PLAY NOW MELBOURNE - LAUNCH OF AUSTRALIA’S GAMES MARKET

Today marks the launch of Play Now Melbourne, the inaugural Australian international games market.

Set to be held on Thursday 5 October, at this year’s Melbourne International Games Week, Play Now Melbourne will become the pre-eminent gateway to the world of Australian games. 

The market will see an impressive suite of Australian developers pitch their games to international publishers, platform holders and investors, at Melbourne’s iconic State Library of Victoria.

Leading global publishers and platform holders such as Kepler Interactive, Landfall Games and Meta are already signed on for the market, with more major players to be announced in coming months. 

Presented by VicScreen, Victoria’s creative and economic screen development agency, Play Now Melbourne enhances Victoria’s reputation as an indie games powerhouse, home to beloved titles such as Cult of the Lamb, Kinder World and the highly anticipated Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical. 

The market is locked in for 2023 and 2024, providing a forum for Australian developers to make meaningful professional relationships that can propel the careers of local creatives in the years to come. 

Placing Victoria on the international games trade events calendar, alongside the likes of GamesCom and GDC, Play Now Melbourne will be the leading market platform to do business with Australia’s electric digital games sector during Melbourne of International Games Week. 

Expressions of interest are now open for developers from across Australia who are seeking a career-changing publishing deal. For more information, visit: vicscreen.vic.gov.au/playnow

Minister for Creative Industries Steve Dimopoulos, said “Play Now Melbourne is set to catapult the careers of local games makers by connecting them with global industry partners – helping to create local jobs.”

“Victoria is a games industry leader and that’s a reputation we’re committed to growing through initiatives like Play Now Melbourne, an exciting addition to our already jam-packed Melbourne International Games Week.”

VicScreen CEO Caroline Pitcher said, “Play Now Melbourne is an unmissable market where international publishers and local developers are set to converge.”

“Play Now Melbourne will create meaningful and ongoing opportunities for local game developers to succeed on the global stage, leading to stable and rewarding careers.”  

Massive Monster Creative Director, Julian Wilton, said “Play Now Melbourne will set a new precedent for a thriving game development ecosystem, propelling Melbourne International Games Week onto the global stage.”

“By fostering connections between developers and key stakeholders from the realms of funding, publishing, and storefronts, this groundbreaking initiative empowers developers to establish and sustain robust game development enterprises, significantly enhancing their prospects for success.”