[url=http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6246738.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;2]Source[/url]
[quote]Tax breaks may come in two to three years if the current opposition wins upcoming election, despite pleas and dire warnings from industry heavyweights.
UK game developers may be frustrated with the lack of government support for their struggling sector, but shuffling the political deck isn't likely to change that. Speaking in Westminster this morning, Ed Vaizey, the shadow minister for culture and the creative industries, heaped praise on the UK games industry, but admitted that government policy on aid for the games industry would not change were the Conservatives to seize power in the coming general election. Vaizey said assistance for developers would not be "an immediate priority," despite the argued benefits the sector brings to the country.
Opposition leadership to UK devs: "We've got bigger fish to batter and fry and serve with chips on a bed of newspaper."
The case for tax breaks was made by a number of UK industry luminaries present at the event. Dr Richard Wilson, CEO of UK development trade body Tiga, said his organisation's calculations showed that a cultural tax break along the lines of that given to the film industry would raise in excess of £400 million ($648 million) for the treasury over five years. These figures were collated at the request of the treasury in 2009 to examine the feasibility of a tax break for video games and were presented just before last year's prebudget report, which unexpectedly snubbed the industry.
Wilson and Richard Gibson, director of consulting firm Games Investor, both made the point that the problems besetting the UK games industry resulted in the closure of 15 percent of UK studios last year. Gibson went on to explain that the 18 months leading up to the end of 2008 saw a 6.5 percent decline in UK industry employment numbers, while in the same period Canada's gaming headcount saw an 18 percent increase, in part thanks to fiscal measures aimed directly at the games industry.
Gibson, however, disagreed that the simple production tax credit modelled after that of the movie industry was the way forward, suggesting that it entrenched existing business models for creation of blockbuster games but was ill-suited to companies attempting to take advantage of the sea changes in the industry towards online, continuous development models.
Chris Deering, Codemasters' non-executive chairman and former head of Sony's European operation, suggested that while the UK industry was "under attack," it wasn't too late to arrest the decline. Using the analogy of the way that the Wii had moved gamers off the couch, he suggested that it was simply time for the UK government to stand up and move around to ensure that the country remains at the forefront of the global games market rather than becoming "a major victim" of sea changes in the industry across the world.
Vaizey did say he was "confident" that something could be done within two to three years in terms of tax breaks and indicated that smaller measures would be looked at in the interim, such as a bolstering of the generic research and development tax breaks. He also suggested that amendments to the current film industry support might be possible in the interim to allow the creative industries as a whole to benefit from the pool of money currently available only to those making movies in the UK.
He reiterated the suggestions that Tiga and the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association--the UK trade bodies that represent developers and publishers--merge to form a UK Video Games Council along the lines of the UK Film Council, which is funded via the national lottery. This suggestion was met with derision by Richard Wilson, CEO of Tiga, and with scepticism by Keith Ramsdale, an EA vice president and ELSPA board member, though both support the idea of a separate entity along these lines.[/quote]
Bah.
You just can't win.
Tories are cunts anyway.
Trouble is they'll be the ones ending up in power.
News isn't news if it's obvious.
inb4 self-important twats whinging
[QUOTE=Doozle;19783101]Tories are cunts anyway.
Trouble is they'll be the ones ending up in power.[/QUOTE]
David Cameron - biggest cunt ever.
[quote]Speaking in Westminster this morning, Ed Vaizey, the shadow minister for culture and the creative industries, heaped praise on the UK games industry, but admitted that government policy on aid for the games industry would not change were the Conservatives to seize power in the coming general election.[/quote]
[quote]Ed Vaizey, the shadow minister for culture and the creative industries, acknowledged the problems. He said that were the Conservative party to win power, it would engage "at every single level across the country" to address these skill shortages which affect not only the games industry but the future of the British economy as a whole.[/quote]
First quote from above article.
Second quote from [url=http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=883423]this thread[/url], [url=http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6246737.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;3]source[/url].
(Yes, I understand that's the point of this post. Just wanted to highlight it to those who didn't know.)
All I've seen of Tories is that they're two-faced bastards.
David Cameron's the worst.
I'll be voting for labour this year.
[QUOTE=mole3700;19783543]First quote from above article.
Second quote from [url=http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=883423]this thread[/url], [url=http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6246737.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;3]source[/url].
(Yes, I understand that's the point of this post. Just wanted to highlight it to those who didn't know.)
All I've seen of Tories is that they're two-faced bastards.
David Cameron's the worst.
I'll be voting for labour this year.[/QUOTE]
No because Labour are equally worse.
They're all as bad as each other, except BNP!
[QUOTE=Doozle;19783101]Tories are cunts anyway.
Trouble is they'll be the ones ending up in power.[/QUOTE]
Biased much?
If there's a thread about Labour or another major party, I just post normally instead of flaming against the party that goes against my own political views.
They're all basically the same now. I suppose the Tories could get into power and go back into proper conservative mode like we had a while back where all the schools fell apart and stuff :ohdear:
I'd be worried if it was their top priority.
[QUOTE=Bad)-(and;19789579]I'd be worried if it was their top priority.[/QUOTE]
Hey! It's an Industry, the country would be producing something so they can export it and make money.
[QUOTE=Bad)-(and;19789579]I'd be worried if it was their top priority.[/QUOTE] one of the biggest candidates for jobs because its one of the biggest growing industries in a recession economy? why not?
the uk does'nt support the games industry enough as it is which is why most Games Design students like me go abroad after doing they're degree
also : tories suck, labours bad but having tories in power is even worse especially two-face cunt dave cameron!
I think I'm going to vote UKIP. The Tories have been pissing me off lately.
Tories are a bunch of rich bitches, a vote for them would be like stabbing yourself repeatedly.
[QUOTE=Raptor !;19795807]one of the biggest candidates for jobs because its one of the biggest growing industries in a recession economy? why not?
the uk does'nt support the games industry enough as it is which is why most Games Design students like me go abroad after doing they're degree
also : tories suck, labours bad but having tories in power is even worse especially two-face cunt dave cameron![/QUOTE]
Oh, I don't know.
Here's me thinking things like Healthcare and Education might be higher on their list of priorities.
The only thing about UK I give a shit about nowadays is games.
[QUOTE=mole3700;19783543]First quote from above article.
Second quote from [URL="http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=883423"]this thread[/URL], [URL="http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6246737.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;3"]source[/URL].
(Yes, I understand that's the point of this post. Just wanted to highlight it to those who didn't know.)
All I've seen of Tories is that they're two-faced bastards.
David Cameron's the worst.
I'll be voting for labour this year.[/QUOTE]
If you vote to keep that shit stain to the country Labour in, I'll personally hunt you down and hang you by your dick.
You could Vote Lib Dem.
[QUOTE=Bad)-(and;19800948]Oh, I don't know.
Here's me thinking things like Healthcare and Education might be higher on their list of priorities.[/QUOTE]
As well as reducing the number of active police officers in counties.
Ah fuck, bloody Tories.
[editline]05:40PM[/editline]
They're shooting themselves in the foot since most young voters are Gamers aswell.
Yeah but see most young voters aren't self-righteous little shits either.
Generally they've grown up.
[QUOTE=David29;19795984]I think I'm going to vote UKIP. The Tories have been pissing me off lately.[/QUOTE]
If you're going to waste your vote at least waste it on Labour.
[QUOTE=Moby-;19801025]If you vote to keep that shit stain to the country Labour in, I'll personally hunt you down and hang you by your dick.[/QUOTE]
Feel free - but you'll have a lot of hunting to do, there's not just me on FP voting for labour. I'm voting to keep them in. They'll be better than the Conservatives, who can't keep a promise for longer than a day (apart from the marriage one, which they can't afford anyway).
Mock the week takes the piss outta david cameron
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00qbvqp/Mock_the_Week_Series_8_Episode_1/[/url]
Great show
To be fair, Mock the Week takes the piss out of everyone.
[QUOTE=David29;19795984]I think I'm going to vote UKIP. The Tories have been pissing me off lately.[/QUOTE]
Ah, UKIP, where you can be just as bid a boggpt as in the BNP yet feel good about yourself.
I don't have confidence in any of our political parties.
Jeremy Clarkson for prime minister!
[QUOTE=mole3700;19806544]To be fair, [B]Mock[/B] the Week takes the piss out of everyone.[/QUOTE]
They're not there to endorse everyone...
Well, if I could vote, I sure as hell wouldn't vote for the Tories, then.
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