Game developers in the U.K. are lining up behind a Conservative Party proposal that would lower taxes for small and medium-sized companies, according to gamesindustry.biz.
Richard Wilson, CEO of game dev trade group Tiga, called on Britain's ruling Labour Party to follow suit:
Measures to cut the tax burden on business in general and on games developers in particular, are welcome.
The Conservatives' proposals to enable [smaller companies] to delay their quarterly VAT payments for up to six months, to reduce employers' national insurance contributions... to cut corporation tax... and to reverse the planned increase in the small companies' rate... are encouraging.
On the other hand, Wilson criticized part of the Conservative plan which promotes apprenticeships:
The Conservative’s focus on boosting apprenticeships is too restrictive. The apprenticeship model is not ideal for every sector of the UK economy. Games developers need more graduates, particularly in computer science, mathematics and physics. Many games developers already employ highly qualified teams.
Video game industry consultant Vincent Scheurer (left), speaking the Develop conference in Brighton, warned that future game bans were possible in the UK.
As reported by gamesindustry.biz, Scheurer said:
The costs of the Manhunt 2 ban to RockStar were massive - an independent developer would be out of business... Call of Duty and BioShock could be banned under that criteria [that applied to Manhunt 2]… The next game to be banned could be BioShock 2, and then where would we be?
...It makes the business of making games that much harder.
Scheurer also spanked ELSPA boss Paul Jackson for praising the Manhunt 2 ban:
While we fail to fight back we will continue to be blamed for all of societies ills… In my view [European game developers group] Tiga was the only association to step up… Tiga realised, where the other's didn't, that this was about more than Manhunt 2.
Gamezine has more on Scheurer's remarks...
And GameSpot UK has even more...