13 October 2003, Melbourne - Xbox Australia has thrown its support behind the Australian development community by announcing the XDK (Xbox Development Kit) programme, a joint venture with the Victorian Government, aimed at fostering the advancement of world class interactive entertainment in Australia.

The programme will see Xbox Australia provide 18 Xbox developer kits available for use by the State’s growing games development community. Managed through the Game Developers’ Association of Australia (GDAA), the kit will provide developers with the software and hardware required to create and test Xbox games. The GDAA will handle the application and administration processes involved with the program.

This latest investment by Xbox Australia is part of an ongoing effort to support and develop the local games market, traditionally dominated by US and UK development houses.

The growing Australian games industry currently employs around 600 full time artists, designers and producers in 40 games development firms and is estimated to be worth AUD $825 million per annum. Industry estimates predict employment figures may reach 2,000 within five years*.

The XDK program is the latest in a series of joint programmes, funded by Xbox Australia and the Victorian State Government, to promote the thriving ICT industry in Victoria.

“Microsoft Australia is pleased to be working with the Victorian Government to support Australian games developers in gaining a greater share of the US $31 billion spent worldwide each year on computer games. We are investing in their future and support the growth of the games development industry in Victoria,” said Steve Vamos, Managing Director, Microsoft Australia.

“Australia currently boasts a high calibre of existing game developers and we hope this programme will foster more talented individuals and businesses,” says Alan Bowman, General Manager, Asia Pacific Region, Microsoft Home and Entertainment Division.

“This is yet another example of the Australian game development industry working together to promote the growth of the local industry,” says Alan Lanceman, President of the Game Developers’ Association of Australia (GDAA). “The XDK programme is a positive step towards that goal, particularly for Victoria, and I’m confident it will lead to the creation of world-class games built on the Xbox console.”