Eidos Exec: Games Regarded Just Above Porn by U.K. Govt.
Eidos Exec: Games Regarded Just Above Porn by U.K. Govt.
October 23, 2008
The British government views its nation's video game industry as "one notch up from pornography," according to an Eidos exec.
The Guardian reports on comments made by Ian Livingstone (left), Eidos' creative director and head of acquisitions.
Livingstone also criticized the U.K. government's refusal to offer tax incentives to game developers:
We've recently slipped from third to fourth in world development behind Canada. We're now the most expensive country in the world in which to develop. Other countries – not just Canada, but two states in the US, Scandinavian countries, France, Singapore, Korea and others – offer salary subsidies...
It seems to me the UK government would rather see our great industry go into decline than help it maintain its prominent position in the world, and that is madness...
We're still seen as the red-headed stepchild of the creative industries, one notch up from pornography in the eyes of most of the establishment. They forget that half of the world and half of the UK's population play games. Games help define who we are as human beings – they are as important, culturally and socially, as music and films.
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GamePolitics ShoutBox
Posted 03/21/10 at 06:23pm
Andrew Eisen: No, I think I'll stay safe and warm in my own little world where Provolone is king and that... other cheese... doesn't exist.
Andrew Eisen: No, I think I'll stay safe and warm in my own little world where Provolone is king and that... other cheese... doesn't exist.
Posted 03/21/10 at 06:22pm
JDKJ: I wish the Speaker would ask me for what purpose does the member rise.
JDKJ: I wish the Speaker would ask me for what purpose does the member rise.
Posted 03/21/10 at 06:18pm
JDKJ: Provolone?! Please! Try aged Blue Stilton. Also known as Zippy Ass-Crack Cheese.
JDKJ: Provolone?! Please! Try aged Blue Stilton. Also known as Zippy Ass-Crack Cheese.
Posted 03/21/10 at 06:13pm
Andrew Eisen: Nothing beats Provolone.
Andrew Eisen: Nothing beats Provolone.
Posted 03/21/10 at 06:11pm
JDKJ: Betcha my cheese beats your cheese.
JDKJ: Betcha my cheese beats your cheese.
Posted 03/21/10 at 06:09pm
Andrew Eisen: I don't know, I can count pretty high with my graphing calculator. It's a TI-86!
Andrew Eisen: I don't know, I can count pretty high with my graphing calculator. It's a TI-86!
Posted 03/21/10 at 06:07pm
JDKJ: There'll be more dead babies than you can count if the socialists succeed in passing that God-damned Obamacare!!
JDKJ: There'll be more dead babies than you can count if the socialists succeed in passing that God-damned Obamacare!!
Posted 03/21/10 at 06:04pm
Andrew Eisen: Hmm, top 10 child deaths in film. What a great blog post that would make! If I had a blog. And if that hadn't been done a million times before.
Andrew Eisen: Hmm, top 10 child deaths in film. What a great blog post that would make! If I had a blog. And if that hadn't been done a million times before.
Posted 03/21/10 at 06:03pm
JDKJ: Whoa! It's some rotten blue cheese, too.
JDKJ: Whoa! It's some rotten blue cheese, too.
Posted 03/21/10 at 06:00pm
JDKJ: *sighs and smiles* I just cut some cheese.
JDKJ: *sighs and smiles* I just cut some cheese.
Posted 03/21/10 at 05:58pm
Andrew Eisen: Well, just so there's no confusion: implied deaths won't get you to the top of my favorite child-deaths list.
Andrew Eisen: Well, just so there's no confusion: implied deaths won't get you to the top of my favorite child-deaths list.
Posted 03/21/10 at 05:58pm
JDKJ: Most authorities hold that "cut the mustard" mutates and derives from "cut the muster."
JDKJ: Most authorities hold that "cut the mustard" mutates and derives from "cut the muster."
Posted 03/21/10 at 05:56pm
Andrew Eisen: Checked the dictionary. I guess you could cut one definition of muster.
Andrew Eisen: Checked the dictionary. I guess you could cut one definition of muster.
Posted 03/21/10 at 05:56pm
JDKJ: Don't take my word for it. Look it up yourself.
JDKJ: Don't take my word for it. Look it up yourself.
Posted 03/21/10 at 05:55pm
Andrew Eisen: Cut the muster? That wouldn't make a lot of sense. You could pass it sure but cut it?
Andrew Eisen: Cut the muster? That wouldn't make a lot of sense. You could pass it sure but cut it?
Posted 03/21/10 at 05:53pm
JDKJ: As in: "Zippy always cuts the cheese but he never cuts the muster."
JDKJ: As in: "Zippy always cuts the cheese but he never cuts the muster."
Posted 03/21/10 at 05:51pm
JDKJ: And I believe the expression is more properly "cut the muster," not "mustard." Not to be confused with "cut the cheese."
JDKJ: And I believe the expression is more properly "cut the muster," not "mustard." Not to be confused with "cut the cheese."
Posted 03/21/10 at 05:48pm
JDKJ: I kinda like the way it's left to the imagination. Like the shower scene in Hitchcock's Psycho.
JDKJ: I kinda like the way it's left to the imagination. Like the shower scene in Hitchcock's Psycho.
Posted 03/21/10 at 05:46pm
Andrew Eisen: A flying shoe doesn't quite cut the mustard. If it was shot like a similar scene in Bride of Chucky, Gage's death would rank a lot higher.
Andrew Eisen: A flying shoe doesn't quite cut the mustard. If it was shot like a similar scene in Bride of Chucky, Gage's death would rank a lot higher.
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Comments
*sigh* Sadly he had a good point. UK has been terrible onto the video game industries. It is a miracle that developers are still there...
Yeah, and there is only one that comes to mind when I think about the UK...
Sony has a few studios here (Sony Liverpool makes Wipeout), Rockstar have three branches I think here, including Rockstar North in Scotland which develop the GTA games, Eidos are here as the article pointed out..
Oh, and Lionhead (Peter Molyneaux, Fable/The Movies etc)
But when compared to other countries like Germany and Canada we've got nothing, and the USA is just ridiculously high up in terms of games development.
yeah media molecule are based in guildford london too, near lionhead
and LBP is an AMAZING game.
As a 3rd yea student game developer (about to go out into the big wide workd of employment in the games industry) its shocking that im (as a BRITISH born developer) already looking abroad (canada mainly) at positions for employment.
heed my words, britains game industry talent will NOT stay here for much longer if other countries keep becoming cheaper and cheaper to develop in, and continue to offer more and more respect to gaming as a valid industry both artistically and commercially.
I was thinking about HQ's...
Theres a whole bunch of places that make mobile games and flash games, just far less of the console and pc games these days. Real shame because we used to have such a front seat in the industry when it was starting up. But as for the more recognisable names beyond Rockstar, there is Realtime Worlds, Cohort Studios, Black Company, I-Play, Denki, Proper Games, Genuine Games, Tag, Dynamo, Claymore, Digital Goldfish, Cobra, Slam and I'm sure many more.
Why have I NEVER heard of any of those?
"Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance." -Laurie Halse Anderson
What about Rare? You must have heard of them!
Ouch. Well, that bites. It's unfortunate that they're looked down upon that way. I wonder how much longer the negative view of gaming will last? I'm sure there were always be some sort of stigma to it, just like things like metal and rock music still have. But it'd be nice if they at least recognized it as a legitimate industry.
I really don't get this. Where is the link between the lack of tax breaks and being treated like porn? It hardly as if the UK gives direct sectoral tax incentives to many industries - are the vast majority of industries then treated like porn?
Until the industry can come up with a more convincing argument than this they are never going to win over the politicians and get any support.
He was referring more towards the attitude of politicians. They're all from the older generation and so there's probably only a handful out of almost a thousand (MPs and Lords) who play games. Indeed, here in the UK it seems to be almost a culturual attitude to look down on games. Parents aren't willing to play anything deeper than a round of Wii Tennis with their kids and so that creates the image that they're toys for young kids.
Hence Gordon Brown wanted to do something about getting them banned in order to look like a paternal caring man, but the report he comissioned came out unequivically against it.
It's only a temporary thing. The average politician is 40-60, just above the average age of a gamer. As time goes on, more politicians who are gamers will come to power, just as gaming will continue to increase. When that happens, a lot of the stigma and misinformation clung to by the current order will simply melt away.
The UK fails. When the politicians do this, how come nobody stands up to them?
--- Official Protector of Videoland!
Sheer apathy caused by Westminster's apparent inability to grasp anything going on outside their own little sleazy network.
Isn't the average age of gamers 30? So it's hardly their business even if they sincerly believe so.
What IS IT with the British and video games?
What IS IT with dickheads and gross generalisations?
Britain has produced some of the best games ever made and it really is sad that they don't get the recognition they deserve as a serious and economically important industry in the way that films & art do.
Then again, weren't the Codemasters Darling brothers recently knighted for services to the industry? Maybe they can call up their new mate Queen Liz & have a word to her about this.
Hmm if games & porn are almost on the same level, who will the queen honour next? Sir Peter North? Dame Jenna Jameson?
"With this sword I now dub thee... hey Jenna, you're not supposed to SWALLOW it!"
"one notch up from pornography,"
What does that mean exactly? Seriously.
It means our politicians don't value computer games as cultural or a worthy activity.
I thought it meant most British politicians secretly play video games and love them even more than their porn ;)
I think the ironic difference is that most politicians probably watch porn but would never be caught playing a game.
It means if you pull on the rope of society connected to the pully of government, then the gear of political correctness connected to gaming is only one notch away from porn.
It's an interesting point. Although it's curious that he used one of the few remaining areas of socially acceptable bigotry (red-headed) to make his point...
I don't really see the problem with that phrase. Families used to be ashamed of redheaded children, so the metaphor works perfectly. Also, since games are great, he's hinting that the figurative redheaded child is of far greater value than meets the eyes of the parents.
It's not like he's saying "burn all gingers" or something..
Yeah! Take THAT, pr0n! In your FACE!
(On second thought, no, maybe not in your face. Eww.)
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I AM DOOMED TO HAUNT JACK THOMPSON'S DREAMS UNTIL HIS CRUSADE AGAINST VIDEO GAMES ENDS.