Immerse Australia, Let’s Make Games WA, and Pixel Expo have announced that the first ever WA Games Week will hit Perth, Freo and online during the week of 17th to 23rd September.
Game developers, AR and VR enthusiasts, immersive tech people … this is for you!
The inaugural WA Games Week brings together the diverse and talented community working in games and immersive technologies in Western Australia today. With interstate guests from Australia’s top AAA gaming studios, WA’s leading experts in Extended Reality, and local games development studios, this is a landmark event that will showcase the talent, expertise and passion that is driving WA’s games and immersive technology industry today.
Natalie Marinho, Immerse Australia Chair and WAGW Steering Committee member
According to national stats, WA represents about 4% of the total Australian gaming industry, with most gaming studios and employees (around 40%) in Victoria, and another 25% in NSW and 20% in Queensland.
However, with 81% of Australians playing games regularly, and 54% of total gamers sitting in our time zone across Asia-Pacific, the gaming industry promises huge upside.
So, how about a festival to celebrate, promote and bring together this fledgling, but wonderfully talented, industry of promise?
A week-long series of events – think West Tech Fest for the games industry – will look to showcase the best of the local games and immersive technology industry and provides a platform for up-and-coming studios.
Featuring The Talks series held at the Vin & Flower in Northbridge and two days of expos at Esplanade Hotel Fremantle. “The Talks” series is one of the highlights of WA Games Week and a first-of-its-kind gathering in Western Australia. Renowned industry leaders from Australian and worldwide AAA studios will host talks and workshops, including Kelsey Gamble (League of Geeks), Ivan Ertlov (Playside Studios), Chris Murphy (Epic Games), Ash Ringrose (SMG Studio) and a special Amazon Web Services for Games session with Nirav Doshi, who will be giving away AWS credit to attendees.
In and around the The Talks, WA Games Week will be co-hosting a number of partner events with key local industry members, such as the SAE CG and Animation networking event, the Level Her Up Game Jam, a mixer hosted by Epic Games, and a VR Exhibition run by the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.
WA Games Week will be hosting a Community Town Hall with special guests from Game Plus who is currently looking into opening a Games Co-working space in Perth.
Immerse Connect, a boutique one-day conference on Extended Reality (XR), will captivate attendees with discussions on the future of immersive technology. XR encompasses cutting-edge technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, 360 video, and the
metaverse. The event will feature panel discussions with industry experts and thought leaders sharing their knowledge on XR’s impact on diverse sectors including mining, resources, design, education, training, contemporary art, virtual production and creative industries. Held
at the historic Esplanade Hotel Fremantle, this conference will delve into the possibilities and implications of these immersive technologies and their impact on various industries.
Perth Games Festival is a family-friendly event that invites the public to explore the world of game making. It serves as a platform to showcase local titles, broaden their reach, and promote the vibrant community of Western Australian game developers. The festival promises to be an engaging experience for all ages, combining education and entertainment.
Attendees can take advantage of a special 3-Event Pass, granting access to all three events at a discounted price. This allows participants to make the most of WA Games Week and enjoy the full spectrum of activities and networking opportunities available.
The WA games industry is gaining national and international interest thanks in part to the Screenwest Digital Games Funding grants which were awarded to 13 WA games projects as well as the Screen Australia grants awarded to 5 WA-based projects. Screenwest recently
unveiled this year’s second round of funding, which includes programs for developers, games studios and job placement programs to encourage professional development. Several studios have confirmed their attendance with a plan to actively recruit graduates throughout the week.
- Perth Games Festival (23 September) at Rydges Hotel, and
- Immerse Connect (22 September) a one-day boutique event about Extended Reality (XR) including virtual reality, augmented reality, 360 video and immersive technology applications across diverse industries.
You can already reserve tickets now, book a trade expo booth or even buy a badge: https://www.immerseaustralia.org/pages/wa-games-week.
For more info: https://www.wagamesweek.com
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