entertaining and engaging titles, especially when accompanied by great bonuses and promotions, when featured at the best Aussie casino sites.
Aristocrat is the biggest brand for pokies in Australia, although their spinning reels would be nothing without the contribution of indie developers, who are often involved with the design and development of exciting new releases. And this is actually the same in other sectors of the wider gaming industry, with smaller studios contributing to a much bigger picture, making them authentic wizards of Oz driving the games industry here.
The net result is notable within the Australian economy, with statistics indicating that new job openings in games development increased by a whopping 59% in 2023 alone. For anyone keen to build a career in the games industry, such news is certainly inspirational, just as it is for experienced talents located overseas, looking for greener pastures where their vocational talent can thrive.
