One of the country’s largest iwi has teamed up with a Singapore-based social enterprise specialising in immersive games to help promote Māori culture and heritage to visitors using the company’s innovative storytelling platform.
Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua, which represents the interests of Ngāti Kahungunu within the Tararua District, announced the partnership with gaming company Hidden in a release on Saturday.
The Dannevirke-based iwi authority said it had made a “significant investment” in the company as part of their joint efforts to create innovative ways for visitors to learn about and deepen their connection with Māori heritage through new interactive experiences in New Zealand.
Singapore news outlet The Straits Times has reported that Hidden received an SGD $1 million (NZD $1.24 million) investment from Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua.
The iwi said the collaboration with Hidden “brings about exciting new possibilities not possible before”.
“As custodians of our traditions, we are keen to work with a groundbreaking company that has demonstrated expertise in helping people tell their own stories in their own way. We are excited to also give domestic and international visitors to our country the opportunity to personally engage directly with our culture,” said Hayden Hape, the chair of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua.
By combining the virtual and physical element in a unique blend of fun and exploration, the release said Hidden games will enable visitors to multiple locations in New Zealand to discover Māori culture and heritage through interactive, engaging experiences.
Launched in 2022, Hidden is the brainchild of two childhood friends, 38-year-old Lim Yee Hung and Loh Jun Wei, who wanted to make heritage come alive and easily accessible through games and technology.
Through an iwi member who knew Lim, the gaming company and Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua met about a year ago and started down the track of collaboration, The Straits Times said.
The company which says it is “focused on connecting people and the places they live in” is the creator of a popular immersive outdoor adventure game called Hidden that has reportedly attracted more than 40,000 players in Singapore. Using WhatsApp messages and an AI chatbot, the self-guided game takes players on journeys through local neighbourhoods and communities to find hidden gems and “discover new things that enrich your life”.
In April, Hidden’s adventure game was part of a national effort to promote the heritage of Singapore’s neighbourhoods and uncover the untold stories that make the communities special.
In New Zealand, the game will be called Hidden Aotearoa, with the company partnering with the iwi to create “compelling content based on the deep local knowledge that members of the iwi bring”.
“We are excited to not just collaborate with Hidden but invest in its future as a strategic partner that will bring innovative ideas to promote Māori culture and heritage to a global audience,” said Hape.
Under this agreement, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua will receive equity in privately-held Hidden and hold a director’s position on its board.
In return, Hidden will set up an office in New Zealand, with funding committed to hiring a local team to develop interactive experiences based on the company’s award-winning game engine.
Discover how the game Hidden Singapore works. Source / YouTube
Hape told The Straits Times Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua will reach out to other iwi to share their stories through the game and also tourism companies and local government agencies to promote Hidden Aotearoa.
He said many iwi had invested heavily in tourism but lacked a tool that can connect with people. He believes Hidden Aotearoa is the solution. The game will not be limited to any particular part of the country.
“People will be able to guide themselves and see the underlying stories of our history through Hidden Aotearoa,” Hape told The Straits Times.
“We have a beautiful, rich history that goes right back to Taiwan. We believe that we originated from Taiwan.”
Lim is full of praise for his new partners.
“The Māori are the best storytellers in the world and we are so excited to be able to work with them to create a potent combination of storytelling and technology to share with the world.
“It was a life-changing experience visiting Hayden and his tribe in New Zealand earlier this year, when they taught me Māori concepts like whakapapa (genealogy) and kotahitanga (togetherness), as well as how to shear a sheep!”