Wētā Workshop's new Hobbit game Tales of the Shire a 'cosy' escape from the world

On Wednesday Wētā Workshop released a new video game that allows players to build their own home in a Hobbit village in Middle Earth.

Tales of the Shire is billed as a "cosy game" providing a calmer, more meditative experience than the frenetic pace of traditional video games.

Players create Hobbit characters - from choosing the possessions that adorn their Hobbit-hole homes to selecting the extent of hair on their little feet.

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The Hobbit avatars are moved about a picturesque Middle Earth world buffeted by seasonal winds and guided by birds as they tend to their gardens, fish, cook and interact with other townsfolk.

Wētā Workshop founder Sir Richard Taylor said as the world emerged from the height of the pandemic, it made sense to create a game that was a departure from the conflict and drama that fuelled much of the Lord of the Rings films.

"Tolkien described The Shire as Warwickshire circa 1890 type of world. This is pastoral England, this is beautiful days of slashing down the corn in the fields and harvesting, making hearty meals for your family," Taylor said.

He said the game's look was purposely designed to emphasise the beauty and calm of the idyllic setting that was home to the Hobbits.

"We wanted to create a wonderfully, painterly watercolour world so it felt like you were stepping into a living picture, dotted with trees and hobbit holes. I think it looks beautiful and it seems to fit perfectly for Tolkien's imagination of what the Shire should be," Taylor said.

Game studio director Tony Lawrence said at its peak, 54 people collaborated on the game, working out of Wētā's Miramar workshop as well as from Italy, Australia and California.

The game's creators were able to draw on the studio's 25 years of bringing Middle Earth to life to add authenticity to the settings and activities players encountered, he said.

"If there's a question about Lord of the Rings we've quite a few experts just lurking around the place that can help us with anything. If we wanted to understand how a character might make a sword, having a master sword [maker] onsite is pretty good to come watch. They're the kind of things that you can't do anywhere else in any other studio," Lawrence said.

Tony Lawrence said the government's rebate for game developers was an important factor in helping Wētā take the time to develop the game's detail and depth.

New Zealand Game Developers Association executive director Joy Keene said the scheme was reversing a trend of local game developers heading offshore to work.

"It's been absolutely essential to studios - especially studios like Wētā Workshop - where the rebate has assisted them to hire more staff, pay staff more to keep them rather than those staff going offshore, and given them some stability to actually develop these games," Keene said.