New Zealand’s game creators are competing for talent with a lavishly subsidised film sector, but they’re still finding ways to thrive, says Simon Dasan of Wellington powerhouse A44. There’s an uncanny parallel between New Zealand’s gaming industry and Ashen – the action role-playing game which is one of its most accomplished and celebrated productions. Ashen’s … Read more
As a homegrown project from a Lower Hutt based studio making its first-ever game, Lee Henaghan desperately wanted Ashen to be awesome – and he wasn’t disappointed. Gaming journalists have always copped criticism from the angriest corners of the internet; some of it deserved, most of it not so much. The chief complaint among the … Read more
China is home to more than half a billion gamers – and Auckland game developer Allan Xia wants to help New Zealand’s gaming industry tap into the opportunities the market offers. China has 575 million game users, is home to the world’s largest gaming company, and has a gaming market that has doubled in revenue … Read more
Is New Zealand missing out on the chance to cash in on the gaming boom? And would more government support make a difference? This piece was originally published on Newshub. Video games are a multibillion-dollar global entertainment industry, and experts say New Zealand should be doing more to seize the opportunity. Gaming is worth $524m … Read more
The Buller District is known for its isolation, rugged weather and the minerals taken from the land since gold was discovered there in 1860. Now, after a long economic decline, green shoots of growth are appearing, driven by a technology hub with a husband and wife team at the top. There is an innovation hub … Read more
The Spinoff’s Blighty correspondent Hayden Donnell meets some UK game developers to find out why the US gaming industry might be better off shifting operations to the Motherland. Silicon Valley has given us a few good things. Windows 95. The time Bill Gates drank poo water. Atari. The TV show Silicon Valley. It’s not all … Read more
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
Recently the Media Design School held their 4th annual Girls in Games event. Targeting mainly girls in years 9-10, the extravaganza aims to encourage more female participation in the games industry. Ace coding educator Alice Gatland was in attendance and reports back in the form of a text adventure game. (If you’re using a mobile … Read more