1 Sunday ` proudly brought to you by Mazda. Tonight on Sunday ` gaming is booming. It's like 12 hours I'll just sit there. Pretty much 24 hours, pretty much. Played Minecraft for about 20 hours before. Welcome to the biggest entertainment game in town. And the venue looks fantastic behind us. You just don't get bigger than this in NZ. This is making history right now. But could this be the ultimate silent addiction? No one really sees what's going on. Were there a few dark times as a parent dealing with this? Yes. SWEEPING MUSIC It will get dark and then all of a sudden the light will explode, and things. Those are` You know, the really dynamic changes are the ones which are, you know, they're the most impressive. And we celebrate the fresh success of our Kiwi doctor at the South Pole. The winner in the time-lapse category of NZ Geographic Photographer of the Year 2016 is... Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2016 Kia ora. I'm Miriama Kamo. Tonight ` a journey into a virtual world that's all around you but you may not even realise exists; a world where the meek and mild can be brave and strong; where it's easy to make new friends without even having to leave the house. It is, of course, the world of online gaming, and it's gobbling up the entertainment dollar. ELeague now boasts teams of players with huge TV audiences who consider themselves as true athletes. So what is it about these games that hook people in? And should we be worried? Here's Mark Crysell. OMINOUS MUSIC ELECTRONIC CLANGING Welcome to a virtual world ` # Ready, steady, go! # You feel so immersed, you absolutely forget what's around you. population ` more than a billion. The gaming world is designed to get you hooked. It's somewhere safe. A global industry worth over $100 billion. The current one I'm playing at the moment, which is Mad Max. At the moment, League of Legends. But is there a dark side to gaming? What's the longest in one go that you've played? > Probably one and a half days. Honestly, I have done, like, for a week. I have played Minecraft for about 20 hours before. < I mean, can you give it up? Are you addicted? Uh, nah, I don't think I can give it up. I think I'm pretty much addicted now. SOMBRE MUSIC Same same but different. Alex and James Monk are more than just brothers ` We're very, very close. they're twins. You're living your twin's shadow, and they're living in yours, and things swap over a lot of the time. People think that you're sort of the same person, and share the same personality and things about them, where, actually, we're two very different people. That was James. And this is Alex. I'd say I was quite a talented gamer. Could you beat your brother? We were pretty on par, but... (LAUGHS) For most of their 18 years, the twins have had one shared passion. Video games were the activity that we did together almost all the time. It's the way we bonded together. ELECTRONIC MUSIC It all started when they were 5 years old. I thought at the time, 'Oh yeah, it might be something good for long car trips.' Their dad bought them a Nintendo Game Boy. Yeah, we used to play Super Mario, and one which might have sunk the most time into. (LAUGHS) At the start, I didn't quite know what it was about, but after a couple of games, I really enjoyed it. Next came computer games, PlayStations, Xboxes, and as the internet got faster, so too did the boys' skill. By the time they were teens, gaming was consuming them. The longest time I've ever played in one streak would probably be about 16 to 18 hours. There was, you know, some time where we played Lego and jumped on the trampoline and such, but those would just be relatively short breaks from gaming. How much time did you spend gaming? As much as I could. (LAUGHS) Until I'd get told to stop, pretty much. Were there a few dark times as a parent dealing with this? Yes. Yes. Especially when the boys had been playing games too much and you've just lost them for the next couple of days while they recover. Their parents set parameters but the boys were good at getting round them. In the middle of the night there would be a bit of a flicker of light from underneath the` the door of the bedroom. Open the door and see a-a boy with a headset on in front of a screen battling somebody on the other side of the world. Yeah, um, what about it? (LAUGHS) You got caught? Yeah. Um... I don't have much to say about it. Yeah, I was addicted. (LAUGHS) The twins were becoming more at home in the virtual than the real world. Look at James' eyes here; he doesn't blink. Is it addiction or just a youthful obsession? It's kind of a silent addiction compared to many others. Here in NZ, the medical establishment is split over whether there is such a thing as gaming addiction. I absolutely think it's an addiction. I think it can be a serious problem. Christchurch psychotherapist James Driver treats people who are addicts. With gaming, it's really easy to, kind of, just do that behind closed doors, and because there's no physical limitations on it ` you probably don't run out of money ` you can kinda just keep on doing it indefinitely, and no one really sees what's going on. He should know ` his university studies were almost ruined because he became hooked on this game. I got to the point where I was playing pretty much, sort of, 16, 18 hours a day, so literally every waking moment. I'd get up, play the game, stop for food maybe once or twice a day, and that was kind of it. That's all I was doing. We're on the same team! It's worth pointing out that by far the large majority of gamers lead normal lives in the fresh air of the real world. I think there's a lot of parents who possibly worry more than they need to. I mean, I do think it's important to take this seriously, but there are kids who are actually doing their schoolwork and have other hobbies and are socialising fine and gaming, and, you know, probably it's not an issue for those kids. But nearly 5% of gamers get lost. LOUD GROAN ON MONITOR There are red flags. You typically find with addictions in the early stages it's more about feeling good, you get a good experience. You feel so immersed in the whole world, and you absolutely forget what's around you. You're usually the man in charge, the person at the top, or, you know, the hero. So it's very hard to feel uncomfortable there. But as time goes by, it becomes more about escape than pleasure. People might start to become anxious or agitated or depressed, irritable when they're not gaming. Say if I'd been bullied or something, then instead of dealing with it, I might just play video games. Did it take over your life? I'd say so, yeah. The games were in` in control of me rather than me being in control of them. It can be hard for parents to know what to do. It got pretty serious in that they were unable to-to really do anything else socially. Schoolwork was getting very affected. Are you worried that people might judge you as parents, or your family? Yeah, I am concerned about that. And that they say, 'Well, we wouldn't let our kids get addicted to games,' or, you know, 'That's just poor parenting'. But it's something that sneaks up, and you don't know that it's there. So what questions should parents ask? 'Why am I gaming?' or 'why are they gaming?' So it's about understanding what exactly is going on that's` that's causing them to game; what are they getting out of it? For the Monk twins, the gaming world was where they felt safe, where their mates were. Stopping would mean leaving that all behind. Do you ever feel guilty about buying them that first Nintendo? Oh... Yes. Yes. But I just really didn't understand myself how addictive they really were. Blair didn't really know what to do, where to find help, and he's not alone there. I get contacted from people all around the country because they can't find anyone local who's working with this issue. There's just not help out there at the moment. When we come back, one of the twins goes cold turkey. I knew I had a problem and I needed to do something about it. You <BLEEP>ing rock! And just how big is this industry? Gaming is ginormous. Gaming is the biggest entertainment industry in the world. CHEERING, APPLAUSE 1 To understand this world, you first have to enter it. Ooh! I'm dead. Wow. That is wild. And what you see is that gaming's getting real ` And the venue looks fantastic, I mean, behind us ` I mean, you just don't get bigger than this in NZ. This is making history right now. real big ` ready to take down TV and movies in the fight for entertainment dollars. I am very much looking forward to the results of tonight, and I'm sure everyone else is as well. Back to you guys. This is the finals of the NZ gaming championship. It's called eSports ` an area of gaming that's heading fast toward the mainstream. Players, please enter the hexadome. Two teams of five facing off against each other playing League of Legends, the most popular game in the world. And players are absolutely willing to fight to the death over it. Live on Sky TV with sharp-suited analysts and what they call shoutcasters. (YELLS EXCITEDLY) Gets the doubles! High 86! How do you let that happen?! And every shows needs a frontman. For the NZ gaming champs, it's Duane Mutu. Tell me about this? Well, this is NZ's premier eSport facility. So this is called the hexadome. He wants to raise the bar for gaming here. Then this along here is basically the best set-up you can get almost in NZ. So you've got a custom-made gaming chair. You've also got headset here. And then down there is the best PC to make sure it's fast. Watching computerised characters fighting on TV might sound boring to some, but the numbers show it's already challenging traditional sports for an audience. We'll be bigger than some of the rugby as far as the NPC; we'll be bigger than the cricket, as far as the Twenty20; and we'll be bigger than some of the netball matches already in this country. We even have our own national gaming team ` the eBlacks. Are they athletes? I believe they're athletes, yeah. You talk about their heart rate going right through; you know, their reaction time is quick as F1 drivers. As an industry, they're well aware of the potential for addiction. We do feel responsibility, and that's why we want to make sure that at the top level of competitive gaming that we paint the right picture for people. So we're really mindful that our players that are in this tournament do do other sports, they eat right, and that will then translate down to the fans. Commercially, advertisers are chomping at the bit over those fans. As well as Sky TV, the NZ gaming champs broadcast live on the Twitch gaming website. Twitch is ginormous. <BLEEP>, yeah! You can watch live games, you've got influencers, you can watch the pro players train. There would be 750,000 unique devices that are logged on to Twitch. It's a very very big platform. That's one in every six NZers. Is it any wonder Duane thinks the numbers are on his side? 98% of households have some form of gaming device, and so I think that the younger audience have grown up with it. And you go up to, sort of, over 35, and people just don't understand it, cos they're not around it. How old are you? 35, so I just made the cut. (LAUGHS) The crowd mirrors the virtual demographics. Marginally more men than women are gamers, but the girls are catching up. SING-SONGY: Hi, my name is Loriipops, and I'm a chick that loves video games! Was that a good intro? I think it was. This is Lorien Gugich, better known online as Loriipops. And the best place to start is at the beginning. Every night Loriipops streams live on Twitch from Napier playing games and talking about her life,... (SHRIEKS) I'm growing hungry. Oh my God, guys. Pizza. ...and more than 80,000 people from all over the world watch. Hi, Lorii. Oh, hi! How are you? Nice to see you. I'm good! Nice to see you too! Hello, all of Lorri's friends. There's all your hellos there. Wow. California, Florida. Mexico. Mexico. Christchurch. Germany. North Korea! Ooh, do we believe that? No, I wouldn't. This is the internet. (GIGGLES) They are called the Pop Squad, and they pay for the privilege. YT Ymir is here, dude! Thank you so much for that brand-new sub! I have earned $3000 in one night before. That was from the kindness of people collectively donating to me one after another. I just thought how amazing that all these people want to support me and help me fund my career. What do you think has made you so successful? I think it is my personality. I'm a huge people person, so that, and I scream and make people laugh a lot. Thank you so much! I've brought a brand-new sub over to the Pop Squad. You <BLEEP>ing rock! But there's a generation divide here and some who just don't understand how big this world really is. Anyone of any age that doesn't know about Twitch and I tell them, they're just like, 'Are you serious? My God.' < I didn't know anything about Twitch until I did this. Until now? Yes! And what do you think of Twitch? I'm gobsmacked that this whole thing exists outside that I knew nothing about, < and I'm a journalist. I've failed. Yeah. BOTH LAUGH And while many parents worry about losing their children online, for Loriipops, her virtual world is a happy place. It's a safe place, and they're very friendly. A lot of people have messaged me telling me that I've helped them through hard times. My ambition is to be an inspiration for people. LAIDBACK MUSIC You can check out any time you like, but can you ever leave? Remember our twins? Well, after 12 years gaming, one of them, Alex, just wanted to go outside. I went out for runs and things. Just feeling the wind on my face was just a great feeling to be back in the real world. He had a couple of goes at weaning himself off gaming. The third time round he nailed it with a 90-day detox. How long have you been free from gaming now? Now it would be... about... 265 days. (LAUGHS) About? Yeah. I don't know the exact number. Actually, it would be about exactly 265. (LAUGHS) I keep a counter. And to fill the gaming void, Alex took himself way outside his comfort zone. He worked on his fitness, kept a journal, wrote poetry, took up photography and forced himself to meet strangers. You know, I didn't have the best social skills. But eventually I just had to just go for it, and then once I got into the rhythm, it came a lot easier. It shows how deep you were in the virtual world, doesn't it? Yeah, in a way because it just wasn't a natural thing for me to go and make new friends. It's not a skill that I had developed properly. Give it a good... Schoolwork's picked up. Dad's happy. It is much better without a screen between us. It works better in that you can talk about the issues of the world, not just the issues of what's in the next game. The downside is that the twins don't spend as much time together these days. LOUD CLANGING ON MONITOR Twin brother James is still gaming. It's disappointing on my side, cos usually I'd play my games with Alex all the time, just like two-people games. But once he'd permanently quit games, then I had to go and search for other people to play with if I wanted to be social. Is James an addict? Um, that's for him to answer. (LAUGHS) < Are you an addict? At times I would say, yes, when I, um, when I just play them for no reason, but definitely, at times I'm just in control of it. And you know what they say about turning your passion into your profession. Uh, so this took me a long time to do for the animations. James is already making his own games. Hopefully I'll be able to sell it by the end of year or maybe sometime next year. He wants to work in an industry that's already worth over $100 million in NZ. I realised that I've spent a lot of time gaming, and so becoming a game developer was something I wanted to do. And so you need to play games to be able to be a game developer. James wants to be a game designer now. Does that mean it's not an addiction anymore? I s'pose, um... if you go and work in the alcohol industry and you drink alcohol, does it make you an alcoholic? I don't know. (LAUGHS) # Bah-bah bah-bah bah-bah, in the sunshine. # Almost all of us live our lives through screens these days; it's up to us whether we control them or they control us. Alex Monk, however, is just happy to be back in the sunshine. # Sunshine. # I wasted a lot of hours on it. It's just a bit embarrassing cos that is not the person I want to be. So, there's a game on the computer behind you. Yeah. Tempted? Nah. (LAUGHS) You're cured? Yeah. (CHUCKLES) I'd say so. Well, if you have concerns about a gaming addiction, we have information on the Sunday Facebook page. And Loriipops will also be live on our Facebook page straight after the show if you want to chat to her about the more positive side of gaming. And if you want to see even more gaming, TVNZ Duke is bringing you extensive coverage of eLeague. Well, after the break we revisit our story of one Kiwi doctor's incredible mission to photograph the great Southern Lights from the South Pole, because there's cause for celebration. Guess it's just man's inquisitive nature ` we try and push the boundaries of what's possible. The days where you truly get a full colourful display with, you know, roving colours that you can see in the sky with the naked eyes ` those are the really, sort of, special moments. DREAMY MUSIC 1 Hello again. Before we go tonight, we've got an update on a story we brought you a few weeks back on Kiwi doctor-turned-Aurora photographer Hamish Wright. Dr Wright has been wintering over at the South Pole serving as the American base's medic there. It's an arduous job, but there's an incredibly beautiful upside to the perpetual night ` you get a view of the Southern Lights like nowhere else on earth. Here's Sonya Wilson. MYSTICAL MUSIC This is what the Aurora Australis looks like from the South Pole. # Now and forever... # Yes, it's totally surreal, but apart from the time lapse, there are no special effects involved here; this is the show that Mother Nature pulls off all on her own. The times where you get the greens, where they` you know, the ones where they're sort of rolling in in waves and waves and waves, and, you know, you're seeing it all get dark, and then all of a sudden the light will explode and things. Those are` You know, the really dynamic changes are the ones which are, you know, the most impressive. Hamish Wright is living in arguably the most inhospitable place on the planet. In winter, it is perpetually dark, it's minus-60 degrees, and it's totally cut off. If I was to look out the window, all I'd see would be a very dark, black, icy plateau with the nearest rocks or trees or mountains several thousand kilometres away. There are a lot of downsides to being stuck in an icy box for, you know, for 10 months, but there's some really awesome upsides. Yes, the upsides are spectacular, and this week, back here in ice-free Auckland, there was also an accolade. The winner in the time-lapse category of NZ Geographic Photographer of the Year 2016 is... Hamish Wright. APPLAUSE, CHEERING Hamish isn't here tonight; he's still in Antarctica. South Pole Station, Hamish speaking. Mate, you've won the` you've won the time-lapse award in the NZ Geographic Photographer of the Year. CHEERING, APPLAUSE Congratulations. Oh, wow. That's fantastic. APPLAUSE CONTINUES His brother was in Auckland to accept the award on his behalf. Hamish isn't expected back off the ice for another couple of weeks. < And do you think you'll recognise him? He was looking pretty... (CHUCKLES) Yeah, I might recognise him as a bit of a hobo. He's got a beard down to about here, and, you know, looking a little bit anaemic from all the cold and stuff, so I'm sure he'll be keen for some of Mum's cooking. Congratulations, Hamish. Now, don't forget Loriipops is live in a couple of minutes on our Sunday Facebook page. Thanks for joining us this evening. We'll close the show with Hamish Wright's winning time-lapse. Nga mihi nui, hei kona. SWEEPING CELLO MUSIC www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air.