Japanese game hosted at youth hub

A Takapuna youth hub is at the forefront of introducing a techno sport to Australasia.

Shore Junction is the only place in the region where gaming fans can try Japanese augmented-reality game Hado.

The game is similar to dodgeball, with teams of up to three players attempting to score points by eliminating opposition players – shooting ‘energy balls’ at them and blocking opposition efforts with shields.

Rounds last 80 seconds and the team with the most eliminations wins.

Players wear a headset with an iPhone inside that displays the game’s augmented elements and another phone on a wrist to capture the motions of shooting the balls and using shields.

Creative Technologist at Shore Junction Connor Green brought the game to the youth hub, though he told the Observer it wasn’t his original plan.

Green and Shore Junction wanted to expand on the gaming capability at the centre by creating an e-sports league.

To do so they needed to upgrade the centre’s “Frankenstein’’ PCs made out of donated parts so had started looking for partnerships to help make that happen.

Green met with representatives of tech company Playtech, who told him they couldn’t sponsor new PCs but they could show him a new game they had.

Playtech was struggling to build a player base for Hado and Green saw an opportunity to do so by introducing it to the young people that visit the hub.

An agreement was made that Shore Junction would house the equipment needed for the game while Playtech would retain ownership of the equipment and Hado licence.

Green rates the game highly and believes it offers a great mix of gaming and physical activity.

“It’s like going to the gym and running on the treadmill, but it’s enjoyable.

“It’s completely non-contact, which is great in my opinion because you can’t get hurt unless you trip over.”

Green plans to train a team to take to Japan to represent New Zealand at the Hado World Cup in October.

Hado in Japan is paying for the accommodation and the New Zealand E-Sports Confederation is paying for the flights.

The game is increasing in popularity globally, with leagues being established out- side Asia. In a European Championship last year England defeated defending champion Turkey in the final.

The game has attracted a lot of interest in its first months at Shore Junction, and Green is visiting North Shore schools to show students the game and hopefully recruit more players.

“Everyone who plays it thinks it’s a real cool game. Some don’t play again, but everyone gets enjoyment out of it.”

Longer term, Green wants to start a North Shore league

For more information and to sign up to play go to shorejunction.nz/hado.html.

Housing changes cost millions

Cash-strapped Auckland Council has spent millions implementing government directives on greater intensification – which are now threatened by National’s rethink on the issue.

Labour and National joined forces in a bipartisan accord to pass a National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD) in 2022, which directed city councils to allow the building of three, three-storey town houses on single sites in many suburbs.

Auckland Council was required by central government to implement changes to its planning rules to allow for the greater intensification. At the end of May, the external costs for implementing the NPS-UD sat at $3.9 million, according to figures released to the Observer’s sister paper, the Devonport Flagstaff under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act.

The bill included legal, planning and other professional services, as well as communications and engagement activities to inform Aucklanders about Proposed Plan Change 78 – Intensification, said Auckland Council general manager for plans and places, John Duguid. But internal/staff costs were on top, and had been met through existing budgets.

The entire plan-change process has been complicated by the flood and cyclone damage across Auckland earlier this year. The government has allowed a year’s deferral of the intensification plan changes because of that.