Finalist shows potential of computer game industry

By RICHARD PAMATATAU

Auckland developer Maru Nihoniho is pressing on with her computer adventure game The Guardian despite New Zealand Trade and Enterprise's report saying the sector is small, fragmented and not ready for substantial Government assistance.

Nihoniho is a finalist in Auckland City Council's Cube creative sector ideas competition, which sought innovative approaches to developing Auckland's arts and creative sector.

Finalists were judged on the quality of their idea, its commercial or not-for-profit viability and how the proposal would bring growth to Auckland.

Included among the finalists are well-known names and institutions such as visual arts specialist Hamish Keith, internet consultants Paul Reynolds and Prashanta Mukherjee, landscape architect Matthew Bradbury, artists Warwick Freeman and Chiara Corbelletto, as well as ideas from Arts Advocates Auckland, the SiLo Theatre and the Big Idea Charitable Trust.

Judges selected 17 finalists from 451 entries.

Nihoniho's Metia Developments is working with Auckland's Twin Developments on The Guardian.

The game is set in the future, when a female Maori warrior called Maia does battle using traditional weapons.

Nihoniho says there is strong interest from 4 Winds Films to turn her multi-level adventure game into something for the big screen.

If that happens it shows the creative industries in New Zealand are doing okay, says Nihoniho.

The computer-gaming development industry in New Zealand is in its early stages, she says, but the report Piloting ClusterMap Methodology - Interactive Games is a "little out of date".

The report was delivered to Trade and Enterprise New Zealand in June last year and said that the international PC and console games market was worth US$16.9 billion ($25 billion) in 2002, although New Zealand was still to establish a reputation and lacked a vision.

The key thing developers have to do is stick to their vision, Nihoniho says.

The games industry is a great way for creative people to find employment and, with the right product, has the ability to reach huge numbers of people.

Nihoniho has a background in graphic arts.

"If I get this right then Maia will be a representative of aspects of Maori culture to huge numbers of people."

While some people might see Maia as a "kind of Lara Croft", she was being developed to have more character and to be true to her cultural roots.

Her garments and moko would be reference points for people to consider, and the New Zealand landscape would also play its part.

The Government report said the local industry lacked cohesion and was not well integrated internally, although it was outwardly connected to the wider world of technology, creativity and game playing.

It implied that Kiwi developers needed to co-operate to gain "critical mass" before Government development agencies poured money into the "tiny" sector.

Mario Wynands, managing director of Wellington developer Sidhe Interactive, said the report had some elements of truth but since it was written and made public much had happened.

His company had just received a $55,000 grant from Technology New Zealand to explore developing games for the new portable PlayStation device being developed by Sony.

Wynands said if that device became the "Walkman of this era" then it was something that had to be considered seriously by games developers.

The launch of the much-hyped and anticipated PlayStation Portable has been delayed until March 2005.

While grateful for the grant, Wynands said it was tiny compared with the millions of dollars companies like his put into developing games.

Sidhe developed the Stacey Jones Rugby League game for PlayStation and it went to No 1 in Australia and New Zealand when it was released.

"Who said New Zealand companies cannot develop fantastic games?"

He agreed the industry did have some fragmentation but said that was changing as game developers got the association working better.

There were developers like Maru in Auckland, he said, or Squasheysoftware in Wellington plus others who were developing shareware or cellphone games.

"People are actually busy plugging away," he said.

Nihoniho says it is critical for the Government to encourage as much as possible any creative endeavour that could offer employment to people.

"A long-term vision is the key."

Cube creative sector ideas competition

Metia Interactive

Squashy Software

Sidhe Interactive