Welcome to our second to last Newsletter of the year! There's alot that's happened and some more to come so lets get started....... |
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| He kōrero nā te kaihautu | Executive Director's Note |
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Kia ora,
It's a month since we wrapped up NZGDC for another year and I wanted to thank everyone who supported the Conference and the inaugural Wellington Games Week! With over 1,700 attendees across 26 events, it was an amazing week celebrating our industry. Over the coming weeks we will be summarising feedback from NZGDC and be answering questions and suggestions raised through the post event survey by publishing the results on both the NZGDA and NZGDC websites. If you've yet to share your thoughts, you have until this Friday (22nd November) to complete the survey.
The Ministry for Culture and Heritage has drafted a strategy, Amplify, which is currently out for consultation. Amplify sets out the government’s actions to boost creativity and culture in New Zealand. While it mentions game development, it lacks a clear strategy for our sector. To gain a better understanding of the proposed strategy, I attended the information session last week and will be at the consultation workshop early next month. From there, NZGDA will draft our own response on behalf of our Members and our Industry. If you’re planning to submit a response, it would be great if you could share a copy with us to help align and strengthen our messaging.
UKIE is running virtual trade delegations with publishers on how to access, and what opportunities are available in specific foreign markets. The timing isn’t ideal for NZ (middle of the night), but it’s a great opportunity if you can join. Click here to find out more and register.
And finally, myself and NZGDA Chair, Carl Leducq are preparing for the upcoming NZGDA Annual General Meeting (27th November). We'll be reporting on NZGDA activities and progress, along with announcing the new Board Members that were just elected. Eligible Members should have received a meeting invite and if you haven't, please check your junk folder or email info@nzgda.com.
I look forward to sharing more insights and updates with you before Christmas.
Ngā mihi nui,
Joy Keene, Executive Director |
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| Pitopito kōrero | New & Noteworthy |
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Introducing the Pioneers of Play.
The Pioneers of Play is an NZGDA initiative that honours the commitment and dedication of long-standing professionals and studios within the gaming industry, celebrating milestones of 5, 10, 15, and 20+ years of service.
By recognising these individuals’ contributions over the years, Pioneers of Play highlights the passion, resilience, and innovation that have driven the industry forward.
Find out who was presented with the inaugural Pioneers of Play Award at NZGDC 2024 here |
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The Kiwi Game Starter competition has wrapped up for another year, showcasing the incredible innovation and creativity in game development.
The three finalists amazed everyone at the NZ Game Developers Conference, presenting a range of projects from fun indie games to unique storytelling adventures. Read on to find out more |
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In case you missed it, here's a snippet of whats been happening:
We now have 3 NZ developed games in the Top 100 most wish-listed games on Steam: - Path of Exile 2 (#10)
- Tales of the Shire (#79)
- Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days (#89)
Go NZ! |
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The NZGDA Industry Survey was released last month sharing the news that the New Zealand video games sector soars with 26% year-on-year growth, surpassing the half a billion dollar milestone!
The New Zealand game development industry demonstrated strong performance in the 2023/2024 financial year, generating NZD $547.794 million in pre-tax revenue, a 26% increase from the previous year. This growth showcases the industry's resilience and expansion, particularly in global markets.Key drivers of this growth include increased demand for New Zealand-developed games and the sector's ability to adapt to market challenges.
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Leadership and Culture Survey
This nationwide initiative from Massey University is gathering data on how leaders consider culture within their businesses. By taking part, NZGDA will be able to provide all current Member Studios with insights into how leaders view culture in the NZ game development sector, as well as comparisons with other sectors, enabling us to learn from those who excel in this area. If your studio would like to take part, you can do so here. Results will be shared as they come available. |
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Videos and photos from NZGDC are now available on the NZGDC website, with videos accessible until the end of February.
Just scroll down until you find what you're looking for and click the links for more. Enjoy! |
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Just some of the amazing work from very talented NZGDA Studio and Individual Members! |
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We are thrilled to hear of the success of Grimguard Tactics by Outerdawn, launched globally last week. Grimguard Tactics had already made waves, achieving over 1,000,000 pre-purchases however they also clinched the #1 spot on the app store for free RPG games in the US and other countries. Get yours here! |
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RocketWerkz have announced a space flight game, a spiritual successor to beloved space sim Kerbal Space Program.
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A new era in character creation from Synty!
A quick and easy modular character creator made for developers. |
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Take a glimpse into the supernatural mystery adventure where death is just the beginning! |
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Blackheart tells a tragic tale centred around the royal Blackheart family and the internal conflicts that are consuming them from the inside out. |
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A very warm welcome to our newest Member Studios that have joined us since our last missive!
We look forward to getting to know you and your teams, supporting you through your game dev journey and sharing your successes along the way!
And we also welcome our most recent individual members and hope to meet you an an NZGDA event soon! 👋 |
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(anticlockwise from top: 37Degrees Studio, Motion Arcade, Majic Jungle and Wildboy Studios) |
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NZGDA member benefits are one of our favourite things and we do our best to ensure there are new benefits added every month. We'll be sharing our newest supporter and their member offer in the next few days.
In the meantime, check out the current offers in the Members Hub - maybe you'll find a Christmas gift for someone! 🎄 Enjoy! |
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| Kaupapa whakatairanga | Events |
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There are some great events coming up in December including our last webinar for the 2024 series.
Here are some of the deets..... |
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NZGDA Annual General Meeting
Chairperson Carl Leducq and Executive Director Joy Keene will report on NZGDA operations and current projects, and members will be the first to meet the newly elected Board Members.
4pm, Wednesday 27th November
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Jump online and join the team from NZ On Air on the 5th December, as they share how best to get ready for the 2025 round of the GDSR. Whether it's your first time applying, or you're a returning applicant, there are updated processes and helpful tips to get you going! You can register here. |
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We love jobs! Here's some that have been added recently: |
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If you have news, content, community activities, events or jobs to share, email info@nzgda.com |
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