The Legislation is expected to come into effect on 1 January 2013.  To read the Bill, click here

“As people increasingly consume interactive entertainment through mobile devices and online, it’s becoming more difficult to collect sales data through a single source.  Looking at the latest Digital New Zealand[i] report, we see that Kiwi gamers are almost buying equally through online stores and local retailers,” said Goodacre. Digital New Zealand found 24 per cent of Kiwi gamers buy games new from a download store and 14 per cent buy boxed games new from an online store, with 37 per cent buying purchased box games from a local retailer.

PriceWaterHouseCooper’s[ii] latest report echoes the growing trend towards digital games with revenue for online games expected to  increase by 12.5 per cent to $13 million in 2015 and mobile games predicted to rise by 10.5 per cent to $99 million in the same period.

Mark Goodcare commented, “There is a lot of research pointing towards a buoyant interactive games industry.  The global success  of games such as Call of Duty 3: Modern Warfare 3 which became the fastest entertainment property to hit the $1 billion milestone globally, eclipsing the previous record set in 2009 by the film Avatar, is just one example of this.”

Stephen Knightly, Chairperson of NZ Game Developers Association, says the growth of digitally distributed games is an export opportunity for New Zealand businesses.

“New Zealand is already a net exporter of digital games.  Local game studios selling our games over the internet and smartphone App stores earn more than Kiwi gamers spend playing digital and online games. Online, social and mobile games have been the fastest growing parts of the games industry in recent years and they’re also the kinds of games that Kiwis are good at making.”

Key statistics from NPD Group Australia:

• The top 20 software sales featured shooter games, role playing games, Rugby games, sports games, Timecards and Points  cards as well as Dance games.
• The most popular genre are shooter and action (both at 19 per cent) followed by family games (10 per cent) and racing (10%)

NPD data in 2011 was measured against 52 weeks compared to 52 weeks in 2010.

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About the iGEA

The Interactive Gaming & Entertainment Association proactively represents companies that publish, market and/or distribute  interactive games and entertainment content.  The iGEA aims to further advance the industry and the business interests  of its members through informing and fostering relationships with the public, the business community, government and other industry stakeholders.  The iGEA is administered by a Board of Directors and supported by the CEO, Ron Curry.  The iGEA was formerly known as the Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia (IEAA).

For more information, please visit www.igea.net.

Media spokespeople available:

• For interviews with Mark Goodacre, contact Corrie McLeod Espresso Communications (+61 419 526 848)
• For interviews with Stephen Knightly, NZGDA, phone +64 274 438 125.

The Cybersmart website has some fabulous resources to help facilitate discussion across the generations about the online world.

Cybersmart’s key messages for schools, libraries and families this Safer Internet Day are:

• Talk about online safety—with all members of your family and school community
• Protect Your Privacy—Check your privacy settings and update your software
• Educate yourself about the online world—check out the Cybersmart resources

This annual international event is coordinated by Insafe , the European network for internet safety, and supported in Australia by the ACMA.

The latest data from independent market research group NPD Group Australia, which includes all revenue generated from console hardware, games software and gaming peripherals sold through retail, reveals a 12.8 per cent contraction from the corresponding 2010 period.  Yet, as the NPD data excludes sales from online retail, downloadable content, online games subscriptions, in-game micro-transactions and mobile games, the iGEA’s CEO Ron Curry says the rising popularity in digital games isn’t reflected in the latest results.

“As Australians continue to access video games through a host of different channels, it’s becoming more challenging to aggregate sales data through a single source.  Whilst the NPD data has revealed a dip in ‘traditional retail’ sales, which according to our latest Digital Australia report[i] still represents the lion’s share of the games industry, other research has pointed to the growth in digital downloads,  multi-player online games, in game purchases and online subscriptions,” says Curry.

Local technology analyst firm Telsyte estimates that in 2012 Australians will spend over $450 million in online gaming subscriptions and in-game purchases in 2012[ii].

“Online gaming subscriptions and in-game virtual goods sales are growing strongly in Australia, and will account for around 20% of the overall digital goods and online subscriptions market (which consists of 26 categories such as Internet video, Internet music and digital news subscriptions) in 2012,” Senior Research Manager at Telsyte Sam Yip says.

Other key reports highlighting the growth of the interactive entertainment market include:

• PriceWaterHouseCooper[iii]  forecasted revenue for both traditional and digital sales to reach $2.5 billion in 2015, with online and mobile games predicted to generate close to 50 per cent of this revenue.
• IDC[iv] anticipates demand for handheld gaming hardware and software to rise by roughly 20 per cent in 2012.

Ron Curry, CEO of iGEA, says, “Overall, we’re seeing a lot of evidencepoint towards a continuing healthy interactive games industry.  The incredible success of games such as Call of Duty 3: Modern Warfare 3 which became the fastest entertainment property to hit the $1 billion milestone globally, eclipsing the previous record set in 2009 by the film Avatar, is only one example of this.”

Anthony Reed, CEO of the Games Development Association of Australia(GDAA), also credits the success of local games developers as a driving forcebehind the interactive entertainment market.

“Global consumer confidence in the digital space is encouragingexceptional growth in the Australian game development industry. In 2011, Australian made games featured highly across multiple digital platforms. For example, Brisbane’s Halfbrick Studios recorded over 120 million downloads of their smash-hit, Fruit Ninja, and 11million for the recently released, Jetpack Joyride, and Melbourne-based IronMonkey Studios won Apple’s coveted ‘Gameof the Year’ award with DeadSpace. Into2012 we will see many more innovative and creative properties made byAustralian studios releasing to a global audience,” says Reed.

Key statistics from NPD Group Australia:
The majority of games (54 per cent) sold wererated G and PG

• The top 20 software sales featured shootergames, role playing games, dancing games, timecards and sports games
• The most popular genre are shooter and action (both at 19 per cent) followed closely by family games (16 per cent)
• Software for the peak Christmas weeks (51 and52) was up 13 per cent in value and 5 per cent in units

NPD data in 2011 was measured against 52 weeks compared to 52 weeks in 2010.

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Media spokespeople available:

• For interviews with Ron Curry (iGEA) or Antony Reed (GDAA), contact Corrie McLeod Espresso
  Communications (+61 419 526 848 or +61 2 9904 4177)
• For media interviews with Sam Yip, Telsyte, please contact him directly on:+ 612 8297 4607

However the process will still take quite a while as Gamespot discusses, the Bill has to be passed through both the Upper and Lower Houses.  Kotaku then says that it is only the beginning and it still has to be put through the State processes.  It is a routine procedure but certainly not a quick one.

Whilst this is all happening we eagerly await the recommendations from the ALRC from their review in the Classification System – due at the end of February so stay tuned.

This centre will explore the role of technology in young people’s lives to develop ways of using technology to improve their mental health and wellbeing.

Here is the website for the Centre