Membership Benefits
New Zealand has a vibrant, fast-growing game development industry and community, which is open and inclusive to all.
The NZGDA has individual, studio and industry-adjacent stakeholder membership categories available in the new membership model launched in 2022.
Membership Benefits
Conference Discounts and Scholarships
Members received discounted tickets to the annual NZ Game Developers Conference, and we also provide scholarships for New Zealanders to attend our conference and other global industry conference.
Networking and Professional Development Events
Meet other professional or aspiring game developers at regular monthly meetups and events throughout New Zealand. You don’t have to be a NZGDA member to attend some of our in-person and virtual events, but some tailored events and webinars are specifically for members. Presenting at our industry conference is also a great way to progress your career.
Business Resources
We partner with various professional service industry experts connected to the games industry – from accountancy to legal and others – to build a business resource library on our membership platform, including contract templates and up-to-date advice on changing legislation and best practice for small to medium sized businesses.
Promotion
Members can list their studio on our membership database platform and have their games news promoted on our website, member newsletter and social media channels. Simply email info@nzgda.com with your news. We often refer journalists looking for news stories to local game studios, so keep us informed with your news.
Business Startup Funding
NZGDA members can enter our annual Kiwi Game Starter competition to receive startup funding, software, publishing contracts, and mentorship.
Software and Service Discounts
We partner with industry brands to promote member discounts on leading game making software and services such as Amazon Web Services’ Activate Program, as well as business support services like Employsure’s HR helpline.
Advocacy and Profile Raising
By working together we educate the media, public and government agencies about our high-potential and fast-moving industry and advocate for policies that support the growth of the games industry in New Zealand. We provide our members with the resources and support to feed into important public policy consultation, like 2022’s Industry Transformation Plan and we create industry manifestos to lobby during election campaign periods.
Business Mentoring and Networking
We can connect aspiring indie studios and startups with other experienced game studios to share advice on business, publishing and engaging with government agencies like Callaghan Innovation, NZ Trade & Enterprise, Immigration NZ. Email info@nzgda.com with enquiries. We hold Meetups for studio managers and senior staff to discuss business matters in a trusted environment, investment events with venture capital fund managers and we holds insights groups on issues from tax incentives to women in the industry.
Recruitment
Members can log-in to our membership platform and post their vacancies to our members-only Jobs Board. These roles can also be highlighted in our member newsletter and social media channels. We can offer advice on immigration queries, support applications to the tech worker visa lottery, and write letters of support for visa-supporting roles.
Business Referrals
We often forward inquiries for service work to studio members or refer potential clients and publishers to our database of New Zealand studio members, which several studios have reported receiving work from in the past.
