Some sources have been reporting that the release of Film Victoria’s 2012-13 budget had indicated that games will no longer be supported by the Victorian Government, as the games investment program seems to have been removed.

If true, this would be a big blow to local developers, many of whom rely on such funding to develop games. The recent Bullistic Unleashed is one such recipient of funding from Film Victoria.

However, MCV points out that the omission of the games investment program from the budget does not necessarily mean that funding has been cut. The CEO of the GDAA (Game Developer’s Association of Australia), Antony Reed, has outlined that the Film Act of 2001 obligates Film Victoria to support game development. MCV also point to the lack of any media release announcing the funding cut from Film Victoria. However, he also believes that funding may need to be re-allocated from film and television resources in order to allow game funding to continue. Reed also believes that the GDAA will be part of the discussions surrounding Film Victoria’s reduced budget.

Gamespot are also reporting that Victorian premier Ted Baillieu has not yet made an official statement regarding the allocation of funding, and that Film Victoria’s department (the Department of Business and Innovation) will be finalising its business plan and programs to be delivered from 1 July.

There is certainly some confusion regarding what exactly the state of game funding is in Victoria, so stay tuned for any further developments to the situation.