While we’ve been using data from the Entertainment Software Association of Canada to crown our neighbors to the north as the world’s third-largest home to videogame development for a few months, trade association TIGA seems to have just recognized that claim as official, and used it to lash out at UK politicians.
TIGA said that UK politicians have been “asleep at the wheel” while Canada, and other countries, cherry pick UK talent with incentives. TIGA Chief Dr. Richard Wilson said that there was “nothing inevitable about this process,” and added:
Canadian policy makers simply took the farsighted decision to create an attractive environment to do games business, in particular, through the provision of generous tax breaks.
The UK Coalition Government must look again at our proposal for Games Tax Relief – a measure that over five years would generate 3,550 graduate level jobs, £457 million in investment, encourage new business models and the generation of new IP.
Meanwhile, the Ontario Technology Corridor (OTC) used the ongoing Game Developers Conference Europe to trumpet the fact that the entertainment and creative segment in Ontario churns out “15 billion in revenue and over 200,000 jobs, contributing $12.7 billion to the province's GDP.”
Gerry Pisarzowski, Vice President of Business Development for the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance, a partner of the OTC, added, “Our job now is to add to our tremendous home-grown crop of companies and help demonstrate that Ontario is a prime destination in North America for gaming investments.”
A Develop piece on Canada’s growth reports that business developers are on the prowl at GDC Europe looking for more talent to bring to Canada:
Canada has no wish to stop now. Its next target is Japan, which sits in second behind the US. This week the Ontario Technology Corridor has scattered its executives out to Cologne to attend GDC Europe – here the association will network and aim to arouse interest in moving to Canada.
Comments
Re: As TIGA Slams UK Pols, Canada Trys to Lure More Devs
The last I heard was that the games industry was lobbying the UK government NOT to bring in tax breaks. Apparently a major publisher is currently against the UK introducing such tax breaks. With the industry expressing such attitudes is it any wonder that the UK doesn't have any tax breaks?
Re: As TIGA Slams UK Pols, Canada Trys to Lure More Devs
It's hardly surprising, but my jaw just dropped when I saw the revenue generated in Ontario.
I honestly feel ashamed at the UK's stance on the industry - Osbourne is obsessed with cutting budgets every to reduce our deficit, so he seems happy to ignore one of the most potential industries in the country that could blossom if it was given attention and investment. It's no wonder the UK game industry is dropping from 3rd to 5th internationally (Or what have you - I expect it to fall more).