A unique gaming concept out of Rotorua could see people worldwide interacting with centuries of Maori and Polynesian legends and history.
Rio Hemopo-Hunuki, bassist for Trinity Roots, is the mastermind behind the new venture which recently received $50,000 in funding through Te Puni Kokiri's Ka Hao: Maori Digital Technology Development Fund.
Titans of Aotearoa is a third-person action adventure game that follows the main character Toa, as he makes his way across Polynesian islands, alongside mythological heroes such as Maui.
The series will be made up of 10 games, with each focused on a period of Maori and Polynesian legend and history, including crossing the Pacific, discovering Aotearoa and the British colonisation of New Zealand.
The majority of the dialogue will be in te reo Maori with the settings based in historically accurate locations.