Mā te rongo ka mohio: Māori Pā Wars and Kaupapa Māori Methodology at the Interface of Video Games

Abstract

This essay reviews Māori Pā Wars (2017), a te reo Māori mobile game developed for mobile devices by independent Māori-led video game company Metia Interactive. Through consideration of the historical struggle for cultural and te reo Māori revitalisation, this essay discusses the use of kaupapa Māori methodology to activate mātauranga Māori through gameplay. Situated within a wider global shift towards ‘indie’ game development and more pertinently ‘Indigenous game development,’ Māori Pā Wars is one of the first games to bring kaupapa Māori methodology to the interface of video game technology. Through analysis of game development methodology, mechanics, game design and the ubiquitous mobile medium, this essay outlines the ways Māori Pā Wars challenges a ‘literature of dominance.’ It concludes that the game borrows from remix and convergence cultures inherent to indie game development, thereby reflecting the way Māori technologies, social and political systems continue to adapt to a changing technological landscape.