Features
Australian Bureau Of Statistics Survey of Digital Games Developers
As part of the Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS) commitment
to providing statistics on a range of services industries in Australia,
it is conducting a survey of businesses which provide Digital Games
Development Services, in respect of the 2006-7 financial year. This is the first time the ABS has conducted this type of service.
GDAA meets Senator Conroy
GDAA representatives met with Senator Conroy on Monday 22 October to discuss the games industry and the 40% investment rebate for game developers.
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Australian Games Industry Survey
The GDAA, with support from the Victorian and Queensland Governments, has recently completed a national survey of the Australian games industry.
The Australian electronic game industry now generates revenues of approximately $110 million per annum and directly employs approximately 1600 people of which 1350 are permanent staff and 250 are contract staff. Both turnover and employment is highly concentrated in the largest eight companies within the industry, with these companies accounting for over 80% of industry activity. Turnover and employment are also concentrated in Victoria and Queensland, which collectively are the location for around 80% of industry activity.
The sector is a high skill and high wage industry with average wages above the national full time earnings average ($57,000 per annum) for most job classifications within the electronic games industry.
The industry has a high export orientation, with the larger companies within the sector in particular being primarily export focused. All of the largest 10 companies are more than 80% export oriented and most of them are more than 95% export oriented. Overall industry export revenues are estimated to account for over 90% of total industry revenues.
Over 85% of companies within the industry now engage in the development of their own intellectual property assets and half of the companies that don’t currently do so plan to in the future. This expectation is in line with a highly growth oriented outlook within the industry. Over 90% of companies expect to grow during the next three years and 70% of companies expect to increase their level of investment in own intellectual property development over the next three years.
The key growth challenges identified by companies are in the areas of attracting skilled staff and in accessing the finance for own intellectual property development.