Video games in Australia

The video game industry in Australia is worth $4.21 billion annually as of 2022, inclusive of traditional retail and digital sales.

[2] In the fiscal year 2016–17, revenue from Australian game developers was approximately $118.5 million, 80 percent of which was from overseas sales.

[4] Beam Software was one of the first Australian game development studios to achieve global success, with a text adventure adaption of The Hobbit released in 1982 for the ZX Spectrum.

The company went on to produce other successful titles including The Way of the Exploding Fist for Commodore 64 in 1985 and Le Mans for the SEGA Dreamcast in 2001.

[6] John De Margheriti later established the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE) in 1996 and founded the Game Developers Association of Australia (GDAA) in 1999.

[9] The real-time strategy game Dark Reign: The Future of War, developed by Queensland-based Auran, achieved widespread critical and commercial success upon its release in 1997.

[13] In 2005, the top three games by units sold were Gran Turismo 4, GTA: San Andreas and Pokémon Emerald.

[30] The flagship event was held from October 5-7th 2021 virtually and had keynote speakers such as Prof. Anantha Duraiappah, Noah Falstein, Vince Sui, Prof. Patrea Andersen and Prof. Jonathan Louis Duckworth.

[37] Notable video games that were refused classification by the ACB prior to the introduction of an R18+ for video games include: Duke Nukem 3D, Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Left 4 Dead 2, Mortal Kombat (2011) and The House of the Dead: Overkill Extended Cut.

On 22 July 2011, the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General agreed in-principle to introduce legislation that would allow video games to be classified R18+.

[43][44][45] Games can still be refused classification and banned from sale if they "depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified", "describe or depict in a way that is likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult, a person who is, or appears to be, a child under 18 (whether the person is engaged in sexual activity or not)", or "promote, incite or instruct in matters of crime or violence".

Material which is refused classification is put on the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service list of prohibited items.

[47] An individual is allowed to own, use, access or create Refused Classification items, including games (except in Western Australia and/or if they contain illegal content).

But a Refused Classification rating means that the created item is illegal to sell, hire, advertise or import within Australia.