New Zealand’s game developers will receive an immediate funding boost to help support the growth of local studios beyond the current Dunedin centre.
“New Zealand’s game development sector has been rapidly growing. The latest data from the New Zealand Game Developers Association shows the total revenue for the industry is $407 million, compared to $276 million a year ago,” Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications, David Clark said.
NZGDA 2022 data also shows Otago accounts for a disproportionate number of studios at 26% of New Zealand’s total. Significant growth has been driven by the Centre of Digital Excellence (CODE) in Dunedin.
“I’m pleased to announce that the Government will invest $2.25 million a year until 2027 – with $1 million already allocated this financial year – to expand the CODE programme to other centres.
A 2017 Labour election promise, CODE was established in 2019 to boost the expansion of New Zealand’s growing game development ecosystem.
The new funding will help to establish new regional hubs to provide contestable grants and skills development to game development studios across the country.
“We’ve invested in community-led projects across the country to ensure our regions can thrive, grow, and boost local economies,” Minister for Economic and Regional Development, Stuart Nash said.
“We also want to drive innovation and create opportunities in our regions. Expanding CODE across New Zealand should pique the interest of burgeoning game developers, and provide them with a foot in the door,” Stuart Nash said.
“The Government has been working closely with the New Zealand Game Developers Association (NZGDA) on how we can provide more support for this sector. The expansion of CODE is something they have asked for, and we’ve listened,” David Clark said.
“However, I will continue to work with industry and my colleagues around what more we can do to nurture our local talent and keep them on home soil,” David Clark said.
Image credit: JESHOOTS.com
