New Zealand's video game industry is punching well above its weight. 

Revenue surged 33% to $1.01 billion in 2026, with all but $55 million of that coming from exports. 

The industry is confident it can hit $2 billion by 2030.  

NZ Game Developers Association Executive Director Joy Keene told Mike Hosking in comparison, the global game industry grew by just 2.7% in 2025, so we're boxing well above our weight. 

She says the strength and quality of New Zealand's games is what's causing our phenomenal growth.  

LISTEN ABOVE 

New Zealand's video game industry is punching well above its weight.&nbsp;
Revenue surged 33% to $1.01 billion in 2026, with all but $55 million of that coming from exports.&nbsp;
The industry is confident it can hit $2 billion by 2030. &nbsp;
NZ Game Developers Association Executive Director Joy Keene told Mike Hosking in comparison, the global game industry grew by just 2.7% in 2025, so we're boxing well above our weight.&nbsp;
She says the strength and quality of New Zealand's games is what's causing our phenomenal growth. &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

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Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show. Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda. The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more. The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show.Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion,...

The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Joy Keene: NZ Game Developers Association Executive on the video game industry hitting $1 billion in revenue

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/9dcfbf97-7c23-4403-8d6e-b4d6014fa389/transcript

Given Westpac played what I would loosely call a dumb game this week with numbers, let me return serve. 

Their numbers involved a bunch of what they call "necessities" and their prices over the past ten years. 

White bread is up 120% and butter up 157%. Chicken though is only up 2%. So, if you ate a lot of chicken, not only would you be protein rich, you would have saved a fortune. 

The CPI is up in that period 38%. 

Their argument is that this is why we are miserable; everything appears so expensive. 

Not everything is, but if you eat a lot of white bread and butter, obviously without the chicken, you are arguing it’s a cost-of-living crisis. 

By the way, here are my numbers: while the CPI is 38%, hourly wages are up 53%. 

Now that dovetails into what we saw just last week with the food price inflation for the year at 1.9%. Our wages have in fact gone up more than that, so in other words, food is getting more affordable. 

It's a statistical fact – food is more affordable this year than last year. 

If you spread it out over 10 years at 53% versus 38%, things are way more affordable. We are actually getting ahead. 

See what you can do with numbers? 

Which has been my argument throughout this cluster of numbers, and misery, and point scoring, and finger pointing. 

If you want to be miserable and find something that is wrong, or broken, or too expensive, you can. 

But equally —glass half-full— if you want to find gain, or benefit, or advancement, you can as well. That choice is yours. 

For dairy and meat, we can explain the price gains: they are international. For olive oil, it’s a Spanish drought, for coffee it’s a disease, for your council rates its half-wits with no clue. 

But if you aren't prepared to avoid things that appear too much, then that’s on you. 

After all, what really is a necessity at the supermarket? What is a "must have" versus a "nice to have"? 

Is white bread really so good that it's worth getting exercised over? 

Given Westpac played what I would loosely call a dumb game this week with numbers, let me return serve.&nbsp;
Their numbers involved a bunch of what they call "necessities" and their prices over the past ten years.&nbsp;
White bread is up 120% and butter up 157%. Chicken though is only up 2%. So, if you ate a lot of chicken, not only would you be protein rich, you would have saved a fortune.&nbsp;
The CPI is up in that period 38%.&nbsp;
Their argument is that this is why we are miserable; everything appears so expensive.&nbsp;
Not everything is, but if you eat a lot of white bread and butter, obviously without the chicken, you are arguing it’s a cost-of-living crisis.&nbsp;
By the way, here are my numbers: while the CPI is 38%, hourly wages are up 53%.&nbsp;
Now that dovetails into what we saw just last week with the food price inflation for the year at 1.9%. Our wages have in fact gone up more than that, so in other words, food is getting more affordable.&nbsp;
It's a statistical fact – food is more affordable this year than last year.&nbsp;
If you spread it out over 10 years at 53% versus 38%, things are way more affordable. We are actually getting ahead.&nbsp;
See what you can do with numbers?&nbsp;
Which has been my argument throughout this cluster of numbers, and misery, and point scoring, and finger pointing.&nbsp;
If you want to be miserable and find something that is wrong, or broken, or too expensive, you can.&nbsp;
But equally —glass half-full— if you want to find gain, or benefit, or advancement, you can as well. That choice is yours.&nbsp;
For dairy and meat, we can explain the price gains: they are international. For olive oil, it’s a Spanish drought, for coffee it’s a disease, for your council rates its half-wits with no clue.&nbsp;
But if you aren't prepared to avoid things that appear too much, then that’s on you.&nbsp;
After all, what really is a necessity at the supermarket? What is a "must have" versus a "nice to have"?&nbsp;
Is white bread really so good that it's worth getting exercised over?&nbsp;

Mike's Minute: The power of statistics

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/d28b90ab-79fa-419f-bd0b-b4d6015e6f60/transcript

The Moa Point saga is now wading into the courts. 

The Greater Wellington Regional Council has filed charges against water company Tiaki Wai and the City Council after a catastrophic failure in February saw more than 14 billion litres of untreated sewage pumped into the sea.   

The regional council says the prosecution follows detailed investigation of the events, the roles of involved parties, and the environmental consequences. 

Both organisations could face fines of up to $100 million each. 

Wellington Mayor Andrew Little told Mike Hosking it's highly unlikely there will be a fine at that level. 

He says there will be talks by lawyers on all sides, and if anything goes before a judge, there'll be a bit of teasing out about where responsibility actually lies, as that's still a bit of an open question. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

The Moa Point saga is now wading into the courts.&nbsp;
The Greater Wellington Regional Council has filed charges against water company Tiaki Wai and the City Council after a catastrophic failure in February saw more than 14 billion litres of untreated sewage pumped into the sea. &nbsp;&nbsp;
The regional council says the prosecution follows detailed investigation of the events, the roles of involved parties, and the environmental consequences.&nbsp;
Both organisations could face fines of up to $100 million each.&nbsp;
Wellington Mayor Andrew Little told Mike Hosking it's highly unlikely there will be a fine at that level.&nbsp;
He says there will be talks by lawyers on all sides, and if anything goes before a judge, there'll be a bit of teasing out about where responsibility actually lies, as that's still a bit of an open question.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Andrew Little: Wellington Mayor on Greater Wellington Regional Council filing charges for the failures at Moa Point

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/5791b606-1da7-4188-8690-b4d6015b80f9/transcript

It's Friday, which means it's time for Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson to join Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that Was. 

They discussed the first official week of election campaigning, last night's minor leaders' debate, and at what point minor parties actually become major parties. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

It's Friday, which means it's time for Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson to join Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that Was.&nbsp;
They discussed the first official week of election campaigning, last night's minor leaders' debate, and at what point minor parties actually become major parties.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Wrapping the Week with Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson: First week of election campaigning, minor parties, interviews of the week

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/1a3efcc4-63bc-4c76-8338-b4d601542cb7/transcript

Joy Keene: NZ Game Developers Association Executive on the video game industry hitting $1 billion in revenue

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