The Gaming Market in Australia

General Information

Australia, officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country located in the Southern Hemisphere. As the sixth-largest country in the world by land area, it comprises the Australian mainland, the island of Tasmania, and several other islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. To the north of Australia, you’ll find East Timor, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea; to the northeast are Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and the Solomon Islands; and to the southeast is New Zealand. The Australian mainland is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Torres Strait, which is approximately 150 kilometers wide, although the Australian island of Boigu is only the other side of this strait and only about 5 kilometers from Papua New Guinea. As of June 30, 2022, the estimated population of Australia was 25,978,935 people, with the majority of its population residing in cities on the eastern coast.

Australia is one of the most developed countries globally, boasting the fourteenth-largest economy by size and the ninth-highest GDP per capita. Its military expenditures rank twelfth in the world. With the fifth-highest Human Development Index, Australia excels in various areas, including quality of life, healthcare, education, economic freedom, civil liberties, and political rights. Australia is a member of several international organizations, including the G20, OECD, WTO, APEC, the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, ANZUS, AUKUS, and the Pacific Islands Forum.

Gaming Market

According to the annual Australian Game Development Survey (AGDS), conducted by the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA), the Australian video game industry has nearly doubled in size over the last six years.

One of the most significant findings of the research is that in just the past year (2022), the Australian gaming industry has created 770 new jobs. Furthermore, the industry has seen an increase of 148% in revenue since the first survey was conducted in 2016.

Key Points from the IGEA Report

• Australian game development studios earned $284.4 million in 2021/2022 (a 26% increase from the previous year).
• There are 2,104 full-time employees in Australian studios (a 59% increase from the previous year).
• 69% of studios plan to hire new employees in 2022/2023 (an estimated 300+ new hires).
• 85% of studios work on games based upon their own intellectual property (IP).
• 84% of revenue comes from outside Australia.
• The year 2021/2022 solidified the Australian game development industry’s reputation as a highly creative, innovative, and talented sector, creating successful products for a global audience.

Australian Game Studios

Game developers are located throughout Australia, but the majority are concentrated in the eastern states and capitals. Traditionally, Victoria has been the hub for the majority of studios in Australia, largely due to support measures from the local state government. However, there has been increase in both studios and employees across the country as other state governments are introducing incentives to boost the industry in their regions.

This year’s industry survey showed that over a quarter of Australian studios were founded within the last five years, while 28% have been in existence for 10 years or more. Highly-skilled game development professionals are in demand worldwide, and talent retention remains a significant challenge for Australian developers. With improvements in the migration system and expanded employment opportunities, there are hopes that the many Australian game developers who left the country after the global financial crisis will return to contribute to the industry’s growth at home.

Screen Australia and several state governments have established new gaming funds aimed at small studios, which is expected to have a positive impact on emerging developers, allowing them to create new and innovative projects.

Player Profile

The Australia Plays 2023 report identified a significant increase in the popularity of video games in the country. According to the research conducted by IGEA and Bond University, approximately 81% of Australians play video games from time to time, which is a 14% increase from 2022.

Although it’s challenging to make direct comparisons, statistics from the AFL report claim that only 56% of Australians watched the AFL Grand Final on Fox or the Seven Network, suggesting that more people are favoring games over traditional sports. While these statistics are niche, they indicate a shift in the mass perception of video games.

Notably, the demographics of gamers are gradually changing. According to the report, the average age of video game players in Australia is 35 years old (compared to 24 years old in 2005), and 48% of gamers are female (up from 46% the previous year).

Only 15% of gamers said they always play games alone, while the majority of Australia Plays 2023 respondents stated that they enjoy playing with their partners, friends, and children.

According to the Australia Plays report, 94% of families play games together. Many parents choose games as a way to spend time, have fun, and communicate with their children, as well as to be entertained.

Australian Game Companies

1. The Arcade
2. Big Ant Studios
3. Riot Sydney
4. Firemonkeys
5. Halfbrick
6. Hipster Whale
7. Home Entertainment Suppliers
8. House House
9. Infinity Plus Two
10. Krome Studios
11. Micro Forté Studios
12. N3V Games
13. Panther Games
14. Personal Audio
15. Secret Lab
16. SMG Studio
17. Straight Right
18. Strategic Studies Group
19. Tantalus Media
20. Torus Games
21. Tru Blu Entertainment
22. Wicked Workshop
23. Wildfire Studios

Top Mobile Games (October 2023)

1. Lightning Link Casino Slots (Product Madness)
2. Roblox (Roblox Corporation)
3. Royal Match (Dream Games, Ltd.)
4. Candy Crush Saga (King)
5. MONOPOLY GO! (Scopely)
6. Cashman Casino Las Vegas Slots (Product Madness)
7. Slots: Heart of Vegas Casino (Product Madness)
8. Gardenscapes (Playrix)
9. Slotomania™ Slots Casino Games (Playtika)
10. Pokémon GO (Niantic, Inc.)
11. Coin Master (Moon Active)
12. Clash of Clans (Supercell)
13. Homescapes (Playrix)
14. Township (Playrix)
15. Fishdom (Playrix)
16. PUBG MOBILE (Shenzhen Tencent Tianyou Technology Ltd.)
17. Bingo Blitz™️ – Bingo Games (Playtika Santa Monica)
18. Lotsa Slots – Casino Games (SpinX Games Limited)
19. Honkai: Star Rail (COGNOSPHERE PTE. LTD.)
20. Whiteout Survival (Century Games Pte. Ltd.)

Best-Selling Games in Australia

1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
2. Hogwarts Legacy
3. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
4. NBA 2K23
5. FIFA 23
6. Grand Theft Auto V
7. Dead Island 2
8. Dead Island Definitive Edition
9. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II

Culturalization for Australia