Video games in New Zealand

In New Zealand, 67% of the population plays video games, 46% of video game players are female and the average age of a video game player is 34. New Zealanders spend an average of 88 minutes a day playing video games.[1]

As of 31 March 2020, the New Zealand video game development industry employed 747 full-time game developers and New Zealand studios earned $323.9 million in revenue, of which 96% came from international audiences.[2] In addition, New Zealand consumers spent $501.4m on video games in 2019.[3] Despite the difference in population size, New Zealand game development is comparable to Australia's, in terms of revenue and employment.[4]

Industry bodies for video games in New Zealand include the New Zealand Game Developers Association, which supports video game developers, and the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association, which represents publishers and platforms.

History
A Sportronic game console

New Zealand was an early adopter of the video game phenomenon, despite its remoteness.[5] Many Atari 2600 titles were assembled under licence by Monaco Distributors in Auckland.[6] New Zealand developed its own Pong-style game console, the Sportronic, in the late 1970s, as a result of import licensing laws.[7][8]

The development of games in New Zealand was continued in the 1980s and 90s. Notable games include Laser Hawk, which was developed for the Atari 8-bit family in 1986 by Andrew Bradfield and Harvey Kong Tin, and Super Skidmarks, which was released for the Amiga in 1995 and was developed by Auckland-based company Acid Software.

Major companies and global recognition

Although a minor player in the global video gaming industry, New Zealand has had success with homegrown game developers. Sidhe, the largest game studio in New Zealand, have developed a number of sports games, including several titles in the Rugby League series. Dinosaur Polo Club developed Mini Metro. The action RPG Path of Exile, perhaps the best-known New Zealand game, was developed by Grinding Gear Games and released in 2013, enjoying international success. The video game series Bloons was made by the New Zealand company Ninja Kiwi.

The New Zealand Game Developers Association was formed in 2001 to support the development of games in New Zealand.

Events and exhibitions

The New Zealand Game Developers Conference is held annually.[9] The New Zealand Games Festival[10] is held in Wellington around Easter each year and includes several events including the Play By Play conference and The Pavs, the New Zealand Games Awards. There are many regular Meetups in cities nationwide.[11]

The Game Masters exhibition was held at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa from 15 December 2012 through to 28 April 2013. The Arcade:Homegrown Video Games exhibition was held at Dowse Art Museum from 10 Nov 2012 – 24 Feb 2013 and then toured nationally.[12]

Independent scene

The rise of digital platforms has seen independent studios publish video games worldwide, including Rainbite and Screenshock Games, each consisting of developers trained at Media Design School in Auckland.

Banned games

In 2003, Manhunt became the first video game officially banned in New Zealand.[13] In 2004, Postal 2 and its demo were banned on the basis of gross and abhorrent content.[14]

Video Game Development
See also: New Zealand Game Developers Association

Game developers from New Zealand
  • A44 Games
  • Balancing Monkey Games
  • Black Salt Games
  • Camshaft Software LTD
  • Code Force Limited
  • Cosmink
  • Hyporeal Ltd
  • Metia Interactive
  • Morepork Games
  • Mune Studio
  • Ninja Kiwi
  • RageQuit Studios (Not the same as Polish dev Rage Quit Games)
  • Rainbite
  • retna studios
  • RiffRaff Games (Prior name 'Studio Mayday' 2019 till 2022)
  • Shoggoth Games
  • StaplesVR (AR/VR experiences, training & games; apps)
  • Trigger Happy Interactive
  • Weathership Ltd
  • Wētā Workshop (Game studio)

Misc Games
  • 2UP Games (Mobile games. Investment from Supercell.)
  • Beyond Studio (VR & mobile games)
  • CerebralFix Limited (Mobile, online & VR/AR games; apps; art co-production)
  • GEO AR Games (AR games)
  • Grinding Gear Games (Online games)
  • Mad Carnival Games (Founded by co-founder of Method Studios & M-Theory. Online games.)
  • Media Design School (Educational institution with game developments)
  • Method Studios (Interactive entertainment, AR/VR, motion control games)
  • Mighty Eyes (Merger of M-Theory & Oddboy. AR/VR games.)
    • M-Theory (AR/VR, games, apps. Setup by founders of Method Studios.)
    • Oddboy (AR/VR games & experiences)
  • RUSH Digital Interactive (Interactive experiences, imagery, AI, UI design, apps. No games.)
  • Swibo Ltd (Fitness technology)

Co-Development Services
  • InGame (Interactive training, edutainment, VR sims, film & TV transmedia, gamification)
  • Second Intention (Code polish, art production)

Defunct video game companies of New Zealand
  • AlphaSim (Founded 1999. Defunct 2010. Sim addons dev.)
  • Starcolt Studios Ltd (Founded 2018. Probably defunct in 2022.)
  • Stickmen Studios (Founded 2006. Absorbed into CerebralFix Limited in 2016. Online games.)
  • Straylight Studios (Founded 2004. Defunct 2009. Edutainment.)

Video game publishers of New Zealand
  • JaffaJam (Mobile games)
  • MYTONA (Singaporean. NZ office.)
  • Prodigy Design Limited (Holding group)
  • Synty Studios (Art assets publisher)

Publisher & developer firms
  • Astronaut Diaries Limited
  • Atawhai Interactive
  • Bardsley Creative
  • Cloak and Dagger Games (Based in UK. Remote work.)
  • Delphinium Games
  • Deep Field Games
  • Digital Confectioners (Online games)
  • Dinosaur Polo Club
  • Dry Cactus Games
  • ENDESGA
  • Esenthel (Open-source engine creation)
  • Flightless Studios
  • Gaugepunk Games (VR & sim games)
  • Hashbane Interactive
  • Irreflex Studios
  • It’s Anecdotal
  • Kreg (Online games)
  • Mainframe Games (Not the same as Nordic dev 'Mainframe Industries')
  • Majic Jungle
  • Many Worlds Limited (AR/VR, MR, app, web & games development. Also co-devs.)
  • Mental Drink Ltd
  • Outerdawn (Prior name 'Artrix' in 2014 till 2020)
  • Phat Loot Studios (Online games)
  • Rexoto Games
  • Rocketwerkz
  • Runaway Play (Mobile games)
  • Sky Bear Games
  • Space Crab Labs
  • Spotted Kiwi Interactive (Online games)
  • Thousand Tonic
  • Undermog Games
  • Usual Suspects Studios
  • Wicked Art Studios
  • Wildboy Studios

References
  1. "Digital New Zealand Report 2020". Interactive Games & Entertainment Association. 2019.
  2. "NZ Game Developers Survey 2020". NZ Game Developers Association. 2020.
  3. "NZ Video Game Sales 2019". Interactive Games Entertainment Association. 2020.
  4. "Chapter 2". www.aph.gov.au. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  5. Melanie Swalwell (2005). Early Games Production in New Zealand. Victoria University of Wellington.
  6. "Obscure Pixels - New Zealand Atari 2600 Games". 30 November 2018. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018.
  7. Russell Brown (22 September 2003). "Sportronic in Beige". Public Address.
  8. "Obscure Pixels". 30 November 2018. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018.
  9. "NZGDC – New Zealand Game Developers Conference".
  10. "New Zealand Games Festival – New Zealand's trans-tasman Games Festival".
  11. "Regular Events – NZGDA".
  12. "Arcade: Homegrown Video Games | the Dowse Art Museum".
  13. "New Zealand bans video game". NBC News. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  14. Tom Bramwell (30 November 2004). "New Zealand bans Postal 2". Eurogamer.net.
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