If you have ever really given any thought as to the process that is required before a game can go from an idea in some bright sparks head to a shiny disk in your gaming system of choice, chances are good you would never have thought that this very process was happening in New Zealand. With all the hot stuff coming out in Japan or the USA seemingly aeons before it hits our shores, you'd be forgiven for thinking that NZ is full of consumers exclusively. You would also, it turns out, be mistaken.
A Wellington based group of IT professionals (Unlimited Potential to their friends) is seeking to expose and demystify some of the hidden secrets in IT. This time around, they caught our attention by focusing on gaming - the local scene, where it's going and some of the unique challenges and opportunities it faces.
Some xbox action before the main event
The format of the evening was pretty straight forward (gather a bunch of interested people together in one room, show them some cool tech and give them an opportunity to talk games), the focus of which was a discussion with 3 leaders in the field: Steve Haddock (Microsoft, Sales and Marketing of PC games), Mario Wynands (MD of Sidhe Interactive, a Wellington based videogame developer) and Jon Labrie (head cheese at newly formed Blister, another Wellington based gaming company). After a brief introduction from all three, the real nitty gritty was greedily attacked by all present - a no holds barred "where are we at and where to from here?" flurry of questions was launched.
Check out these highlights!
First up, if you are concerned about how realistic the prospect of operating a game studio here in New Zealand is, your fears are not unfounded. Our distance and timezone definitely increase the barriers to entry - it's a hard sell trying to pitch an idea to a publisher that could just as easily work with someone in the same city as they already operate from. It's not all bad though - our work day begins pretty much as the American work day draws to a close, which definitely offers up some unique advantages. A last minute requirement sent just before 5pm can have some serious development done on it while the publisher sleeps - people in kiwianaland can attack and solve the problem before the person that presented it returns to their desk in the morning. In addition, the New Zealand "Can do!" attitude and legendary work ethic is well respected and carries a lot of weight internationally - don't assume that just because you come from a country where the sheep outnumber the people 20 to 1 you won't be taken seriously. Do the prep work before hand, demonstrate your enthusiasm and you have a very real shot at it.
Dinner and a show - attendees meet and greet over complimentary drinks
