In a weekend dominated by football games, Victoria’s digital games sector also came out a winner with four locally made games hitting the top of the iTunes charts at home and abroad.
Mobile game Shooty Skies, which follows on from the success of the globally popular Victoria-made game Crossy Road, was launched on Friday and went straight to number one on the Australian charts and number two in the USA. Shooty Skies is the first release from the newly established game development studio Mighty Games, a collaboration between Crossy Road creators Andy Sum and Matt Hall in partnership with local industry veterans Matt Ditton (founder of independent studio Many Monkeys) and Ben Britten (formerly of Tin Man Games).
Mighty Games was founded in The Arcade, a collaborative working space for the games industry located at Southbank and supported by Creative Victoria.
Taking out the top spot in the USA was street-racing mobile game Need For Speed: No Limits, developed by Firemonkeys, the local creative minds behind globally successful games Flight Control, Real Racing and The Sims Freeplay.
Also representing Victoria on the national and international charts was driving game Torque Burnout from Fitzroy-based producers League of Monkeys, and skateboarding game True Skate by Melbourne-based company True Axis.
Victoria is home to close to half of Australia’s digital games industry, with more than 100 game development studios, animation houses and games industry service providers.
The strengths of the local industry will go on show from 23 October to 1 November during the inaugural Melbourne International Games Week, which will bring together a host of games and technology events aimed at the industry, enthusiasts and educators. Highlights include a 48-hour Microsoft hackathon; leading industry conferences Unite Australia and Game Connect Asia Pacific; an education in games summit; and PAX AUS, a major international games celebration that will attract thousands of gamers to the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre.
For more information on Melbourne International Games Week visit:
Quotes attributable to Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley
“In Victoria, games are a serious business , and it’s wonderful to see local games continuing to be recognised and enjoyed internationally. This kind of success drives further industry growth and gives even more people across the globe the chance to experience Victorian products.”
“The Andrews Labor Government will further strengthen our games industry by presenting the first Melbourne International Games Week, a celebration of our local talent, success and leadership.”
Quotes attributable to Game Developers’ Association of Australia CEO Antony Reed
"Seeing four Melbourne-made games in the Top 10 of the iOS App Store is incredible, but not surprising. Our local sector has been flourishing for years – we have some of the world’s most innovative and talented game developers right on our doorstep.”
“Our constant presence in the global charts is a testament to their creativity and brilliance, and we congratulate them wholeheartedly."
iTUNES CHART POSITIONS – AUSTRALIA AND USA
Australian iTunes Chart Positions:
#1 Shooty Skies (Mighty Games, Southbank)
#2 Need For Speed: No Limits (Firemonkeys, Melbourne)
#3 Torque Burnout (League of Monkeys, Fitzroy)
#4 True Skate (True Axis, Melbourne)
US iTunes Chart Positions:
#1 Need for Speed (Firemonkeys, Melbourne)
#2 Shooty Skies (Mighty Games, Southbank)
#6 Torque Burnout (League of Monkeys, Fitzroy)
#9 True Skate (True Axis, Melbourne)
Reviewed 19 August 2020