EXPLANATORY NOTES

Introduction
Scope
Coverage
ABS Business Register
Statistical Unit
Historical Comparisons
Reliability of the Data
Rounding
Reference Period
Acknowledgement
Inquiries

INTRODUCTION

1 This publication presents a range of statistics relating to businesses involved in the provision of digital game development services for the 2006-07 financial year. This is the first time the ABS has published statistics on digital game development services.

SCOPE

2 The scope of the Digital Game Development Survey included all Australian businesses that generated income predominantly from the development of digital games for a range of formats. The formats included, but were not limited to:

• major consoles
• handheld consoles
• personal computers and
• mobile phones.

COVERAGE

3 The collection was a complete enumeration of all businesses identified as being in scope. As there is no specific category in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification for digital game development services, a list of digital game development businesses was manually compiled by the ABS. The list was primarily based on information provided by industry associations. The list was further supplemented by web-based research, including information from industry websites.

4 Businesses identified as being in scope of the survey were then matched to the ABS Business Register for collection design purposes.
ABS BUSINESS REGISTER

5 The ABS uses an economic statistics model on the ABS Business Register to describe the characteristics of businesses, and the structural relationships between related businesses. The units model is also used to break groups of related businesses into relatively homogeneous components that can provide data to the ABS.

6 The ABS Business Register is primarily based on registrations to the Australian Taxation Office administered Australian Business Register, i.e. businesses that have registered for an Australian Business Number (ABN). The ABS Business Register is updated monthly to take account of new businesses and businesses which have ceased employing.

7 Further details about the ABS economic statistics units used in this collection, and in other ABS economic collections (both sample surveys and censuses), can be found in Chapter 2 of the Standard Economic Sector Classifications of Australia (SESCA) 2002 (cat. no. 1218.0).
STATISTICAL UNIT

8 The ABN was the statistical unit used in this collection to represent businesses providing digital game development services and for which statistics were reported.
HISTORICAL COMPARISONS

9 Historical comparisons cannot be made as this is the first time this collection has been conducted.
RELIABILITY OF THE DATA

10 When interpreting the results of a survey it is important to take into account factors that may affect the reliability of estimates. Such factors can be classified as either sampling or non-sampling error.

11 The estimates contained in this publication were based on a census of digital game development businesses, and hence are not subject to sampling error.

12 Errors other than those due to sampling may occur in any type of collection and are referred to as non-sampling error. For this collection, non-sampling error may have resulted from such things as deficiencies in the register of businesses compiled, non-response, imperfections in reporting and/or errors made in compiling results. The extent to which non-sampling error affects the results of the collection is not precisely quantifiable. Every effort was made to minimise non-sampling error by careful design and testing of the questionnaire, efficient operating procedures and systems and the use of appropriate methodology.
ROUNDING

13 Where figures have been rounded, discrepancies may occur between the sum of the components and the total. Similar discrepancies may occur between a proportion or ratio, and the ratio of the separate components.
REFERENCE PERIOD

14 Data contained in this publication relate to businesses involved in the provision of digital game development services in Australia during the year ended June 2007. Financial estimates include the activity of any business that ceased or commenced operations during the year. Counts of businesses include only those that were operating at 30 June 2007. Employment estimates include only those persons working for businesses involved in the provision of digital game development services during the last pay period ending in June 2007.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

15 ABS publications draw extensively on information provided freely by individuals, businesses, governments and other organisations. Their continued cooperation is very much appreciated; without it, the wide range of statistics published by the ABS would not be available. Information received by the ABS is treated in strict confidence as required by the Census and Statistics Act 1905.
INQUIRIES

16 Inquiries about the statistics presented in this publication should be made by contacting the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or Sophie Vassiliou on (03) 9615 7442.