Screen Australia, the country's federal agency to support its media industry, is investing in games with a pair of funds worth a total of $1.6 million.Spread across 12-15 games in both funds, the money provides "direct funding" for Australian developers. Along with original games budgeted under $500,000, the funds will go to fully new projects and give "additional opportunities" for professional studios.The Games Production Fund grants up to $100,000 towards the development of original games from Australian indies. Supported titles include Oppolyon's Ascending Inferno and Radiobush's Lightroad.Meanwhile, the Emerging Gamemakers Fund provides grants of up to $30,000 towards prototypes or micro-game creation. It went towards projects such as Deficit – The A…
There's one slide in Kitfox co-founder Tanya X Short's GDC 2024 talk on the advantages and complications of the four-day work week that packs a brutally relatable punch. It reminds onlookers that irrespective of whether you're working your dream job, it's vital to establish a "work : life balance" and not a "work : recover-from-work balance."Short has long been an advocate of the four-day week, having been living the reality at Kitfox (the indie studio she co-founded) since August 2021. During her talk, she admits to having "complex" feelings about her new reality. The best part, she says, is that "now it feels normal." That's also the worst part.Discussing the prospect of returning to the old days, she says that while two-th…
A trio of IGN workers were abruptly laid off earlier this month. Producer Francesca Rivera, video producer Jesse Gill, and senior editor Joshua Yehl were all members of the games website's recently formed IGN Creators Guild.The union alleges that on March 7, management cut those three positions without any clear reason to do so. The site is in "no economic distress," and these reductions were made without prior consultation.Management reportedly claimed these layoffs were already set in stone prior to the union's recognition. Even so, the Guild argued this was a "massive breach of trust between union employees and management.""To say I’m devastated after being laid off from my dream job at IGN after 10 years is an understatement," wrote Yehl. "…