UK politicians pay lip service to the games industry today, with Labour’s Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism Margaret Hodge (pictured below) and Shadow Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt MP of the Conservative Party (pictured here) both giving their ten-penneth on what their respective parties can offer the games industry in two separate interviews in today’s trade magazine MCV.
First up, Labour. Come on then Ms. Hodge, what have you got for us?
“[Labour] has definitely begun to more fully recognise and articulate the contribution of video games to the UK economy as a whole….The latest figures we have, for 2004, show that the games market made a positive contribution to the UK trade balance of £280m and in 2005, contributed 30 per cent to the UK’s media exports. Games also make a cultural contribution to the UK and though a few still attract the wrong kind of attention in the media, it is our job to help the industry demonstrate that the overwhelming majority behave responsibly and make a positive contribution.”
MCV asks directly if the Government would consider making tax concessions to games developers in order to keep the talent in the UK, to which Minister Hodge replies: “Of course we want to do what we can to sustain and grow the video games industry in the UK; it is a success story for Britain and we want to nurture that success. As part of the Creative Economy Programme, we are keeping the global competitive environment under close review.”
So, that’s a ‘no’ then!
Next up, the Tories. See if they can do any better or at least provide some less obsequious spin. Step up to the bar, Mr Hunt, and tell us what your party can do for games in the UK.
"As a successful part of our creative industries sector, employing nearly 30,000 people and contributing over £2 billion per year to the economy, the UK video games industry is obviously a vitally important part of our economy. The Government needs to do all it can to support the video games sector and allow it to flourish," says Hunt.
A good opener there, but then he goes and spoils it by jumping straight in with: “Issues involving content have largely focused on the negative aspects associated with games. The arguments around Resistance: Fall of Man and Manchester Cathedral being the most recent example. The industry needs to accept it has a duty to act responsibly when it comes to appropriate content and politicians and the media needs to realise that the industry can have a positive impact on young people’s lives.”
Hunt then goes on to spin out some more empty promises about taskforces and about how the Tories are seriously discussing tax breaks for the UK’s games industry (easy to do when you’re not actually in power!)
For more spin, lies and half-truths read the full interviews over on MCV today.
source: MCV
First up, Labour. Come on then Ms. Hodge, what have you got for us?
“[Labour] has definitely begun to more fully recognise and articulate the contribution of video games to the UK economy as a whole….The latest figures we have, for 2004, show that the games market made a positive contribution to the UK trade balance of £280m and in 2005, contributed 30 per cent to the UK’s media exports. Games also make a cultural contribution to the UK and though a few still attract the wrong kind of attention in the media, it is our job to help the industry demonstrate that the overwhelming majority behave responsibly and make a positive contribution.”
MCV asks directly if the Government would consider making tax concessions to games developers in order to keep the talent in the UK, to which Minister Hodge replies: “Of course we want to do what we can to sustain and grow the video games industry in the UK; it is a success story for Britain and we want to nurture that success. As part of the Creative Economy Programme, we are keeping the global competitive environment under close review.”
So, that’s a ‘no’ then!
Next up, the Tories. See if they can do any better or at least provide some less obsequious spin. Step up to the bar, Mr Hunt, and tell us what your party can do for games in the UK.
"As a successful part of our creative industries sector, employing nearly 30,000 people and contributing over £2 billion per year to the economy, the UK video games industry is obviously a vitally important part of our economy. The Government needs to do all it can to support the video games sector and allow it to flourish," says Hunt.
A good opener there, but then he goes and spoils it by jumping straight in with: “Issues involving content have largely focused on the negative aspects associated with games. The arguments around Resistance: Fall of Man and Manchester Cathedral being the most recent example. The industry needs to accept it has a duty to act responsibly when it comes to appropriate content and politicians and the media needs to realise that the industry can have a positive impact on young people’s lives.”
Hunt then goes on to spin out some more empty promises about taskforces and about how the Tories are seriously discussing tax breaks for the UK’s games industry (easy to do when you’re not actually in power!)
For more spin, lies and half-truths read the full interviews over on MCV today.
source: MCV
Comments
zoydwheeler 24 Aug 2007 12:40
1/4
WTF?
How is lecturing the games industry about the joke teacup-storm that was the Resistance /Manchester Cathedral issue in any way a useful or productive thing to say?
Do the Tories also advise British novel writers and filmmakers to take care and act responsibly over 'appropriate content'? Do they f**k!
He's missed the point here, as well as cocking up a fairly good opportunity to talk to the games industry via this interview. Most people in the industry will squirm when reading this. If not, they should.
JUST F**K RIGHT OFF, YOU TORY TIT!
Grrrr....
How is lecturing the games industry about the joke teacup-storm that was the Resistance /Manchester Cathedral issue in any way a useful or productive thing to say?
Do the Tories also advise British novel writers and filmmakers to take care and act responsibly over 'appropriate content'? Do they f**k!
He's missed the point here, as well as cocking up a fairly good opportunity to talk to the games industry via this interview. Most people in the industry will squirm when reading this. If not, they should.
JUST F**K RIGHT OFF, YOU TORY TIT!
Grrrr....
Joji 24 Aug 2007 14:43
2/4
Politicians don't know anything about games so I'm not surprised by this. Many of those people in power are from a different generation so perhaps they never really will.
What you should have asked these politicians is what demographic plays games? My bet is that many of them still think its just kids fodder, which is obviously far from the truth.
What you should have asked these politicians is what demographic plays games? My bet is that many of them still think its just kids fodder, which is obviously far from the truth.
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Joji 24 Aug 2007 14:43
3/4
Politicians don't know anything about games so I'm not surprised by this. Many of those people in power are from a different generation so perhaps they never really will.
What you should have asked these politicians is what demographic plays games? My bet is that many of them still think its just kids fodder, which is obviously far from the truth.
What you should have asked these politicians is what demographic plays games? My bet is that many of them still think its just kids fodder, which is obviously far from the truth.
deleted 25 Aug 2007 22:04
4/4
why dont they just dress up in baggy jeans and say things like "yo yo yo homes" or "games is da bomb" while trying (very very impossibly hard) to show what they belive is they gaming consumer (the hoodies and chavs, where as in fact i suspect more dads are gamers than kids now) that they can `relate` to them, Torys are complete tits, whats next David Cameron all time top 10 of gaming (picked by a media relations advisor who will choose what he beileves the youth(again) will want to hear?) including such favourites of Davids as GTA, Halo, and Hitman, "yes at the end of hard day campaining i like to hit the bean bag with a 360 pad and play a a few levels of GTA, i believe i have a very good high score my kids say, my favourite bit is shooting up some cops and seeing how many stars i can get", Torys take more interest in Wars, Poverty and Foreign Relations and leave my f**king hobby alone your nob heads.