Photo by Igor Karimov 🇺🇦 on Unsplash
Today’s tech world is all about challenger brands We see them in every niche, new businesses from unusual places upsetting the status quo by producing everything from antivirus solutions to smartphone handsets that are every bit as good as the leading brands, and often significantly better.
Today, we are going to take a look at a handful of such challengers that operate in the gaming sector. Now traditionally, that has largely been a battle between big-hitting industry giants from the US and Japan. SEGA, Nintendo, Electronic Arts, Rockstar, Sony, all those big guys.
There has always been room for indies, but historically, they have been like small-scale car manufacturers. Interesting to look at but no serious threat to the market leaders. That’s all started to change over the past decade as one after another, Australian game studios have developed titles that have shot to the top of the download charts and made everyone take notice.
Born from the hardest of times
So where have all these studios, bursting with Australian talent, appeared from? The pithy answer is the suburbs of Sydney, mostly. Their evolution began in the years immediately following the financial crash of 2008. In the early 2000s, the big US companies, in particular, had chosen Australia as a place to set up remote operations due to the nation’s superior infrastructure and top-class educations system. Japan had done the same to a lesser extent.
When the crash came, more than half had gone within a year and almost all by 2011. Hundreds of talented coders, developers and designers, with experience working for the biggest companies in the industry were cut loose. Who can blame them for setting up either independently or in partnerships and loose collaborations. Great talents with a point to prove and the freedom to create whatever they want – now that is a melting pot that is guaranteed to deliver some interesting results. That’s exactly how it has turned out. The following examples are in no particular order, but are all shaking up the gaming scene on a global scale to a greater or lesser extent.
Juego Studios have all the expertise
Juego is the perfect example of the Australian gaming ethos in action. They have crafted a strong team of talented professionals who put the focus on quality in terms of both products and service delivery. Juego doesn’t develop whole games, but instead provides professional services such as design, art, blockchain and so on for mobile games, AAA video games, etc. as well as delivering world-class art assets for game developers around the world.
Chaos Theory is a brand on a mission
One of Australia’s leading gaming companies, Chaos Theory’s mission statement is to inspire social change through interactive entertainment. Their platform makes making it really simple to create educational, marketing and entertaining apps and release them either on discs or through the App Store. With its bundled high-end security iOS offers, Chaos Theory is becoming the provider of choice for businesses looking for gamification solutions that do not compromise on quality.
Hipster Whale was the original disruptor
We can’t not mention Hipster Whale. The business was created over lunch by two of the disenfranchised young talents we were discussing earlier. Their debut title took a classic from the 8-bit era, added some extra features and repackaged it for the smartphone age. Literally within a couple of days they were millionaires, and Crossy Road continues to enjoy massive downloads.
Aristocrat is a global presence on the casino scene
Aristocrat Leisure is a little different to the rest here, as it was a pillar of the gaming scene long before online games. In fact, this year the company celebrates its 70th anniversary. Aristocrat started out literally building slot machines, for which it has built a global reputation. Here, though, is a company that has learned the importance of evolving with the times and it is behind some of the games that are showcased at the very latest Australian online casinos. You can find out more at Gamble Online Australia.
Gnomic Studios is a key Microsoft partner
Perth-based Gnomic Studios was formed in 2009 when Australia’s gaming industry was at its lowest ebb. The studio’s specialty is creating games for Microsoft’s annual Dream.Build.Play. competition, which has been running since 2009. Boasting an experienced team of developers alongside cutting-edge technology, Gnomic’s stated mission is to bring the best gaming experience to all players.
PlaySide Studios dares to be different
PlaySide Studios, from Melbourne, has gradually taken its place as one of Australia’s leading gaming companies. It has snared some lucrative contracts with the likes of Disney and Warner Bros by recruiting some of the most creative and imaginative developers on its teams.
The Nine Hertz is focused on mobile innovation
This respected Australian game development company provides custom mobile app and web solutions, using the very latest software and expertise. The company is famed for placing customer satisfaction as the highest priority, making them a go-to for businesses in and outside Australia who seek to create a superior mobile offering.
These are just seven examples, but they provide an overview of the range and depth of Australian gaming companies that are taking the industry by storm. Some are new, others have been around for years, but all are disrupting the status quo in the global gaming arena.
