Melbourne’s credentials as Australia’s digital games “heartland” has been boosted with the launch of Australia’s largest games development headquarters, Electronic Arts’ Firemonkeys studio in Docklands.
Firemonkeys - formed with the merger of two independent Australian studios, Firemint and IronMonkey - was established when global games giant EA Games acquired both studios and brought them together in 2012.
Since the companies came together, the mobile gaming industry has grown exponentially – as has the studio – and with 170 employees, the team has moved to the Docklands after outgrowing its former offices on St Kilda Road.
General Manager Firemonkeys, Tony Lay, says the new headquarters will allow Firemonkeys to attract and retain the best talent and increase its technical capacity in the years ahead.
{loadposition peter}“We are proud to be Australia’s largest mobile game developer, and our new Docklands office represents a continued commitment to innovation, creativity and collaboration, which is at the core of Firemonkeys’ work and success.
“It also signals our commitment to Melbourne, which we believe is the creative heart of the mobile gaming industry in Australia – and increasingly at a global level too.”
Lay says Melbourne is home to almost half of Australia’s game developers with 107 development studios ranging from leading global companies to independent boutique developers.
And, Victoria is also leading the way in games education with approximately 1,000 students graduating from games-related tertiary courses annually.
Victoria’s Minister for Creative Industries, Martin Foley, said the digital games sector is one of the fastest growing global industries and the (Firemonkey’s expansion) is “ensuring that Victoria is the best place to do business”.
The Minister said the Firemonkeys’ story is one of “innovation, creativity and global success”.
“The expansion of Australia’s leading games company – and its continued success – will mean more jobs for local developers so Victoria can continue to keep and attract the world’s best talent.
“Melbourne is where Australia’s games sector began and today we continue to lead the way - creating some of the most popular digital games in the world.”