Australia has a solid history of developing incredible games for mobile, consoles, PCs, and more. But while “The Land Down Under” is pulling more than its fair share in the gaming industry, it’s not the only country working towards fostering ambitious and creative projects at their home studios.
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According to the Arts Minister Andrea Michaels, South Australia boasts of incredibly creative minds and the gaming sector is going at a tremendous rate. The minister further added that it’s amazing that the SAGE exhibition attracted over 2000 people in a single weekend, allowing them to experience the creativity and innovation of local developers. It also allowed gaming enthusiasts to see how they can enjoy a career in this intriguing market.
Across the two days, South Australian game developers gathered in Adelaide Studios to showcase their latest projects. That includes everything from spooky horror-themed games to squirrel-starring adventures, endless chicken runners, stealth games, and more. The exhibition also featured a sense of personality in every game developed and watching the delight of creators showing off their creations made clear the talent and passions behind every project.
In multiple demo booths and panels, game developers spoke about their excitement for their creations and the validation that comes from being supported by the government. For some game developers, the exhibition opened doors for financial support to make their ideas a reality with the backing necessary to keep developing their work. For other game developers, financial backing was the difference between abandoning their projects or hiring market specialists to realize their vision.
The games showcased across the 2-day exhibition were presented at different stages of completion. Some of the games have been under development for years, while others are just taking off the ground, with solid concepts that may flourish with public exposure and financial backing.
For instance, “The Light I Promised You” started as a student project before it was recreated into a more intriguing demo with great promise. At the 2024 SAGE exhibition, the creative team managed to showcase their creation to the public, creating traction and feedback about the growing project.
The exhibition featured multiple other highlights, including the puzzle game Beach Bums. This tongue-in-cheek puzzle game tasks you with returning adrift swimmers to their owners and hauls you into a fast-paced gameplay with plenty of obstacles.
The most heartwarming part of the SAGE 2024 exhibition is the number of kids that roamed the show floors speaking to developers and testing out the games. That shows the younger generations who are growing up playing video games appreciate their true value. The younger generation plays games to learn, relax, and connect with friends.
That said, SAGE 2024 seemed like an excellent place for Australian games to cross another bridge, with kids learning about gaming as a career path. It also helped to show the developers that they can launch ambitious video game projects with the passion, time, and support needed. That shows that video games will grow stronger in the future and become more intertwined with our daily lives.
The kids wandering around at the SAGE 2024 playing inspiring demos and asking lots of questions likely walked away with a clear understanding of the video game market and the future. They also showed an interest in becoming part of the South Australian local gaming community.
