78% of Australian developers expect growth in 2017
Survey by IGEA and GDAA reveals studios down under made in excess of $114.9m this year
Two Australian trade bodies have released the results of their year-end survey, which shows the local industry is feeling optimistic about the year ahead.
The survey was carried out by the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association and Game Developers Association of Australia, and is based on the 63 companies that chose to provide financial information or had a turnover of $25,000 or more for the last financial year, GameSpot reports.
The results show that that 78% of Australian games companies expect to see growth in 2017, with 41% hoping for "significant growth". Together, the 63 studios reported revenues of $114.9m in 2016, with 81% of that income originating overseas.
The combined headcount of those that responded was 842. Only 19% of this identified as female - while this is behind the 22% reported in an international survey from 2015, it is at least higher than the UK's proportion of women in games development, which came in at around 15%.
One in three staff members at the companies surveyed are programmers, with artists the second most common profession at 24% of the nation's workforce. Another 20% work in management, admin and marketing.
51% of Australia's games studios are based in Melbourne, with Brisbane and Sydney accounting for 13% and 14% respectively. A further 51% of these companies are independent developers that focus solely on their own IP. Meanwhile, 42% develop a mix of their own properties and games or services for other clients.
More than half of Australian developers are working on iOS titles, with 45% working on Android. Virtual reality has only attracted 9% of local studios so far.
You can read more in the infographic below, and be sure to check out GamesIndustry.biz's own 2016: The Year In Numbers infographic here.
