While much of the arts sector has taken a massive hit this year during the coronavirus pandemic, it has been an entirely different story for the video game sector.
Ella Macintyre, from Adelaide-based developer Mighty Kingdom, said more people entertaining themselves at home meant business was booming.
"It's definitely showing how valuable the gaming industry can be and the value that it brings to people," she said.
It is something the South Australian Government hopes to capitalise on with a new 10 per cent rebate for production costs associated with game-making.
Skills Minister David Pisoni said it was the first time a rebate like this had been offered for video game production in Australia.
He expected it to create a "snowball effect" for jobs.
"Companies will move to South Australia and companies that are here will grow," he said.
Ms Macintyre said it had already prompted them to engage with larger international companies about bringing more development into South Australia.
"We've been able to grow significantly in the last five years, employing more people — more young people, especially," she said.
"Hopefully, we'll see more of that continue."
Industry already growing
South Australian company Foxie Games was already growing pre-pandemic, going from three employees to 25 in two years.
Founder Dineth Abeynayake said he believed the rebate would help them, and other local studios, grow even more.
"I think it's going to lead to a lot of job creation in a lot of different areas from, you know, programmers to artists to writers and designers," he said.
"It's something that the industry has been pushing towards for a long time."
It is being modelled after a similar rebate for film post-production, digital and visual effects, introduced in 2018.
South Australian Film Corporation chief executive Kate Croser said it was early days, but that the scheme had already been very successful.
"We've seen a 50 per cent increase in the size of the sector and the amount of work that's been generated in South Australia," she said.
"We're hoping for exactly the same kind of results for the South Australian video game development."
Eligible projects will have to spend at least $250,000 in South Australia to claim the money.
