Be careful what you wish for: UK games industry gets parity with films as government abolishes the Film Council
The video games industry has long cried foul that it is not treated equally. We are upset that Canadian companies get better tax breaks than British ones and we whinge that film is treated with respect by government with tax breaks and a Film Council and quangos galore.
“We want parity with film,” we cry. “After all, they’ve got the Film Council.”
Well, be careful what you wish for. Because as of today, we don’t have a Video Games Council. But nor does film have a Film Council.
Parity at last?
(Note: this is a rapid response to breaking news – DCMS may announce a new, revised quango later. My point is tthat beggar-thy-neighbour politics are rarely successful)
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Thaddaeus Frogley on July 26, 2010 @ 12:34 pm
Can you provide a link to am official games industry statement to back up the:
“We want parity with film,” we cry. “After all, they’ve got the Film Council.”
Seems a bit harsh to accuse the games industry of “getting what they asked for” with this.
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Andy Payne on July 26, 2010 @ 12:46 pm
Quite. I am a little surprised at this headline.
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Nicholas Lovell on July 27, 2010 @ 11:56 am
In some ways, I was particularly thinking about tax breaks. At the Develop Conference, Dr. Richard Wilson said that the area where TIGA was getting the most sympathetic hearing was in areas of “unfair” subsidies. This particularly applied to Canada, but I believe that it also refers to the way in which films are subsidised by tax breaks, but games are not.
He also said (in a call to support all creative sectors” “If we are to encourage a range of successful industries in the UK and reduce our over-reliance on financial services then the Government must accurately record where public money is allocated and invest in all those creative industries with potential, not just the film industry.”
http://www.next-gen.biz/news/tiga-back-all-crea...
I'm looking for more comments around the theme of “The government treats Film as a grown up industry – isn't it time it did the same for games.” I'm sure they exist
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