Tag Archives: tiga

According to a TIGA report, the workforce that makes up the UK games development industry may shrink by a quarter over the next five years.

More »

TIGA has issued a report which states 900 games development positions in the UK have dropped 9 percent over the last two years, resulting in 890 positions being eliminated.

More »

TIGA has said the Scottish videogames industry is at a “cross roads” , and if it didn’t get some much needed tax breaks, the sector could decline.

More »

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has warned that the company will cease to invest in the UK should the government fail to provide incentives or tax relief to the games industry.

More »

Sources close to Develop claim that one of the world’s largest game publishers is to blame for UK’s games tax break getting canned.

More »

Update: TIGA has issued a statement condemning the Government for its decision in today’s budget, calling it a “broken pre-election promise”.

It’s a bit lengthy, and below the original report.

Original: UK Chancellor George Osborne has confirmed that tax relief promised to the UK games industry by the previous Labour government will no longer go ahead.

More »

TIGA’s announced today that Crytek has become the latest developer to join the UK trade association.

More »

The UK Government does not plan to provide tax relief to the country’s games industry, it was revealed today.

According to the Guardian, Chancellor Alistair Darling’s pre-budget report does not include measures providing tax breaks despite the sector pumping more money into the economy than the region’s film industry.

TIGA claims that this failure to introduce tax breaks will result in the sector’s decline, but at the same time, commended the government for its predicted £10 million investment in gaming centers of excellence in Dundee and Manchester – which are expected to create 30 new companies and 400 new jobs within three years.

More through CVG.

The results of the latest TIGA survey are in, and it appears that the majority of UK game developers have this whole piracy thing under control.

While 90 percent think piracy is an “increasing problem,” 60 percent see unlawful plundering and pilfering as only a “low threat” to the viability of their companies. A mere 10 percent, meanwhile, think piracy is public enemy number one, assigning it a “significant threat” rating. Overall, though, it looks like developers aren’t abandoning ship just yet.

“The results of the TIGA piracy survey clearly demonstrate that UK developers are taking the initiative when dealing with the issue of piracy and looking for new ways of delivering content and communicating directly with their consumers,” said Richard Wilson, CEO of TIGA.

Thanks, GI.biz.

TIGA has said that the UK development industry could face a 5 percent year-on-year decline should the government decline to issue tax breaks – where as on the flips side, it could grow annually by 4 percent should incentives go into effect.

“The UK games industry is still successful and world leading. However, because most of our key competitors benefit from a tax break for games production, our industry is at a competitive disadvantage,” said Gareth Edmondson, TIGA vice chairman.

“Unless the UK government introduces TIGA’s proposed games tax relief, our research suggests that employment in the development sector will fall by 5 percent in each of the next five years, from 9025 in 2009 to 7351 in 2014. There would also be a fall of £1.9 million ($3.1 million) in development expenditure over the same period.

“With games tax relief enacted, the industry would stop shrinking in 2010, grow by 2 percent in 2011 and by 4 percent in each of the next three years. 3550 graduate level jobs and £457 million ($750 million) of investments in the development sector would be created or protected with the advent of the tax break.”

Edmondson went on to state that within five years the measure would cost £192 million $315 million) but would deliver £415 million ($682 million) in tax receipts.

More through GI.biz.

TIGA has called for a national Games Tax Relief to help aid and spur the growth of current interactive developers, following a report from nine English Regional Development Agencies (RDA) disclosing a gap in assistance based on region.

Citing the current system of assistance as “incoherent and insufficient,” TIGA wants a single, region-wide policy to eliminate what it calls the current “post code lottery.”

“While many other countries provide generous tax relief for games production there is no similar tax benefit for game developers in England,” said TIGA CEO Richard Wilson. “More funding should be made accessible through national programmes that developers, irrespective of their geographical location, can benefit from.”

TIGA say that Games Tax Relief would help assist 60-80 titles a year and create more than 1,400 jobs over a five year period.

More through GamePolitics.

UK developer trade body Tiga, has said that according to research, 83 per cent of UK game developers now outsource and that dev houses feel outsourcing in general is “fundamental to their business.”

Tiga CEO Richard Wilson said that case studies “show that a well-managed approach to outsourcing can give UK game developers a competitive edge in the global marketplace.”

This sentiment is echoed by David Tolley, outsourcing manager at Monumental Games, who says: “Successful outsource contribution is driven by experience, passion and strong support from internal staff. A few short years ago, outsourcing was almost taboo – now it is a necessity.”

Thanks, Edge.

A group of UK politicians have banded together to form the All-Party Parliamentary Group to focus on UK’s Computer and Video Games Industry.

It will be chaired by Labour MP Bill Olner, and vice chaired by Lord David Puttnam, and Conservative MPs John Whittingdale and Philip Davies.

Tiga, which played a large roll in forming the group, will be administering and arranging meetings.

“All-Party Groups can be a highly effective vehicle to raise and discuss issues amongst interested Parliamentarians,” said Olner.

“I congratulate Tiga for showing leadership in instigating the creation of Westminster’s first All Party Parliamentary Group for the Computer and Video Games Industry, and for providing its secretariat. The entire All Party Parliamentary Group is looking forward to working with Tiga in discussing issues crucial to the video games industry.”

The group, along with Tiga CEO Richard Wilson, will be speaking at the House Of Commons on Monday for the launch of the ‘Play Together’ initiative.

More through Edge.

Dr Richard Wilson, CEO of TIGA, has said that he welcomes the lessening of restrictions on Indie developers and feels small companies like this need to be nurtured.

The game-development trade association recently made it easier for smaller groups to join, and Wilson says each need a helping hand due to expense restraints.

“It is much more expensive and it requires many more people to develop a video game today in comparison with 20 years ago,” he said. “At the same time relatively small teams can now develop flash games or games for mobiles and be very successful.

“It is crucial that we nurture small start-up businesses, which is why Tiga made the strategic decision to welcome small developers into our membership.”

He also says that higher education will play a big part in the industry, and the government needs to step up to the plate in order for it to compete with global markets.

“UK higher education has an excellent record and broadly speaking we are second only to the US in terms of the quality. However we don’t spend enough on higher education, the UK currently spends about 1% of GDP, whereas the US spends 2.9%.

“Unless higher education is properly funded UK game developers and businesses in general will find it hard to recruit good quality staff.”

More over on IGN.

The UK Advertising Standards Authority has dismissed complaints made against a government ad campaign which promotes exercise by showing a child holding a gaming controller.

But Tiga and MCV lodged complaints against the Change4Life image, which they claimed suggested the government was linking early death to playing videogames.

“Whilst the ASA Council understood the concerns of Tiga and those complainants who worked in the videogames industry, it noted that the ad did not claim that playing computer or console games alone would lead to illness or premature death,” wrote the agency.

“The Council considered that most readers would understand that the ad was discouraging a sedentary lifestyle and used the example of playing a console game as an illustration of the type of behaviour which might lead to long-term health problems if no exercise were taken alongside more sedentary activities.

“The Council considered it unlikely that most readers would infer from the ad that playing videogames was the sole contributory factor in the development of the health problems mentioned in the ad.”

More on GI.

GamesIndustry has been told by the UK government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport that it is “fully aware of the issues facing the videogames industry” from overseas competition, but any decision on development tax breaks will be taken by Number 11.

“We are fully aware of the issues facing the videogames industry and are working across Government to explore sector specific incentives, although decisions on tax policy remain a matter for the Chancellor,” said a spokesperson.

“We are in the process of arranging a videogames roundtable which will provide an opportunity for industry to discuss their concerns in more detail and explore possible solutions.”

Tiga’s Richard Wilson wrote to Lord Mandelson on the issue this week, which we posted yesterday and can be viewed here.

Tiga boss Richard Wilson has written an open letter to the British secretary of state for business, Peter Mandelson, claiming a continuing lack of tax breaks for the UK development industry will cost 1,700 jobs over the next five years.

Not only that, but anticipated decline in the British trade thanks to tax-pretty locations such as Montreal and France attracting British talent would cost the UK treasury £145 million in 2013 alone, compared to the £150 million Wilson claims it will cost to offer a 20 percent break on development in the UK.

“If we want the UK games industry to remain world leading then we must introduce a tax break for games production similar to the European Union approved French tax credit,” said Wilson.

“Industry research indicates that if a 20% production tax credit was introduced, investment would increase by £220 million over five years, generating a further 1,600 graduate jobs over the same period. This tax break would cost HM Treasury £150 million over five years.”

Read the full thing after the break.

More »

The UK may no longer be the third-biggest game-developing market if economic conditions worsen, Tiga has said in a recent report.

Saying that developers are currently at a “severe competitive disadvantage” to foreign rivals, the trade body says that government tax breaks are in order.

Over the past year, Tiga polled companies in the UK regarding what was detrimental to their success. Foreign governments subsidizing their own markets was mentioned by 41 percent, while 31 percent said that taxes in the UK were too high.

“The UK games development industry is competing with one hand tied behind its back,” said Tiga’s Richard Wilson.

Wilson said the inclusion of the recently-passed 20 percent tax break in the 2009 budget would be a “welcome start”, but that game companies need a program similar to Britain’s Film Tax Relief program.

Something similar for the games industry would cost only £150 million, said Tiga, far less than the £600 million spent on the Film Tax Relief.

Tiga also claims that the government should back school programs specializing in maths and sciences so companies will have more recruits to choose from in the job pool. Of the developers polled, 63 percent have struggled to fill positions in the past 12 months, and 74 percent were having problems filling programmer vacancies.

More through BBC News.

Tiga has said that due to the pound’s sharp decrease in value over the last 12 months, overseas investors are getting between 21 to 56 percent more for their money year-on-year.

For the last decade British companies have had to rely on the UK industry’s well-deserved reputation for quality. Now we can compete hard on price as well as quality,” said Richard Wilson, CEO of Tiga.

Tiga isn’t alone in its estimations as Servan Keondjian of Qube Software chorused: “I don’t think there’s any doubt that the UK has more than its share of the best games and middleware talent in the world.”

“But since the turn of the millennium the strong pound has made some international buyers think twice about the UK. Now we’re starting to see a radical shift. International clients are back because they see not just great quality but also good value.”

More over at GI.

TIGA’s put out a press release expressing “condolences to everyone at Free Radical Design” after it was reported yesterday that the firm had gone into administration.

Richard Wilson, CEO of the body, said tjhe government must “take action” in light of the story by giving the games trade tax breaks.

His statement in full:

“On behalf of all TIGA members, I would like to say how sorry the whole industry is to hear of the fate of Free Radical Design. The studio has employed some very talented teams developing first class games over the years. Free Radical Design has also been a member of TIGA and a strong supporter of our trade association. I would like to congratulate everyone at the studio for their past achievements and I wish everyone good fortune in finding a new job as quickly as possible. Free Radical Design’s demise highlights the difficult economic environment in which UK games developers do business.

“Last night, Lord Mandelson, the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), advocated a form of ‘market-based industrial activism’. This approach, he said, means that ‘Policy should be activist in the sense that it recognises that government can and must complement market dynamics to get the best outcomes for our society and economy.’

“The best outcome for the UK video games industry is an increase in the sector’s rate of growth and the return of the UK as the third largest developer of video games in the world. If we are to achieve these results then the Government must establish a more favourable tax environment and tackle the underlying skills shortages facing the industry. A tax break for games production and a larger supply of skilled workers may not have saved Free Radical Design. Nonetheless, this policy approach would strengthen the UK video games sector. The Secretary of State for BERR must take action.”

Free Radical went into administration on Wednesday. Employees found the company locked up yesterday.