Given the sheer size of this huge Down Under place in the southern hemisphere, which itself is geographically acknowledged as being a continent, Australia is a land that fills people with a sense of wonderment. This fascinating location has also provided the inspiration for countless popular video game releases, whether directly themed around this remarkable country, encouraged by development wizards of Oz, based digital hubs like Sydney and Melbourne.
Australia is also home to an innovative and thriving games development industry, with major studios and producers flocking to the country from overseas, attracted by the creativity of local talent and companies. Game Companies maintains a growing list of the most creative studios, combining mainstream gaming and iGaming, highlighting their locations here: https://gamecompanies.com/industries/oceania/australian-game-industry/companies
While the scope for gaming really has no limits, thanks to the ingenuity of studios across a broad spectrum of platforms, let’s take a look at a couple of ideas that provided Australian inspiration. And how they came about is quite intriguing, fueled the desire to engage players and entertain, taking us from spinning wheels to revolving reels, and even ancient creatures that discovered newfound fame in their digital realms.
Mad Max
Often credited with putting Australian firmly on the cinematic map, the first installment also turned Mel Gibson into a Hollywood star and the rest, as they say, is history. George Miller has remained involved in the franchise, writing the screenplay for two further sequels during the 1980’s, before producing the Mad Max: Fury Road reboot, with further movies due in 2024 and beyond.
But remarkably, despite such an engaging theme ideally suited to video gaming, the first release inspired by the Mad Max movie franchise came in 1990, produced by Mindscape. They developed another based in the post-apocalyptic Australian outback, albeit named Outlander, having lost the official movie license by 1992. The most recent gaming iteration of Mad Max came in 2015, placing an increased emphasis on driving in The Wasteland.
Did you know? Mad Max is an iconic figure in Australian cinema, yet his appearances in video games have been surprisingly limited. However, this fascinating character is now the theme for a growing selection of pokies, currently available at leading Aussie online casino sites reviewed and rated by https://www.topaustraliangambling.com/online-casinos/real-money/
The spinning reels of Aussie pokies has become a key focus for developers, merging entertainment mediums with casino games based upon popular movies and music. To accompany the release of Mad Max Fury Road, iGaming studio Aristocrat won the license to produce their unique take on the movie. Packed with bonus features and imagery from the cinematic release, our hero Max Rockatansky is equally at home on the spinning reels.
Crash Bandicoot
The original Crash Bandicoot game was released exclusively on the Playstation, instantly becoming a huge success for Naughty Dog, the founding creators of this popular franchise. Since then, several other developers have taken the reins, resulting in the continuation of a series that now spans more than 25 years.
Scheduled for online release later this year, Crash Team Rumble will be the 26th title in this popular series, putting players into a multiplayer online battle arena. Competing teams of four versus four will seek to capture the Wumpa Fruit, harking back to the roots of this game series Wumpa Islands, the fictional archipelago where humans and mutant animals coexist.
Did you know? Beyond hitting our screens as the principal character of a video game franchise, the Crash Bandicoot was actually a real creature, albeit one that has been extinct for millions of years. Fossils of the tiny marsupials were found at the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, located in the northeast of Australia: https://www.jstor.org/stable/24523232
Bearing a striking resemblance to the surviving modern bandicoot species, this early relation was an unexpected discovery for the paleontologist community. They suggested these creatures had “crashed” out of wet rainforests during the Miocene period, migrating to settle into the semiarid regions of Australia, inspiring developers of the Crash Bandicoot games.
Australian Essence
Both of these eponymous characters are firmly part of Australian digital culture, having made their mark on the gaming industry. Already firmly established over decades, Mad Max and Crash Bandicoot will undoubtedly continue to entertain players for decades to come. They capture the spirit of Oz in unique ways, and looking ahead, this country is certainly a sure bet for an increased range of inspiring development in games.
