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Gaming is "one notch up from porn" in the UK

Posted Oct 23, 2008 at 5:59PM EST by Glenn M.

Listed in: Tags: Canada, Ian Livingstone, interviews, TIGA, UK

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Despite the continuing growth in the gaming industry, it looks like the UK has gone conservative in terms of handing tax breaks to gaming. It's a lucrative industry, but gaming in the UK is dying because other countries have seduced games companies with tax breaks. Richard Wilson, chief executive of Tiga explains why.

The government understands that UK games developers are not competing on a level playing field but is reluctant to introduce tax breaks for games production unless it can be shown that there is an issue of market failure or that there are strong cultural reasons for supporting UK games developers.

Ian Livingstone, creative director and head of acquisitions at Eidos explains, "We've recently slipped from third to fourth in world development behind Canada. We're now the most expensive country in the world in which to develop."

In the past six years, half of the independent UK development studios have already closed or been bought by foreign publishers who see more value in our studios and intellectual property than we do ourselves.

Developers in the UK have banded together to form the "Games Up?" campaign, which seeks to lobby the government for tax breaks and institutional change in universities to accommodate gaming. Sadly, the parliament has been unreceptive.

Don Foster, Liberal Democrat spokesman on culture and media, explains that the gaming industry suffers because it competes with other industries, like fashion and tourism, for tax breaks. Gaming also has an "unjustifiably poor image." "Few people in this country realize how important it is to the UK economy."

Livingstone agrees: "We're still seen as the red-headed stepchild of the creative industries, one notch up from pornography in the eyes of most of the establishment. They forget that half of the world and half of the UK's population play games. Games help define who we are as human beings -- they are as important, culturally and socially, as music and films."

Two words: Lara Croft. Let's not forget that the most successful heroine in the history of gaming came from Eidos, a developer in the UK. The country's success when it comes to gaming just can't be questioned, and shame on the parliament for not taking it for what it is. The industry is in an entirely different one from that of porn, so why treat them like they're the same?

Livingstone explains: "The perception is 'why do we need it, as clearly we're doing well?' But do you put a new roof on your house when it's raining? Surely you should do it when it's sunny?"

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Our PM is an unelected moron who brought our country to its knees with his ignorance of financial basics, and who has doubled tax for every small business in the country.

It's no surprise that he and his gang of incompetent clowns can't see the value of a growing industry. Nothing will change until 2010, when he's forced to call an election and we can finally kick his fat ass out of government. Sadly by that time the UK will be deep in recession and utterly bankrupt, so tax breaks for anyone will be impossible. If I ever split up with my girlfriend, I'm leaving this country on the first available flight.

# .. — failtorespond 2008-10-24 00:52

Everyones having the same problem in alot of countries right now. I won't even get started how *****ed off the US (specifically) is in terms of economics lol.

Look on the bright side, it could be worse, George Bush could be the one leading you :p~

# are cell and goku... — StingBlah 2008-10-24 01:00

having a$$5ex?

# OMG — Binary 2008-10-24 02:28

Would somebody please think of the children!!!

# :( — mysterysword 2008-10-24 07:39

It can't be that way, unfortunately. It's all avarice in politics, it seems. "Justice" is a mere illusion today...

# are cell and goku... — c74gta4smash 2008-10-24 12:37

having butt secks

# hmm.. — DJ PON-3 2008-10-24 15:41

I'd like to see some Final Fantasy porn

# @CaptainObvious 1 — Scarface88 2008-10-24 20:29

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHA!

Seriously, that was hilarious. I click on the happy face next to your name for that.

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