On Tuesday, Melbourne independent developers, Brawsome and Play-bit Entertainment revealed that they were successful in their applications for Film Victoria's Games Investment Program.
There were another three projects that were green lighted, and with a recently released press release from Film Victoria, we can see the complete list of grant recipients as well as the new projects that will be developed under the program. A total of $330,000 worth of funding this round go to:
• Rugby Union, Wicked Witch Software: This official football game for iPhone will feature all official clubs and players with 3D graphics for arcade game play and a range of fun activities and mini-games.
• Urban Wolf, Brawsome: A puzzle adventure game is for PC/Mac/iPhone/iPad, where players help a magician escape unique puzzling rooms using the power of a mysterious amulet.
• Puzzle Treasure, Play-Bit Entertainment: A free-to-play social game for Facebook that challenges players and their friends to solve, create and share 2D Dissection Puzzles.
• Table Top Cricket, Big Ant Studios:This PlayStation Network and Xbox Live game takes a fun and addictive approach to table top cricket while pushing the online aspects of the consoles and bringing players together in a world cup.
• Mykola on the roof, Ivan Dickson/Greg Sharp: This independent game for iPad, iPhone and web features Mykola, a chimney sweep, who survives in a post-industrial world gone berserk by making friends and taming beasts.
When the Games Investment Program was announced late last year, it gave a good indicator on the kind of projects that Film Victoria were looking to fund, and it's evident that all these projects are aiming for publication on the current leading platforms in the digitally distributed space.
From the press release, Innovation, Services and Small Business Minister, Louise Asher...
The Victorian Government has committed more funding towards digital content than any other state or federal funding agency in Australia. Victorian companies have continued to release worldwide hits, including Flight Control, The Sims 3 for iPhone and Train Conductor...
Victoria's local games community is world renowned for its innovation and capability, and our first round of Games Investment demonstrates this emphatically. The quality and diversity of these projects are a testament to the talent of our digital media practitioners and companies.