It would appear Australians can't seem to get enough of video games.
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Last year was one of the biggest years for the video game industry in Australia, with most recent figures from the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association showing the sector was worth almost $2.5 billion. By 2017, it's expected to grow to more than $3 billion.
But Australian video game developers are saying they're failing to reap the rewards, as well as the profits, from the growing industry.
On first glance, it would appear that Australian video game development company Blowfish Studios was the success story of the local industry.
Founded in 2008, the independent studio hit the big time with their mobile strategy game, Siegecraft. The game was downloaded more than 1.5 million times and was the number one game for iPads on the US charts, grossing more than $500,000. The game was also featured by Apple for the launch of the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5.
But despite the success of Siegecraft and the growing demand for video games in Australia, subsequent games released by the studio failed to reach the same levels of success, leading to financial hardship.
The situation became worse when the studio's funding from the federal government, which was part of a $20 million fund supporting Australian video game developers to create original games, was cut in the 2014 budget.
The studio's managing director, Ben Lee, says creating original Australian games isn't enough to survive in the industry. Instead, the studio develops games devised by outside companies in order to stay afloat.
"With the gaming industry being a global industry ... there needs to be a desire to compete globally," Mr Lee said.
"We're definitely finding it hard, because there's a lot of opportunities to do well but there's no initial funding on the issue."
Mr Lee says other Australian video game developers are also finding it hard to survive, despite surging video game sales across the country.
"Most independent developers are struggling, it's not the best economy [for developers] in Australia," Mr Lee said.
The lack of support for Australian video game developers is set to be a key focus of a new inquiry into the Australian video game industry, which was moved earlier this week by Greens Senator Scott Ludlam.
It will also look at ways to help Australian-made video games be more successful in overseas markets.
"[Video games in Australia] had a thriving sector but then there was a cascade of collapses," Senator Ludlam said.
"The sector's been neglected because of politicians assuming the industry is irrelevant ... it's not seen as part of mainstream culture."
The Senate inquiry is set to report by April 2016, with a date for submissions to be announced in coming weeks.
Senator Ludlam said the major factor for why many game studios were finding it difficult was the funding cut by the Abbott government.
"[The cut] hit an industry sector that was already bashed up from the global financial crisis, and that was the final nail in the coffin," Senator Ludlam said.
It isn't just smaller, independent studios that are struggling financially. In April, major game studio 2K Australia closed its doors, citing development costs.
"We've had five or six triple-A studios in Australia all shut down, and they're capable of producing some of the world's best games. Everyone's finding it hard," Mr Lee said.
