Game developers say they're feeling good after the Budget announcement they are now eligible for a 20% rebate on development costs.
While the details of the rebate have yet to be announced, it is assumed the majority of the major studios already contributing to New Zealand’s economy will be eligible.
“The goal is to get to a billion over the next few years with the continual growth that we've had. This incentive will help to support that growth. This will create hundreds of new jobs over the course of the next few years in the sector” says Tim Bourne, chief executive of Christchurch company CerebralFix.
The New Zealand industry has also recently received a major boost to its global status as a world class game developer.
The Christchurch development team at Black Salt Games created the video game Dredge, which is receiving accolades worldwide from players and critics alike.
Chief executive Nadia Thorne said Dredge’s success was due to a combination of things, and is a polished product that's been well executed.
“With Dredge, you're really able to immerse yourself in it and it turns out that it caters for a wide array of players.
"You might be thinking oh, a fishing game isn't for me, but potentially an exploration game is. And that's what Dredge is as well. A story-rich game that is for you.”
- By John Spurdle
Public Interest Journalism Fund
