Welcome to the new gaming unit of Dunedin-based production company NHNZ.
After completing a three-month feasibility study on the possibilities of developing games with the company, gaming developer Tim Nixon (26) has been given approval to establish the in-house unit.
The feasibility study revealed the enormous growth in the gaming industry and NHNZ was quick to realise the potential of the concept, he said.
Although tight-lipped about the content of the games, Mr Nixon said it was likely they would be available across a range of platforms including social networking sites such as Facebook and iPhone applications.
The first game should be completed by the end of the year.
"Our games will cater directly to the burgeoning niche of lightweight, inclusive, casual experiences that anyone can pick up and play," he said.
NHNZ general manager John Crawford said while it represented a reasonable investment for the company, there were obvious synergies in establishing a gaming unit.
An increasing number of the company's broadcast clients were involved in interactive entertainment and the unit would be "an additional revenue-raising opportunity".
Citing the company's own graphics team and the hundreds of hours of stock footage, the unit would have plenty of resources available, he said.
It was likely the unit would develop games complementary to NHNZ programmes, as well as making its own standalone games, particularly for the education sector.
