UK Developers: Pro-Canada Marketing Stunt Takes the Piss

July 6, 2010 -

Attendees of a recent Game Horizon Conference in the UK last week found mock Canadian passports on their seats in a stunt designed highlight Canada’s pro-game developer tax incentives. The timing of the marketing initiative however—coming less than a fortnight after similar tax breaks were killed in the UK—managed to rankle a few feathers.

One anonymous British developer told CVG that the promotion, put on by the relocation firm Quickstar Global, made Canada seem like “vultures.” The source stated, “As a British developer it makes me disappointed and angry to see the Canadian government agencies circling the UK like vultures as soon as word was out that the Government u-turned on our tax breaks.”

Another source bemoaned “Are things now so tight that we can't find British companies to sponsor our events rather than having the Canadian Government preying on our talent and companies?”

Image via I Can Haz Cheezburger

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Comments

Re: UK Developers: Pro-Canada Marketing Stunt Takes the ...

Submitted by tallimar on Tue, 07/06/2010 - 22:44.

quickstar? as in that pyramid scam company?

Re: UK Developers: Pro-Canada Marketing Stunt Takes the ...

Submitted by thesillyoldbear on Tue, 07/06/2010 - 19:55.

“As a British developer it makes me disappointed and angry to see the Canadian government agencies circling the UK like vultures as soon as word was out that the Government u-turned on our tax breaks.”

Heaven forbid a country should actually want to support and nurture industry.

Re: UK Developers: Pro-Canada Marketing Stunt Takes the ...

Submitted by MechaTama31 on Tue, 07/06/2010 - 13:18.

I never thought I'd see the day when somebody would feel threatened by Canada. It's a crazy, crazy world we live in.

Re: UK Developers: Pro-Canada Marketing Stunt Takes the ...

Submitted by lordlundar on Tue, 07/06/2010 - 12:18.

Gee, the UK is apparently still bitter about that.

Re: UK Developers: Pro-Canada Marketing Stunt Takes the ...

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight on Tue, 07/06/2010 - 12:32.

This would be like you and a friend are both eating an ice cream cone, but before you could take that first bite, the ice cream falls on the floor. Then your friend starts eating his and saying things like "Mmmmmmmmm, this is the best ice cream ever!"

Not a pleasant experience for you.

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

Re: UK Developers: Pro-Canada Marketing Stunt Takes the ...

Submitted by Xveers on Tue, 07/06/2010 - 16:29.

Oh, it's not pleasant, but it's a little more than that. Canada's been running the tax breaks for a while now. The UK government made the decision to kill their own tax breaks. So it's more like:

"You and your friend are both enjoying some ice cream. Your friend however then decides to throw his last scoop out, while you finish yours. At that point, the sun comes from behind a cloud and then starts baking you both. You then say to him 'mmmm... this is really good ice cream', while your friend looks into the trash."

It's an entirely unplesant experience, but it is one that is ultimately self-inflicted.

Best keep your wits about you: The gears of life are always spinning, and ignorance eventually means you'll get caught in them.

Re: UK Developers: Pro-Canada Marketing Stunt Takes the ...

Submitted by SticKboy on Wed, 07/07/2010 - 04:05.

BULLSHIT. You're conflating the British Government with the UK's videogames industry. One definitely does not equal the other. Plus, what with various local trade bodies clamouring loudly for these tax incentives and bemoaning their disappearance, it would be totally unfair to say that this wound was self-inflicted.

-- teh moominz --

Re: UK Developers: Pro-Canada Marketing Stunt Takes the ...

Submitted by SimonBob on Tue, 07/06/2010 - 12:07.

Aw, Canada's not so bad. We're like the UK except the weather is nice sometimes.

---
Fangamer

Re: UK Developers: Pro-Canada Marketing Stunt Takes the ...

Submitted by killatia on Tue, 07/06/2010 - 12:00.

Maybe the UK will now have tax brakes for game development. That or have Canada invade there entire gaming industry.

http://www.magicinkgaming.com/

http://www.killatia.com/

Shout box

Technogeek: If the developer were male there wouldn't have been a "conversation" in the first place.10/19/2014 - 2:27am

Monte: trolls are just at their absolute worst when it comes to women and feminist. You could bet good money that if the developer were male the trolls would be silent and the conversation would actually focus on the journalism.10/18/2014 - 9:18pm

Monte: Papa: Not the first time we've had a journalism scandals before, but the harassment never got close to this level; the difference with this scandal is that feminists are involved. Without the feminist angle, their would be A LOT less harrassment10/18/2014 - 9:15pm

Papa Midnight: Monte: That's honestly rather short-sighted. As has been proven with other persons who have been targeted, if it wasn't Quinn, it would be someone else.10/18/2014 - 6:26pm

Avalongod: I think that's part of what gives an esoteric news story like this real life...it taps into a larger narrative about misogyny in society outside of games.10/18/2014 - 3:29pm

Avalongod: @Monte, well the trolls made death threats that came to police (and media attention). I think this is tapping into a larger issue outside of games about how women are treated in society (like all the "real rape" stuff during the last election)10/18/2014 - 3:28pm

Wonderkarp: Zippy : Havent tried the PS4 controller. might later.10/18/2014 - 2:37pm

Monte: Seirously, If Quinn was not involved and GG was instead about something like the Mordor Marketing contracts, the trolling would have never grown so vile and disgusting. There have been plenty of movements in the past that never sufferred from behavior..10/18/2014 - 1:57pm

Monte: We have seen scandel's before but the trolling has never been as vile as what we see with GG. Trolls usually have such a tiny voice you can barely notice them, but its like moths to a flame whenever femistist are involved.10/18/2014 - 1:53pm

ZippyDSMlee: Wonderkarp: You might be able to if you had a PS4 controller.10/18/2014 - 1:00pm

MaskedPixelante: http://store.steampowered.com/app/327940/ Night Dive starts charging for freeware.10/18/2014 - 12:21pm

Matthew Wilson: the sad thing is there are trolls on both sides of this. people need to stop acting like their side is so pure.10/18/2014 - 12:19pm

MechaTama31: So, only speak out on a scandal that hasn't attracted trolls? I wouldn't hold my breath...10/18/2014 - 10:49am

Monte: I feel like GG just needs to die. The movement is FAR to tainted by hatred and BS for it to be useful for any conversation. Let GG die, and then rally behind the NEXT gaming journalism scandal, and start the conversation fresh.10/18/2014 - 10:33am

quiknkold: and we dont have a Dovakin to call a cease fire10/17/2014 - 7:37pm

quiknkold: The whole thing is Futile. Both sides are so buried deep in their trenchs that there isnt a conversation. Its just Finger Pointing, Name Calling, Doxxing, Threats. there needs to be a serious conversation, and GG isnt it.10/17/2014 - 7:37pm

quiknkold: I thought it was a good article. Jeff is right. I feel like GamerGate did destroy its message. I am for Ethics in game journalism, but man. so much hate. and its on both sides. I've seen some awful stuff spewed on twitter. Its a big reason why I exited..10/17/2014 - 7:34pm

Matthew Wilson: while he focused on gg, he did call out both sides crap.10/17/2014 - 7:18pm

Papa Midnight: That was a damn good read offered by Jeff Gertsmann.10/17/2014 - 7:17pm

Matthew Wilson: http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/letter-from-the-editor-10-17-2014/1100-5049/ deferentially a nice write up.10/17/2014 - 6:44pm

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