Stephen Knightly: Gaming for good
Using gaming to address critical issues from mental health to financial literacy and helping to drive a flourishing export industry in the process has seen Rocketwerkz COO Stephen Knightly recognised as a University of Waikato Distinguished Alumni.
Throughout his career, Stephen has been a leading advocate for the transformative potential of digital game technologies for both New Zealanders and the economy.
There’s so much opportunity for digital games to do good in society. The power of video games is that they’re a really engaging medium. You can’t be bored playing a video game. So at the same time we can be teaching, we can be imparting social messaging, we can be helping people practice positive mental health behaviours.
In 2007, Stephen co-founded Pursuit Public Relations, where he worked with major clients like Microsoft, IBM, and Facebook. He then went on to found InGame in 2010, with a vision of applying gaming's engaging and persuasive powers to training, marketing and education.
He has developed games and apps addressing topics such as New Zealand music, mental health, dyslexia, financial literacy, and health and safety. A recent financial literacy game developed in partnership with the IHC was a finalist in this year’s New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards as one of the Best Hi-Tech Solutions for the Public Good.
What I love about the video games industry is on the surface it can look weird or full of nerds but it’s actually a global business which is exactly the type of jobs that we want to create in New Zealand. They’re creative, they’re high tech, they create exports – they’re the dream jobs for many people.
Stephen graduated from Waikato with a Bachelor of Management Studies in 1998 and a Master of Management Studies in 2000 and has become a key figure in the gaming industry that now generates over $440 million annually for New Zealand, with 95% of revenue coming from exports.
As Chairperson of the New Zealand Game Developers Association from 2011-2016, he led the development of the Interactive Aotearoa report for government on how to grow New Zealand’s interactive industry and founded the Kiwi Game Starter entrepreneurship competition. He was also instrumental in securing government economic development support for the sector through the Centre of Digital Excellence and the Game Development Sector Rebate.
The industry is surprisingly diverse. The people who play games are, on average, 35 years old, 48% female, and one of the fastest growing groups is elderly players – people over 50 is one of the fast growing groups of gamers out there.
Stephen has stayed connected to the University throughout his career, including returning as the Director of Marketing from 2003 to 2006. He has provided guest lectures, mentored students, hosted alumni gatherings at his Auckland office and worked to connect alumni through his role in the newly created network of Waikato Management School communication graduates.
