| He kōrero nā te kaihautu | Executive Director's Note |
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Kia ora,
As we celebrate all the successful games this year, it ends on a high with a big congratulations to Grinding Gear Games on the incredible launch of Path of Exile 2! Achieving the #1 spot as the most played game on Steam during its launch week is an extraordinary milestone, and still holding strong in the #2 spot this week is a testament to the game’s enduring popularity. Reaching a peak of nearly half a million players in just 24 hours is an achievement that reflects the dedication, talent, and innovation of the Grinding Gear Games team—well done!
Looking ahead to 2025, I’m excited to work with the new NZGDA Board to set our strategy for the year. Key priorities include consulting on a new Constitution and Membership structure, and of course, diving into the planning for NZGDC’25. We’ll be confirming the date and location for the conference early in the year, so stay tuned!
A heartfelt thank-you goes out to everyone who supports the NZGDA throughout the year, contributing to various projects and initiatives that keep our community thriving. A big pat on the back to all of you who work tirelessly to create amazing games, maintaining the exceptional quality and standards that New Zealand is becoming renowned for on the global stage. To everyone preparing to launch games in 2025, I wish you every success!
And to the entire NZGDA community, have a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year. Let’s continue to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation in 2025!
Ngā mihi nui,
Joy Keene, Executive Director |
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| Pitopito kōrero | New & Noteworthy |
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NZGDA AGM & Board Elections |
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The results of the 2024/25 Executive Board Elections are in and we welcome new Board Members Anna Barham (Balancing Monkey Games) and Stacey Wood (Broadcasting Standards Authority). Existing Board Members, Elissa Snowball and Lance Burgess were also re-elected for another term. |
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A heartfelt thank you to our outgoing board members for their dedication and contribution to our Association and wider game dev community; Matt Monk, Dave Oshry and Shaun Gear.
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Amplify: A Creative and cultural Strategy for New Zealand.
The Ministry for Culture and Heritage has drafted a strategy, Amplify, which was recently out for consultation (now closed). Amplify sets out the government’s actions to boost creativity and culture in New Zealand. It communicates the Government’s plan for prioritising decisions about how to work with, and support, the sectors’ development.
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The GDSR team from NZ On Air joined us for the last webinar in the 2024 NZGDA webinar series. If you are thinking of applying for a rebate the first time, or re-applying, this is a must view as Chantelle, Tobi, Suzanne and Luke share what's changed, what to expect and how they plan to continue to improve the process. |
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Ctrl+Alt+Disinfo Game Jam!
Create a game to help counter the spread of disinformation! The Ctrl+Alt+Disinfo game jam is an opportunity to build games that teach media literacy and critical thinking.
Make a game that can make an impact. |
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Part of the United with Ukraine game jam project, this 27-country event will take place across three stages starting in January and running through April. A winning game for each country will be selected in May. Register now to join as a jammer!
Participate through the Global Game Jam or select any 2-day window between 17-26 Jan to get started. There are currently also opportunities to help organise with some small stipends to help support sites. |
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The 2024 Game Awards were on recently. Check out the highlights and download the winning games on Steam. |
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Speaking of Steam ....... it's so great to see NZ made games doing so well.
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Just some of the amazing work from very talented NZGDA Studio and Individual Members! |
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Niantic introduces new ways to explore the world with Into The Scaniverse for Meta Quest, a browser-based WebXR experience built with Niantic Studio.
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Blind Squirrel announces new game Cosmorons! It's an old-school futuristic shooter about comedic robot drudges conquering the cosmos with outlandish weapons & hijinks galore! Check out the trailer and support this game by wishlisting on Steam! |
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A very warm welcome to our newest Member Partner MinterEllisonRuddWatts who have joined NZGDA in support of the game dev community. We look forward to getting to know you and your team and working with you in 2025.
And we also welcome our most recent individual members and hope to meet you an an NZGDA event soon! 👋 |
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We've secured another great member benefit for NZGDA members, and offer a warm welcome to Hnry! |
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If you aren't already aware of their services, Hnry automatically pay and file taxes, provide a service for admin management, and basically become your accountant. In short – Hnry gets it done, so sole traders never have to think about tax again. |
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And now, Hnry have teamed up with NZGDA to offer Members a credit for Hnry Services. Check out this offer, and others 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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While the events calendar for January is typically quiet we can suggest you mark your calendars for these upcoming events, and check back regularly for more! |
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The NZGDA Webinar Serieswill be returning in 2025 with an exciting lineup of industry experts and thought leaders on a variety of engaging and current topics.
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Indigenising Design is a six-part webinar series that aims to bring together like-minded individuals from across the globe to discuss, unpack and explore the ways in which our world is designed.
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The Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2025 is your ultimate game power-up! From March 17-21, dive into game-changing sessions, breakthrough tech, and endless networking with top creators from every corner of the globe.
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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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