This original South Park online game was developed by Buenos Aires-based videogame studio QB9.

The talent and cost advantages behind the animation resurgence in Argentina are also evident in the video game development industry, according to Gamasutra, a leading online resource for programmers and gamers alike. Gamasutra visited this month’s EVA, the Argentine Video game Expo, and tells readers about “the dramatic qualitative game industry growth on full display in Buenos Aires.” The Expo gave local video game studios like QB9, Sabarasa and Three Melons the opportunity to showcase their various online and iPhone games designed for major industry players like Sony, Nintendo and Comedy Central. Gamasutra summarizes the cost and talent advantages of BA for foreign companies: “An exchange rate of 3.81:1 of the Argentine Peso to the US Dollar makes investment capital go a long way in Buenos Aires…these companies are the game start-up equivalent of a Prius, so perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that the number of companies is growing even as the established studios begin to consolidate and move away from work-for-hire.” A strong entrepreneurial streak is also evident as talented artists, developers and designers begin to strike out on their own. Gamasutra concludes, “many people who have experience working in those larger companies have branched out to begin their own, more lightweight ventures. The future of the industry here may be just as uncertain as the fate of the global industry, but the feeling of freedom will always be part of the package for the Argentine game community.” (Full article)