The Independent Games Developers Association (Tiga) is demanding that the UK Government gives tax breaks to the country’s game developers. Tiga is a national trade association made up of UK developers and seeks to work with the Government to keep the industry competitive. Their ultimate aim is to see the UK as the third largest country for game development after the US and Japan.
This is unlikely to happen soon however, with a $104 million tax break announcement today from the Canadian province of Ontario cementing the country’s position in third place. Industry watchers are now predicting that the UK could soon fall to sixth.
Tiga CEO Richard Wilson (no, not that guy) responded to the news by calling on Chancellor Alistair Darling to announce a similar deal in the upcoming budget. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz he said:
If the UK Government wants to maintain its position as a major developer of videogames then Alistair Darling, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, must end the present policy of prevarication and announce a tax breaks for games production in his Budget on April 22nd. The UK videogames industry needs action and it needs it now.
Sorry Richard, but with banks to be bailed out and MP’s porn habits to be funded, I think it’s not looking likely.
iTunes
So politicians are too greedy to see the value in game dev in the UK? Big surprise…