Games Artist Inspires Regional Homeschooled Families
Did you know that game development teams in Australia consist of 41% Programmers / Engineers and 21% digital artists?
The games industry is one of the most dynamic and creative sectors in technology, offering a wide range of career opportunities for those passionate about interactive entertainment.
The families in the Homeschool Hotline network recently received first-hand insights into the world of games development from Gameloft’s Tyson Butler‑Boschma via a virtual Young Tech Ambassadors presentation.
Globally, the games market is projected to hit USD $189 billion by 2025, making it one of the largest entertainment sectors. In Australia, the industry is thriving too, with revenue expected to reach AUD $214.28 billion in 2025, growing steadily year on year. (Statista, 2025) This growth means more opportunities for skilled professionals.
Gameloft’s Brisbane studio was named 2022 Studio of the Year at the Australian Game Developer Awards, and employs over 100 talented professionals and has produced acclaimed titles such as:
- Zombie Anarchy
- Ballistic Baseball
- My Little Pony: Mane Merge
- The Oregon Trail™
- Carmen Sandiego
Tyson Butler‑Boschma is an Associate Cinematics and Lighting Lead at Gameloft Brisbane and the founder of Toybox Games Studios. With over 13 years in the industry, Tyson has worked on projects like Torque Drift 2, Netflix’s Battle Kitty and Fortnite’s We Will Be Monsters series. His indie title Primordials Legends: Hollow Hero is currently in development. Tyson is also an educator and author, with freshly released book called ‘Unreal Engine 5 Best Practices: The ultimate guide to advanced visual storytelling, design, lighting, and performance in UE5’.
During his presentation, Tyson emphasised that there is more than one path into a tech career. He reiterated ‘the importance of doing things like certificates and stuff like that. I used a diploma as my way to sort of launch myself into a Bachelor’s degree. Don't be so paralysed by, “I need to get a really high ATAR score to do what I want to do.” There are many, many solutions to many, many different roles.’
Jillina Whittaker, Founder and CEO of Homeschool Hotline has a mission is to support families who choose homeschooling over distance education or boarding school. Homeschool Hotline works with families to create a sense of community. Supported by Home Education Regional & Rural Discussion (HERRD), Jillina curates unique learning opportunities like the presentation from Young Tech Ambassador Tyson.
The games industry is booming globally and locally and offers exciting career paths for creative and technical minds alike. With free tools and inspiring role models like Tyson, there’s never been a better time to start building your future in games.
Jillina notes that ‘the students had a fantastic time learning from Tyson and hearing about his career journey. I loved how he connected with the kids by sharing his story of growing up in a small Tasmanian town, showing that many doors are still open to regional and rural students like ours. His message that hard work, education, and creativity can lead to a career you love truly inspired everyone.’
You don’t need expensive tools to begin your journey. Free software options include:
- Scratch
- Microsoft Makecode Arcade
- Godot
- Unreal Engine
- Unity
- Blender
- Krita
- Figura
Purchase Tyson’s valuable guide
View the IGEA Y2024 Australian Game Development Survey Industry Snapshot
The ACS Young Tech Ambassadors program is funded by the Queensland Government.
Book a Young Tech Ambassador for 2026 at https://www.acs.org.au/careers.html.