Anyone from New Zealand

[simonbowerbank]

Just wondering, but are any of you based in New Zealand? Or even Australia?

[Bluecat]

I'm just about to head home to Australia after two and a half years living in the US. Just got a six week road trip vacation with a friend to do first. :cool:

[Surrealix]

NZ here,
I've been really surprised at the number of independant kiwi developers.

I remember a few commented in this thread. (http://forums.indiegamer.com/showthread.php?t=3290&highlight=star+cars)

[McPhisto]

Yeh, there are a ton of kiwi's here. Maybe a meet-up should be organised sometime if anyone thought it would be beneficial?

[botman]

Sounds good. Chch here.

[Anthony Flack]

Here's another NZer, although I'm living in Japan at the moment. But going back to Napier next week for summer holidays.

There's also Lexaloffle in Wellington, and Lerc in... um, Christchurch, right? There are more about than I expected too.

[Alphageek]

Just wondering, but are any of you based in New Zealand? Or even Australia?

Wellington here. I'm just about to release the commercial version of my first game.
Check it out here if you're interested:
http://www.ogre3d.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11749

[simonbowerbank]

Nice, i like your games atmosphere and the ambient music. The spinning when you get hit makes me scream at my computer though.

Also the sound effects could be better, heh.

[Jack Norton]

I'm not from NZ, but recently saw lot of movies and read a lot about that place - seems really a nice country to live in, just wondering how is the broadband situation? is DSL available easily?

[Hamish McLeod]

DSL is fairly widespread, I live in Auckland (biggest city) and pay about 40 US a month for a 2mbit connection. Although after you transfer 10 gigabytes they limit you at 56k speed for the rest of the month. It's harder to get in the rural areas, although I don't have much experience there.

[Anthony Flack]

NZ Telecom has the monopoly on landline broadband, since they own the telephone lines - and they exploit it to the full - prices are high, downloads are capped and it's not even very fast. The infrastructure is all in place, and the network is capable of supporting a much larger load, but Telecom are screwing everyone and holding the country back. If this continues the government may have to step in; I'm sure it will damage the economy more and more as time goes on.

[botman]

Well... it's pretty overpriced down here. Not as bad as Australia though.

You really only have two choices to go with, everyone else is a reseller (as far as I know, anyway).

Telecom (http://www.telecom.co.nz/content/0,3900,203096-1036,00.html) (the national carrier), do ADSL.

And TelstraClear do both ADSL (http://www.telstraclear.co.nz/products/internet/highspeedADSL/) and Cable (http://www.telstraclear.co.nz/products/internet/highspeed/).

Most places can get ADSL, but Cable is probably sketchy.

Edit: Bloody hell, two posts in the time it took me to write this.

[McPhisto]

NZ Telecom has the monopoly on landline broadband, since they own the telephone lines - and they exploit it to the full - prices are high, downloads are capped and it's not even very fast. The infrastructure is all in place, and the network is capable of supporting a much larger load, but Telecom are screwing everyone and holding the country back. If this continues the government may have to step in; I'm sure it will damage the economy more and more as time goes on.

Yeh, we used to be one of the most advanced countries in terms of internet coverage, and now we're hugely lagging behind.

[Jack Norton]

Thanks for the info. Anyway I am using ISDN since 3 years, and I don't even know IF I'll ever get DSL connection here in Italy, so as you see isn't much of a problem for me :D
Is more important living in a country with lower cost of living (as it seems NZ). 18 hours of flying to get there from my country is a lot though :eek:

[simonbowerbank]

Thanks for the info. Anyway I am using ISDN since 3 years, and I don't even know IF I'll ever get DSL connection here in Italy, so as you see isn't much of a problem for me :D
Is more important living in a country with lower cost of living (as it seems NZ). 18 hours of flying to get there from my country is a lot though :eek:

The cost of living may be lower but so is the amount you earn, by about the same amount.

Although if you live off sales of your games via the internet that doesnt really matter

[Rodsmith]

Waiheke Island, Auckland here, anyone else based in Auckland?

[botman]

I think JoshuaSmyth (http://forums.indiegamer.com/member.php?userid=374) of http://peachysoft.com is in Auckland.

[simonbowerbank]

Im in auckland, howick

[stupidlikeafox]

flash developer situated in porirua!!!

[_6_]

Hi Guys.

I just joined here after being spending too much time on GameDev. I'm in Wellington, currently on Web development contract but just applied for a Analyst Programmer role, so fingers crossed :)

Currently, playing around with OpenGL and STL. My Game development blog is www.whitespace.net.nz if anyone wants to see what I'm up too.

6

[JoshuaSmyth]

Yup, I'm in Auckland. Waiheke Island would be nice :)

As for the high speed internet, theres also Woosh, which I think is somekind of wireless internet service, although as far as cost goes, I think its pretty similar to Telecoms plans, and only availible in certain areas.

I've been sticking to my slow (but cheap) dial-up connection.

[JoshuaSmyth]

Currently, playing around with OpenGL and STL. My Game development blog is www.whitespace.net.nz if anyone wants to see what I'm up too.


Thats looking pretty cool so far, is it like a turn based strategy game?

[_6_]

It is, or rather was, a TBS. I've come across some complications so the game has changed somewhat. Actually, I was really set on developing a RTS, but the math was too difficult, then a TBS, but the A.I was confusing, and the after finding this forum, decided that a 2D puzzle/strategy game was more financialy viable. So far its a little bit like Reiner Knizia’s 'Samurai'. I'll post some screenies next week.

[Ska Software]

Independent game dev *and* living in New Zealand?

I've got to put that in my five year plan somewhere. Currently in upstate NY though...