Labour Govt. Can't Say How Much Money It's Given to Game Biz

April 3, 2009

The Labour Government of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has given financial assistance to the video game industry, but it doesn't know how much, according to gamesindustry.biz.

Conservative MP Philip Davies (left) addressed the question to the government's Department of Culture, Media and Sports earlier this week. Parliamentary under-secretary Barbara Follett provided the response:

The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. We do not have the specific figures broken down by sector or year.

Richard Wilson, CEO of U.K. game developers group Tiga, criticized the government's confusion:

The government needs good quality information if it is to implement plans that benefit economic sectors. However, the government's admission today that it supports the videogames sector but doesn't record the amount of financial support means that it cannot effectively measure its impact.

This is a great shame - the government needs to record and assess its financial assessments in order to make better policy in the future.

Comments

Re: Labour Govt. Can't Say How Much Money It's Given to ...

Submitted by shamrock on Sat, 04/04/2009 - 14:44.

I love it. Yet another government gets caught with their pants down! I really don't think this is like some critical  moment. It happens all the time. Governments look at who pays their bills, then they do favours. Subtle favors, but still. You know the expression you pat my back and I'll pat yours? Yes, that is politics. The fact that the video game industry recieved something tells me that the industry is important to their economy. Economy is everything right?

My sites Vancover Vancouver Apartments Cheap Tel Domain

My sites Buy Netbook Buy Netbook Computer Buy Eee Buy Netbook PC

Re: Labour Govt. Can't Say How Much Money It's Given to ...

Submitted by Neeneko on Fri, 04/03/2009 - 13:36.

Considering the bulk of that money is probably in tax breaks (as opposed to grants etc) I can see why they wouldn't be able to pull those numbers out of the air if they had not already generated them.

That is not to say that they shouldn't have these numbers.. it is important to know exactly what effect tax breaks are having.... but I can understand why it isn't as simple as 'see how much money we handed out'.

 

Tax break != Grant

Re: Labour Govt. Can't Say How Much Money It's Given to ...

Submitted by NovaBlack on Fri, 04/03/2009 - 12:32.

Ah its alright, the taxpayers here will be happy to pay for it.

M.P.s lose (*cough* waste *cough*)  money all the time.

New kitchen? Sure, just jam it on expenses and let taxpayers pay.

Porn movies...Sure, pushing it a little, but just jam it on expenses and let taxpayers pay.

 

No wonder progress is so shite here in the UK. M.P.s dont actually know what the heck is going on half the time. They get paid hundreds of thousands of pounds, but dont really do much that actually benefits people. If any 'normal' person in any regular job, getting paid 10% of their wages knew as little as they did, they'd be sacked. If they 'accidentally' or otherwise used company money to buy a new kitchen or rent porn, they'd be sacked. Wow.. what a life it must be to be an MP.

Re: Labour Govt. Can't Say How Much Money It's Given to ...

Submitted by Chuma on Fri, 04/03/2009 - 16:34.

It's not all they lose.  Laptops on trains with personal information of UK citizens is a big favourite too...

Re: Labour Govt. Can't Say How Much Money It's Given to ...

Submitted by Entegy on Fri, 04/03/2009 - 11:03.

Now's not exactly the time to be losing track of money now is it?

 
Forgot your password?
Username :
Password :

Poll

Will there be any female presenters at the unveiling of Microsoft’s new console?:

Shout box

You're not permitted to post shouts.
Cecil475: @PHX Corp - The dude's a moron who wouldn't know crap if it came up and kicked him.05/19/2013 - 6:36am
PHX Corp: http://kotaku.com/ea-sports-developer-calls-wii-u-crap-and-nintendo-wa-508481261 EA Sports Canada Moron calls Wii U 'Crap' and Nintendo 'Walking Dead'05/18/2013 - 11:42am
E. Zachary Knight: If the videos are of sufficient quality that people subscribe and watch regularly, then those let's players are providing a service that people want. That is the heart of capitalism. That is not something that should be shamed.05/17/2013 - 8:06am
E. Zachary Knight: I have no idea who either of those people are. However, I still don't see why making a business out of creating let's play videos is somehow evil or wrong.05/17/2013 - 8:04am
MaskedPixelante: It sure is if you're just doing it for the money. See Tobuscus and/or Pewdiepie for what happens when people get into it just for the money.05/17/2013 - 7:30am
E. Zachary Knight: Why is it wrong to make money doing LPs? Why should that be something that should be shamed?05/17/2013 - 6:20am
MaskedPixelante: https://twitter.com/PsychedelicSA/status/335183893214924801 Now here's an interesting, glass half full thought about the Nintendo LP thing. It outs the people who are just doing LPs to make money.05/17/2013 - 5:56am
E. Zachary Knight: I responded in writing to all this "let's play" stuff Nintendo Started. No need for my permission, I won't give it. It's not mine to give. http://divineknightgaming.com/?p=29205/16/2013 - 2:21pm
E. Zachary Knight: Lars Doucet of Levelup Labs has a Reddit going on game companies that allow monetization of Let's Play videos. http://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/1egayn/lets_build_a_list_of_game_studios_that_allow/05/16/2013 - 1:04pm
Sleaker: @Imautobot - yah I wouldn't use an emulator as a good first run test of how stable the console is, haha.05/16/2013 - 11:47am
E. Zachary Knight: The 50th person to jump off a bridge is just as dumb if not dumber than the 1st.05/16/2013 - 10:03am
MaskedPixelante: Yeah, let's all jump on Nintendo for doing this, even though they're hardly the first company to do this...05/16/2013 - 9:47am
E. Zachary Knight: Wow Nintendo, this is wrong. http://kotaku.com/nintendo-forcing-ads-on-some-youtube-lets-play-video-50709238305/16/2013 - 8:44am
Imautobot: @Sleaker, further gameplay has revealed that the controller button do stick under the faceplate. Also, The NES emulator (Emuya)keeps crashing on me, though I think a bad ROM is causing it.05/16/2013 - 7:10am
Papa Midnight: AE: I wonder if any other publishers will follow suit.05/15/2013 - 8:12pm
Andrew Eisen: EA is ditching Online Pass. http://venturebeat.com/2013/05/15/ea-kills-its-controversial-online-pass-program/05/15/2013 - 7:20pm
Avalongod: @Zach and quicnkold...I've read the bill and the intent of it is to fear-monger. It's not a balanced message. I don't recall the ESRB being mentioned at all. It's more "keeps your kids away from these movies/games or they'll become violent"05/15/2013 - 4:35pm
E. Zachary Knight: quiknkold, The big problem with that legislation is the amount of misinformation out there. Who is going to ensure that the information in the pamphlet is accurate?05/15/2013 - 3:25pm
quiknkold: REBeardogg : I'm on the fence about this. on one side, I want parents to be aware of the ESRB, and even Movie Ratings. On the other hand, I feel this will be used for nothing but Propaganda. The ESRB does a good job.05/15/2013 - 3:07pm
IanC: Frostbite is coming out on iOS devices. Yet the Wii U cant handle it? *coughbullshitcough*05/15/2013 - 2:31pm
All shouts
 

Be Heard - Contact Your Politician