Dunedin's government-backed video game development initiative has marked a major milestone.
After two years of operating under the supervision of the Dunedin City Council’s Enterprise Dunedin, the New Zealand Centre of Digital Excellence (Code) has become an incorporated company, Code Limited.
Code establishment director Tim Ponting said Code was now a company with its own constitution, its own shareholders agreement, and its own business plan.
The company was not intended to make a profit but rather to establish a "sustainable ecosystem" of video game development in the city.
Moreover, to the credit of those involved over the first two years, it was working, Mr Ponting said.
Code had celebrated the organisational milestone by announcing its fourth round of funding, granting about $750,000 to seven Dunedin gaming companies, he said.
"If you look at the number of new studios that Code has supported through their creation, we’re presently on 16 new studios, and then if you look at the significance of 16 new studios in one city in Aotearoa, then we are becoming a significant powerhouse," Mr Ponting said.
The council applied for funding from the Provincial Growth Fund to set up Code.
The company had presently secured funding through to 2026 through funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Kanoa — Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit.
Beyond funding video game development directly, Code was also working on curriculum development at tertiary institutions and schools, he said.
As such its diverse range of stakeholders included the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic as well as local runaka and the Dunedin Game Developers Association.
Code chairman Murray Strong said former and present grant recipients were presently in talks with publishers and he expected to see some of the first Dunedin games being released by the end of the year.
"We’re backing people to succeed not only in creating their own viable, world class games here in Dunedin, but also providing a platform for skills development which benefits the whole ecosystem."
Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins said it was only a matter of time before Dunedin achieved global recognition in the gaming industry.
There were 21 independent video game studios in the city and Dunedin was "now at the forefront of developer education in New Zealand".
"In a few short years Code has achieved outcomes that would take many other organisations decades, and we’re proud of the role Enterprise Dunedin has played in this success so far," Mr Hawkins said.
Enterprise Dunedin would continue to support Code, including acting as the primary government liaison.
Funding
Scale Up grant recipient:
Balancing Monkey Games — $250,000
Kickstart grant recipients:
COAF Research — $28,949 for Chronomoths
Tacturnal Games — $40,000 for Diet of Dinos
Niberspace Ltd — $39,999 for Clumsy Ted
Start Up grant recipients:
Mune Studio — $147,974 for Under the tavern
Deep Field Games — $150,000 for Abiotic Factor
Hyporeal Ltd. — $150,000 for Blackheart
