‘Another day where it feels embarrassing to be associated with TOP’: the email which enraged Morgan

The Spinoff has obtained the email which prompted TOP leader Gareth Morgan to tell one of his candidates to resign for being a ‘pain in the arse’. Don Rowe looks back on another chaotic week for TOP. Illustration by Toby Morris. Gareth Morgan, currently holidaying in Cuba, has still managed to live in the news … Read more

‘The battle now is with ourselves’: Tūhoe declare war on drug dependence

In August, Ngāi Tūhoe invited experts and community leaders to come together in Rūātoki to declare war on drug dependence. Don Rowe was in attendance. You know you’re on a marae by the laughter. Contagious, unreserved laughter, brought up from the belly. Laughter irrespective of circumstance. Laughter in the face of historic tragedy. In the … Read more

‘Right now, we are all Truman’: how robots are changing the way humans talk

Humans susceptibility to group pressure extends to pressure from a group consisting solely of robots, according to new research conducted by Dr Christoph Bartneck. Robots are changing the way we talk, and so the way we think. Don Rowe talks to Dr Bartneck and asks the question on everyone’s lips: is it time to freak … Read more

Uncomfortable and important: Stories of Ruapekapeka is mandatory viewing

Radio New Zealand has released a 30-minute documentary on the battle at Ruapekapeka, an incredibly sophisticated pā in the far north where 400 Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Hine warriors stood against a combined British force of 1600. Don Rowe attends the premiere, and considers what it means for New Zealand’s self-image. There are good guys in this … Read more

Huge: there’s a Stranger Things mobile game, and it’s both free and good

Don Rowe dips his toes back in the murky waters of the Upside Down with the Stranger Things mobile game.  It’s almost inevitable these days that any somewhat successful media product will be iterated across every platform and medium like some entertainment rat king – “Popular Thing: The Movie, The Boardgame, Now a Book, graphic … Read more

Total War: Warhammer 2 – great game, shit name

Don Rowe dives back into the borderline-narcotic world of Total War: Warhammer, reviewing the second of three games in the series.  Ah McCain, they’ve done it again! Just when you were getting bored of the stupidly huge and successful Total War: Warhammer, strategy game powerhouse Creative Arts has only gone and dropped the second instalment … Read more

Lance O’Sullivan explains why he is running for the Māori Party in 2020

After several years of flirting with the bloodsport we call politics, 2014 New Zealander of the Year Dr Lance O’Sullivan has entered the fracas, announcing he will run for the Māori Party in 2020. But why? And what does he stand for? Don Rowe finds out.  When I profiled Dr Lance O’Sullivan last year he … Read more

The ‘AirBnB for cars’ that could forever change the way New Zealanders drive

Consider this: while you’re at work, slaving away, putting in hours for The Man, your car is sitting at home doing a whole lot of nothing. Like some apathetic teenager it sulks in the garage, taking up space and contributing basically nothing to the household finances. No more! With Yourdrive, a peer-to-peer car rental service, … Read more

‘I want to be immortal’: A few beers with prizefighter Israel Adesanya

As the most notorious figures in boxing and mixed martial arts collided in The Money Fight this weekend, Don Rowe sat down for a few beers with Israel Adesanya, a multi-sport veteran of almost 100 fights, to talk about fame, defeat and the realities of a sport centred around dishing out brain damage. Supported by Garage … Read more

They’re putting burger ads in your games, and you can’t opt out

Not content with plastering billboards and bus stations in the real world, fast food giant Wendy’s are inserting themselves inside virtual worlds too. It’s a trend that makes Don Rowe feel nauseous.  Anyone halfway familiar with the term microtransaction is well aware that many of the entities which slither about the swamp we call the … Read more

‘We only have one planet’: Dr Jan Wright on saving the one thing we all have in common

Climate change is the defining challenge of our times. The Spinoff is devoting a week of coverage to the issue, its advocates, complexities, and solutions. Today Don Rowe talks to departing Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Jan Wright.  Around the same time Al Gore released his first call to arms in the battle against climate … Read more

‘Bill English has been to my office twice already’: How National secure the Chinese vote

Election 2017 will see New Zealand’s growing ethnic communities play a greater role than ever in choosing the next government. Ahead of the final leg of the campaign, Don Rowe is speaking to the editors of their leading newspapers. Today he talks with David Soh, editor of the Mandarin Pages. How are you planning to cover … Read more

Greens icon Nándor Tánczos on Metiria and what the party really stands for

In the wake of Metiria Turei’s resignation as Greens co-leader there has been much discussion about a perceived tension between the emphasis on social justice or environmental issues. Don Rowe tracked down Greens icon Nándor Tánczos to get his thoughts. Nándor Tánczos is undeniably one of the grooviest cats to ever make their way into the … Read more

‘The Indian community is leaning towards National, but it’s in flux’

More than ever, New Zealand’s ethnic communities can play a crucial role in elections. In the first of a Spinoff series, Don Rowe talks to Sandeep Singh, editor of the Indian Weekender. There are now almost 200,000 Kiwi-Indians living in New Zealand, and for 120,000 readers, the Indian Weekender is a newspaper of choice. This year they’re dedicating … Read more

‘We haven’t seen deaths like this in ten years of synthetics’

Another death overnight has been attributed to the ‘synthetic cannabis crisis’ tearing through Auckland and New Zealand at large. But the situation isn’t as clear as it seems, the Drug Foundation’s Ross Bell tells Don Rowe, and hard facts are few and far between. New Zealand Drug Foundation executive director Ross Bell has slammed the police … Read more

New Zealand’s own Serial takes on the Bain slayings

Stuff today released Black Hands, their first podcast series, in which leading David Bain authority and occasionally-terrible column writer Martin van Beynen draws on ten years of experience following the case to outline exactly why he believes Bain is guilty of murdering his family. Don Rowe spoke to van Beynen about the killings, the difficulty of … Read more

Hapū and handguns: the battle of the Kaipara continues

Despite the best efforts of opponents, a divisive shooting club was officially opened in the Kaipara this month by deputy prime minister Paula Bennett. But the court battles are far from over, and now Ngāti Rango o Ngāti Whātua have joined the fray. Don Rowe reports. Three weeks ago Makarau Valley residents Chris and Kat Catchpole were … Read more

‘Far, I’m so nervous eh’: scenes a-plenty at the first ever MTV Unplugged NZ

In an attempt to reclaim their position atop the music industry, MTV are going back to basics and reincarnating their most iconic series. Don Rowe attends the first ever MTV Unplugged in New Zealand.  Back in a time when the M in MTV stood for music and not ‘mediocre reality shows for munters’, the channel was … Read more

Crash Bandicoot is back, baby, and he’s better than ever

Slap on your rose-tinted sunnies because Crash Bandicoot is back, and he’s aged like a fine wine. Don Rowe gets stuck into the N.sane trilogy and positively bathes in nostalgia.  I never had a Playstation as a child. The only one on my street was shared between three families, commune style, and so my gaming … Read more

Goodnight, sweet prince: Pandora shuts down New Zealand operations

Pandora – not the charm bracelets – has officially announced it’s the end of the line for their service in Australia and New Zealand, reports Don Rowe. After five years hard graft in the Australia/New Zealand market, Pandora is calling it quits. “While our experience in these markets reinforces the broader global opportunity long-term, in … Read more

Dr Lance O’Sullivan on why he stormed the stage at an anti-vaxx screening

Last night Dr Lance O’Sullivan, 2014 New Zealander of the Year for his work bringing health programmes to disadvantaged rural areas, leapt onto the stage to protest a screening of the controversial anti-vaccination movie Vaxxed. He spoke to Don Rowe about why he did it. Why did you get on stage? Look, I was always intending … Read more

Farpoint’s head developer on why it’s the first decent game for PSVR

Don Rowe speaks Seth Luisi, co-founder of Impulse Studios and lead developer on Farpoint, the first legitimate AAA title on PSVR. Read Don Rowe’s Farpoint review here. Don Rowe: I’ve played through the game and I was very impressed, particularly around the locomotion. While I understand there are certain things you can’t control around latency and so … Read more

Finally: Farpoint proves PSVR is more than just a gimmick

PlayStation have made a major play in the VR department, releasing the first AAA-quality game bundled with an innovative new controller to boot. Don Rowe straps on his goggles and goes alien hunting with Farpoint.  Read Don Rowe’s interview with Farpoint head developer Seth Luisi here. As the initial joy of finally – finally – experiencing … Read more

Nioh’s new DLC is good, not great. So should you buy it?

The first of three planned DLC expansions for the critically-acclaimed Nioh has been released, but does it address the game’s noticeable faults? Don Rowe reviews Dragon of the North.  In the immediate aftermath of the Nioh – aka Japanese Dark Souls – release in February, it was already being acclaimed as the game of the … Read more

Catching up with the reality mechanics at the GridAKL AR/VR Garage

Since opening in October last year, the AR/VR Garage in Uptown has become home to more than 20 companies working across virtual and augmented reality. Don Rowe visits ahead of their ten day programme at Techweek’17. There are few things in pop culture more futuristic than the idea of virtual reality. Slipping on a headset … Read more

Lest we forget: 1917, New Zealand’s darkest year in military history

2017 is the centennial anniversary of New Zealand’s darkest period in military history. This Anzac Day, Don Rowe looks back on 1917, a time of fleeting hopes and unprecedented human loss. While the Gallipoli campaign is rightfully remembered as both a tragedy and the birth of a national character, it’s easy to forget that almost … Read more