A pair of Republican governors are backing renewed or expanded support for financial incentives to encourage video game and other types of media development.
In Texas, Gov. Rick Perry, last year's E3 keynote speaker, proposed a two-year state budget which includes $60 million worth of sweeteners for the entertainment industry, reports KBMT-12. Speaking at a rally in game development hub Austin last week, Perry said that Texas was losing business to competing states New Mexico and Louisiana.
Speaking of Louisiana, the News-Star reports that Gov. Bobby Jindal hopes to renew inventives aimed at video game, film and music production. The packages currently in place expire by 2010:
The proposals will cost the state $8 million a year when investors cash in the credits, he said, but the state gains much more from having movies, recordings and video games produced here.
“We want to make sure Louisiana keeps a competitive edge,” Jindal said at a press conference.
Both Perry and Jindal are mentioned as possible contenders for the Republican presidential nod in 2012.
Comments
Re: Texas, Louisiana Guvs Renew Support for Game and Movie
No matter who was in power you still could not have prevented what was to come with unfortunate disaster. Our elected officials are not god, and an act of god can set a region back for years. That’s life however there is some blame to go around for that disaster.
First the reason why the Democratic Party has lost so much in Louisiana for the past two election cycles is because of the Party’s response to Katrina. We all think it was Bush’s fault but the Democratic State and Local Governments literally fought who had authority to do what and who should of stepped in. On the local side to where you had many buses which could helped get people out the local Government felt the state should of used it’s money to do so.
Also the Former Governor who threatened to shoot to kill any man or woman who has a gun trying to protect their property from looters who just in general for having a gun (Especially in a Southern state) helped her lose big time in her reelection for Governor.
Even Spike Lee’ HBO movie on the subject which tried to blame everything on the Republican Party could not save the Democrat’s in that state even in fully Democratic districts. Since the disaster Louisiana fully votes Republican.
As for the Federal Response, it was slow. Michael Brown who received all the blame, was shown warning the President in a video conference that they need to get everyone out and he doubts to competency for the state and local governments and FEMA alone does not have the manpower to help in a storm this size. Bush delayed the response and let Brown fall on his sword, not a good thing.
If you want to blame anyone for the disaster that could have been averted, you only have to blame the Liberal Section of the Democratic Party who actually at one point in time blocked any and all legislation for levies which would of protected New Orleans from a storm of the size of Katrina but seeing that would of hurt the fishies in the area it was blocked
Re: Texas, Louisiana Guvs Renew Support for Game and Movie
Wow, good for Jindal to put support in this, it's not as if they have to spend on anything else in the state.
Katrina Relief.
Re: Texas, Louisiana Guvs Renew Support for Game and Movie
There's only so much relief you can send into that shithole. Galveston's back on its feet, mostly by its own efforts and the efforts of its neighbors. Yet New Orleans still isn't.
Re: Texas, Louisiana Guvs Renew Support for Game and Movie ...
Didn't Texas add a clause to their incentives where if the game, movie, or whatever depicts Texas or Texans in a negative way they risk losing said incentive?
If that is the case it might, just might, be that clause that keeping developers away.
Tea and cake or death! Tea and cake or death! Little Red Cook-book! Little Red Cook-book!
Re: Texas, Louisiana Guvs Renew Support for Game and Movie ...
Texas has the second largest number of movies made in it in the entire nation. The only state ahead of Texas is California. That clause is meaningless. There haven't been games made that would activate it, and movies intending to bad-mouth Texas will use Texas as a film location anyway, so there's no reason to give them incentives.
Re: Texas, Louisiana Guvs Renew Support for Game and Movie ...
I think Retro Studios [Metroid Prime] is in Texas.
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Re: Texas, Louisiana Guvs Renew Support for Game and Movie ...
iD software is based somewhere in Texas. I think near Austin.
Tea and cake or death! Tea and cake or death! Little Red Cook-book! Little Red Cook-book!
Re: Texas, Louisiana Guvs Renew Support for Game and Movie ...
You find a lot of the artistic types in Austin.
Re: Texas, Louisiana Guvs Renew Support for Game and Movie ...
Well I can see it being a reason for why some game companies might be leary to go to Texas, at least on principal. It's a strange string that's attached to it that's a little vague. If you made a boss character in your game that was similar to the negative stereotype of a Texan (big cowboy hat, fat belly, loud-mouth, etc.) would the legislative suddenly decide to rip that incentive away from you? I mean who makes that kind of decision? Also companies usually plan their budget in advance. Suddenly losing your incentive means you'd have to rework your budge, at least to an extent, because you'll be paying taxes that previously you weren't considering. And all over the depiction of a character or region.
I wouldn't dismiss it as "meaningless" but it's probably not as big of a reason as I made it out to be in my original post. Still I can see the concern.
Tea and cake or death! Tea and cake or death! Little Red Cook-book! Little Red Cook-book!
Re: Texas, Louisiana Guvs Renew Support for Game and Movie ...
It's vague because it isn't meant to be used. It's meant to send a message. If I had to guess, I would say that 1)the game would have to be modern or futuristic in setting and 2) that the "Texan" in question would have to be a racist redneck stereotype.
Re: Texas, Louisiana Guvs Renew Support for Game and Movie ...
Hell yeah, I love how so many states are trying to get game devs to move there. That said, Bobby Jindal is one of the biggest tools I've ever seen. He's like a poor man's Obama, if that poor man was also slightly mentally handicapped.
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Internet troll > internet paladin
Re: Texas, Louisiana Guvs Renew Support for Game and Movie ...
As for your opinion of Jindal personally, you see the guy how you see him. If he comes across like a tool, then whatever.
But the man has been leading Louisiana quite well. While many other states are seeing many job losses, Louisiana has been adding them ( http://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm )and his approval rating in the state is at 77%. He's trying to attract new industries to the state and trying to keep taxes low. That's sound governing principles, mentally handicapped? Hardly.
Re: Texas, Louisiana Guvs Renew Support for Game and Movie
I really need to research more what Texas Louisiana and New Mexico offer. It may help in my fight for tax incentives in Oklahoma.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower