It’s game on for our newest emerging industry

The Sunshine Coast is powering up to develop an exciting new industry after the successful launch of its first Digital Games Summit at UniSC.

The sold-out event on November 15 united more than 80 key players, including local game developers and representatives from film, education, industry and government.

The event gave attendees the opportunity to engage and network with industry stakeholders, including Screen Queensland, Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA), Jobs Queensland, Sunshine Coast Council and the Sunshine Coast Screen Collective who provided key insights into the state of the industry nationally and internationally.

The latest data from IGEA shows the Australian video game industry has risen to $345.5 million economy, an increase of 21 per cent over the past financial year. 

Queensland has experienced extensive growth in the industry over the past three years and is currently one of the best places to develop digital games due to its favourable tax offsets and incentives.

Sunshine Coast Council Resilient Economy Portfolio Councillor Joe Natoli opened the event and said it marked an important first step in the development of a new and exciting industry.

“As Queensland builds its reputation as one of Australia’s leading hubs for the digital games industry, our region has a chance to play a major part in that growth,” Cr Natoli said.  

“The Sunshine Coast has the foundations for a dynamic digital games industry, driven by our world-class educational programs, robust digital infrastructure, enviable lifestyle and a strong innovation ecosystem.

“The digital games industry also has a strong alignment with the Sunshine Coast Regional Economic Development Strategy, especially in areas like talent and skills, innovation and technological advancement.”

Through a facilitated workshop, the summit identified key priority actions that will help to kick-start the digital games industry on the Sunshine Coast.

The event also revealed that there are already several people with digital games talent within the region who are keen to support industry development initiatives.

UniSC’s Professor Mark Loon said the digital games industry attracted a confluence of skills, from creative practices, problem solving and project management.

“These essential and transferable skills make the workforce in digital games a highly sought-after asset,” Professor Loon said.

“At UniSC, we pride ourselves in developing these highly skilled and creative workforces to drive and support innovations not just in digital games but also in other industries in our region.”

The success of the event demonstrates the power of regional collaboration and leadership, with stakeholders eager to build on this momentum and position the Sunshine Coast as a leading player in Australia’s digital games landscape.

Screen Queensland Head of Games Jed Dawson said that as global interest in Queensland as a new leader in games development continued to grow, the potential for the Sunshine Coast to capitalise on this momentum was incredibly strong.

“Through our Digital Games Incentive, Games Grants and Games Residency programs, Screen Queensland has worked to build capacity and capability across the state’s bourgeoning games sector in recent years and it’s fantastic to see such strong enthusiasm from Sunshine Coast Council to establish their region as a major player in local digital games development," Mr Dawson said.

“We are also committed to propelling emerging talent on the Sunshine Coast and look forward to providing some exciting new opportunities in 2025 for early-career developers to gain new skills, connect with industry and forge new employment pathway.” 

Become a member of the digital games community and stay informed on future meet-ups by signing up here: Memberships | Sunshine Coast Screen Collective on Glue Up.