South Australian government launches $2M digital games investment fund

The Adelaide state government has established a $2 million investment fund to create a "world leading" Digital Games Development Hub in South Australia. 

The hub will be operated by Game Plus, a collaborative workplace for game devs and tech start-ups, and is expected to create up to 500 new games industry jobs. 

Around $450,000 will be used to build the hub itself, which will consist of 29 'hot-desks' available for digital games companies, while another $1.3 million will be set aside to assist with the production and marketing of games made in the Adelaide region. 

A further $200,000 will be invested in industry-specific skills development and education programs. It's hoped the initiative will encourage more Australian game developers to set up shop in the South, and eventually attract top talent from around the world. 

"Job creation is the number one priority for the State Government. This new Game Plus Hub is set to create around 500 jobs in three years, while positioning SA as a national leader in the rapidly growing gaming industry," said South Australia's Premier, Jay Weatherill. 

"Business confidence in SA is the highest in the nation, and our investment in this hub is set to drive investment from game developers from around the nation and the world.

"The $2 million fund to support the development of the hub sits alongside a range of measures we have put in place to drive jobs growth and foster our leadership in emerging industries - including the $200 million Future Jobs Fund, Job Accelerator Grant and payroll tax cuts for small business."