Where did you play?

Where did you play?

How does one identify local themes and scenes in digital games history?  Figuring out what is local will usually require knowledge of the non-local, won’t it?  Well, in 1980s New Zealand there were some unique conditions which meant that games production developed at least partly along its own trajectory.  New Zealand had a system of import licensing — first introduced in 1938 — that lasted up until the mid 1980s.  The system made it unlawful to import any goods without a license from the Customs Department.  According to the late historian Michael King, the system was deeply unpopular.

John Perry

John Perry

John Perry was a teenager when he learned to program games. His game programming was inspired by games that he played at the time. His games were published by Grandstand, and included “Harbour” and “City Lander”. He found game programming more fun than game playing.

Grandstand

Grandstand

Grandstand was the New Zealand importer and distributor of the Sega SC3000 computer. Company Director, Leslie Kenyon, had previously used the Grandstand name to sell electronic games in the U.K. through his Adam Imports business, putting the name on everything but the name brands like Sega…