Travel gems showcase

AUCKLAND, Today: Creative tech studio Method and its gaming arm M Theory have launched a new immersive children’s game, titled Postcards from Aotearoa, to get young Kiwis excited about exploring NZ’s surroundings.

Method MD Sam Ramlu said: “Postcards from Aotearoa, available now exclusively on the Heihei platform, follows Aunty Tui as she invites tamariki [children] to join her in discovering epic New Zealand vacation spots.

“Wherever Aunty Tui goes she sends a postcard with clues which kids must decipher in order to pack the right gear and select the right destination before they’re whisked away to join her.

“With restrictions in overseas travel and the resultant boom of domestic tourism caused by Covid-19, the Method team saw a unique opportunity to showcase some of the country’s greatest travel gems – both well known and well hidden. Tamariki can now play a more integral part in the travel decision-making journey, being better informed about some great holiday spots in Aotearoa. 

“Method won funding for the project from the highly-competitive NZ On Air games fund. It was developed by Method and M Theory using the game engine Unity, and is accessible through the Heihei platform via a web browser.

“Method won funding for the project from the highly-competitive NZ On Air games fund.

“It’s available across desktop, mobile and tablet to ensure wide accessibility for kids while at home on personal devices or at school.

“Careful consideration was taken to be as inclusive and diverse as possible in order to appeal to a wide range of kids. With a collection of skin colours, hairstyles and facial features, kids are able to customise their character to look just like them.

“The game was designed with NZ tamariki and Kiwis’ love for travel in mind. We wanted to create an experience that respected the cultural significance of Aotearoa while also ensuring tamariki of all backgrounds could ‘see themselves’, or a proper representation of themselves throughout the game.

“The Method team used their own experiences and the feedback from their own tamariki to make sure we were providing a fun and engaging experience that was really going to hit the mark.”

CREDITS

Creative Studio: Method, M Theory
Designers: Matt Power, Sophie Douglas
Executive Producer: Sam Ramlu
Producer: Hannah Rogers
Game Development: Roshan Nowshad, Andrew Welsh
Illustrations: Scott Pearson
Sound Design: James Dean – Akau Audio
Special thanks: Nikora Ngaporo – Cultural Consultant, Method Tamariki

About Method
Method, established in 2003, is one of New Zealand’s leading creative tech studios. The Auckland-based studio is a voice of authority when it comes to immersive technology, and has been bringing campaigns to life using digital, games, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) across a multitude of different sectors. Method’s mission is to educate and challenge the status quo and make an impact through creating unforgettable experiences. Method blends art and tech with smart thinking to create unique digital experiences in an underserved medium in the country.

• method.digital
• www.heihei.nz/games