The Australian government has made changes to its game rating system. Starting from September 22, 2024, the country’s rating board will assign games containing paid loot boxes an “M15+” rating — recommended for individuals over 15 years of age.

The Australian government is developing a law that prohibits children under the age of 14-16 from using social media and “other digital platforms.” Several media outlets have speculated that such wording could indicate possible restrictions on access to online games as well.

Modern gamers may permanently lose the ability to play 96% of old games released in Australia. This conclusion was reached by the National Film & Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA).

The GamesIndustry portal studied the data of the Australian Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) and shared statistics on the Australian gaming market for 2022.

Officially, the amount is invested by the federal agency Screen Australia. The money is distributed through its funds — Games: Expansion Pack and First Nations Games Studio.

Australian MPs continue to speak out against gambling video games. This time they suggested assigning a rating of 15+ to games that have paid loot boxes, and a rating of 18+ to all other games with gambling mechanics.

The Australian government agency Screen Australia continues to invest in local indie developers. This time it invested a total of one million dollars in the authors of 11 games.

Australian MP Andrew Wilkie has introduced a bill on loot boxes. He suggested labeling games with this mechanics so that minors could not buy them.

Gaming outsourcer Keywords Studios has decided to increase its presence in the Australian market. The new studios will be owned by its subsidiary Tantalus Melbourne and will be located in Brisbane (Tantalus North) and Adelaide (Tantalus South).

The agency said that first he needed to get additional information. What kind of information is this and who should provide it is not specified.

In March, the Australian state-owned company Screen Australia opened the Games: Expansion Pack fund to support independent game studios. Yesterday she announced her first investment. Immediately 31 indie developers received a total of 4 million Australian dollars (2.7 million US dollars).

Officially, the union should start working this weekend. But already 360 people are included in it — this is a little more than a quarter of the country’s developers. Judging by the press release of the union, among them is Mitch McCausland, producer of Featherweight Games studio, but the names and companies of other members are not disclosed.

The Australian Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) has summed up the results of 2021. She estimated that over the current year, game studios in Australia have earned a total of $161.6 million*. The developers received the vast majority of this amount from abroad.

Until 2020, the Australian government almost did not support video game developers. Because of this, all AAA studios were closed in the country and there was a shortage of specialists. Ron Curry, head of the local Association of Interactive Games and Entertainment (IGEA), told what the authorities are doing now to fix the situation. Among the measures are a 30% tax deduction and a simplified procedure for obtaining work visas.

In Australia, the hearing on the case of Epic Games and Apple will continue. He was “frozen” in April due to a similar trial in the United States. But now the court agreed with the arguments of the creators of Fortnite and recognized that the situation should be considered from the point of view of local laws.

The Australian authorities have expanded the list of professions that will be given priority during immigration. Now it will be easier for developers and other game specialists to get a work visa and a residence permit. This is another measure to restore the economy from the effects of the pandemic.The Australian Ministry of the Interior announced the changes last week.

Almost two months ago, Australia refused to classify Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, which actually meant a ban on the sale of the game. However, now a special commission has revised the decision and assigned an 18+ rating to the Estonian project, despite the harsh vocabulary and touching on topics like addiction.On May 11, the Australian Classification Review Board, which evaluates games, films and text materials, revised the rating of Disco Elysium: The Final Cut…

The largest Australian indie studio Mighty Kingdom, known for the games Shopkins and Peter Rabbit Run!, has entered the stock exchange. During the IPO, the developers managed to raise $18 million, and their market capitalization was $24.5 million*.

The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred the revenues of developers around the world. Australia is no exception. Revenue of Australian game studios exceeded $140.4 million last year.