What is the NZGDA?

The New Zealand Game Developers Association is a not-for-profit incorporated society formed in 2001 to champion, support and grow video game development in New Zealand.

Our members include commercial game development studios, individual developers and artists employed in the industry, self-employed freelancers, indie game developers, teams applying gaming expertise to health and education, gamification designers, retro gaming enthusiasts, students, educators and researchers.

Anyone in any role in the industry is welcome to join: artists, animators, game designers, programmers, product managers, producers, testers, community managers, customer support and entrepreneurial indies.  Our members develop for a range of platforms: smartphones, tablets, websites, PCs/Mac/Linux, virtual reality, consoles, Facebook, alternative-input controllers and even board games.

 

Our Activities

Our key areas of focus include:

Support the growth of our studios and businesses through government advocacy, strategic partnerships, and our annual Kiwi Game Starter competition.

Improve professional development opportunities for our members through workshops, local networking events, and our annual NZ Game Developers Conference.

Partner with tertiary education programs and technical schools to improve industry-related skills and promote game development as a professional career choice.

Promote diversity and inclusion by engaging in initiatives that encourage underrepresented groups to join and flourish in the industry.

Promote game development as an innovative, creative, high potential sector to the public, media, business and government.

 

Our Strategy

Our Strategic Plan serves as a comprehensive roadmap towards fostering a vibrant and sustainable game development ecosystem in New Zealand.

This strategic framework outlines our vision for the future, sets clear objectives, and establishes actionable initiatives that will support the growth and success of our industry.

Together, we will harness our collective expertise, passion, and creativity to shape a thriving environment where game developers can flourish. We invite you to explore our strategy and join us in building a more dynamic, inclusive, and innovative future for New Zealand’s game development community.

You can read the NZGDA Strategic Plan here.

You can read the NZGDA Constitution here.