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]
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 recognitionedit
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 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 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 gamesedit
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]
^"Arcade: Homegrown Video Games | the Dowse Art Museum".
^"New Zealand bans video game". NBC News. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
^Tom Bramwell (30 November 2004). "New Zealand bans Postal 2". Eurogamer.net.
^"Beyond Studio's official site". from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
^. Archived from the original on 1 March 2001. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
External linksedit
New Zealand Game Developers Association
More than a Craze: Photographs of New Zealand's early digital games scene
Early Games Production in New Zealand, Melanie Swalwell, 2005
WellPlayed's tag list (For New Zealand-made games. WellPlayed is an Australian gaming media outlet with a focus on AU/NZ games.)
New Zealand Centre of Digital Excellence (CODE) news page (Regular updates of new game developers & funding are available here)
April 16, 2024
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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 Contents 1 History 2 Major companies and global recognition 3 Events and exhibitions 4 Independent scene 5 Banned games 6 Video Game Development 6 1 Game developers from New Zealand 6 1 1 Misc Games 6 1 2 Co Development Services 6 1 3 Defunct video game companies of New Zealand 6 2 Video game publishers of New Zealand 6 2 1 Publisher amp developer firms 6 2 2 Defunct game publishers of New Zealand 7 References 8 External linksHistory edit nbsp A Sportronic game consoleNew 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 editAlthough 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 editThe 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 editThe 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 editIn 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 editSee also Category Video game companies of New Zealand See also Category Video gaming in New Zealand See also New Zealand Game Developers Association Game developers from New Zealand edit A44 Games Balancing Monkey Games Beyond Studio AR VR games 15 Black Salt Games Camshaft Software LTD Code Force Limited Cosmink Hyporeal Ltd Metia Interactive Morepork Games Mune Studio Niantic Aotearoa Ex NZXR in 2020 2022 RageQuit Studios Not the same as Polish developer Rage Quit Games Rainbite retna studios RiffRaff Games Prior name Studio Mayday 2019 till 2022 Shoggoth Games StaplesVR AR VR experiences training amp games apps Trigger Happy Interactive Weathership Ltd Weta Workshop Game studio Misc Games edit 2UP Games Mobile games Investment from Supercell CerebralFix Limited Mobile online amp 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 amp M Theory Family friendly games Media Design School Educational institution with game developments Method Studios Interactive entertainment AR VR motion control games Mighty Eyes Merger of M Theory amp Oddboy AR VR games M Theory AR VR games apps Setup by founders of Method Studios Oddboy AR VR games amp experiences RUSH Digital Interactive Interactive experiences imagery AI UI design apps No games Swibo Ltd Fitness technology Co Development Services edit InGame Interactive training edutainment VR sims film amp TV transmedia gamification Second Intention Code polish art production Defunct video game companies of New Zealand edit 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 edit Fiveight Distribution Ltd NZ distributor for big brands of video games amp accessories JaffaJam Mobile games MYTONA Singaporean NZ office Prodigy Design Limited Holding group PikPok Sidhe Interactive Synty Studios Art assets publisher Publisher amp developer firms edit 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 amp 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 amp games development Also co devs Mental Drink Ltd Ninja Kiwi Outerdawn Prior name Artrix in 2014 till 2020 Phat Loot Studios Online games Rexoto Games RocketWerkz Founder 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 Defunct game publishers of New Zealand edit Acid Software Founded 1990 Defunct 2001 Dev Former publisher amp distributor Subsidiary of NZ software firm Armstrong Communications Limited 16 Monaco Corporation NZ distributor of electronics amp video games from big brands Founded 1978 Ceased games operations in 2011 Poseidon Software Publisher amp dev of software amp video games Founded 1984 Inactive after 1988 Vision Software Inc Founded 1988 Inactive after 1997 Ex Art Computer Software in 1989 1991 Publisher dev amp former porting References edit Digital New Zealand Report 2020 Interactive Games amp Entertainment Association 2019 NZ Game Developers Survey 2020 NZ Game Developers Association 2020 NZ Video Game Sales 2019 Interactive Games Entertainment Association 2020 Chapter 2 www aph gov au Retrieved 2 June 2017 Melanie Swalwell 2005 Early Games Production in New Zealand Victoria University of Wellington Obscure Pixels New Zealand Atari 2600 Games 30 November 2018 Archived from the original on 30 November 2018 Russell Brown 22 September 2003 Sportronic in Beige Public Address Obscure Pixels 30 November 2018 Archived from the original on 30 November 2018 NZGDC New Zealand Game Developers Conference New Zealand Games Festival New Zealand s trans tasman Games Festival Regular Events NZGDA Arcade Homegrown Video Games the Dowse Art Museum New Zealand bans video game NBC News Retrieved 23 May 2011 Tom Bramwell 30 November 2004 New Zealand bans Postal 2 Eurogamer net Beyond Studio s official site Archived from the original on 20 December 2023 Retrieved 24 January 2024 Acid Software s official site Archived from the original on 1 March 2001 Retrieved 24 January 2024 External links editNew Zealand Game Developers Association More than a Craze Photographs of New Zealand s early digital games scene Early Games Production in New Zealand Melanie Swalwell 2005 WellPlayed s tag list For New Zealand made games WellPlayed is an Australian gaming media outlet with a focus on AU NZ games New Zealand Centre of Digital Excellence CODE news page Regular updates of new game developers amp funding are available here Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Video games in New Zealand amp oldid 1216937766, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
