Public investment in the e-games industry will be, “easily recouped  through economic growth and increased tax receipts” the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association argues in a new  discussion paper.

But for the 5000 students enrolled in “games-related” courses now the “unsupported industry” means “there are currently not enough jobs to keep these graduates in Australia,” which IGEA argument may not go down well with the universities and colleges teaching game-making.

The IGEA makes a case for reinstating the long-gone government $40m Australian Interactive Games Fund and adding other incentives, including a 30 per cent refundable tax offset, modelled on the concession for the film post-production and visual-effects industry. IGEA suggests the money can come from “streamlining and modernising” financial incentives “for the broader screen industry.”