There’s no escaping the fact that SXSW Sydney – Australia’s iteration of Austin’s tech, music and film event, now in its third year – is absolutely beset by brands. In Tumbalong park on Saturday, families who had arrived for a free concert for kids meandered around the garish yellow CommBank Tour zone, as a line wound its way into the giant L’Oréal tent. But metres away at the International Convention Centre, inside the halls dedicated to gaming, the corporate influence was more muted.
With the global gaming industry downturn continuing with no end in sight, big studios are continuing to keep a wary distance from Australia, with its high cost of living – meaning that even at a conference that screams synergistic brand-o-rama from every pore, indie developers took centre stage. Larger teams were rare; most projects on show were the results of solo developers or couples. And, much like Australia’s gaming scene more broadly, many of them were punching above their weight.
