Brown: UK games industry best in Europe

By Robert Purchese Published 23 February, 2010

"Leading the way," says Prime Minister.

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown reckons making videogames is something the UK does very well, and that it is in fact "leading the way" in Europe.

Waffling in a podcast before the Global Investment Conference in London, Brown said the games industry is excelling, as are other proper grown-up pursuits like life sciences, renewable energy and advanced engineering.

"We're leading the way in creative industries: by far the biggest producer of computer games in Europe," he said, according to GamesIndustry.biz.

"And we're leading the way in digital communications. In a country with only one per cent of the world's population, more than a third of all internet traffic is routed through UK servers.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, speaking at the GIC conference, said he'd heard investors takling about the UK as "the best place in Europe to do business".

"In Europe, we have the biggest industries for life sciences, financial services, creative industries and ICT. We are also the number one choice for European headquarters.

"The UK Government is committed to building on these strengths and has acted strategically to actively boost growth sectors. We want investors to grow their business from the UK, thereby creating jobs and supporting the global economic recovery."

The UK houses world-renowned developers Rockstar North (Grand Theft Auto), Realtime Worlds (Crackdown, APB), Sony London (SingStar), Media Molecule (LittleBigPlanet), Lionhead Studios (Fable II, Fable III), Criterion (Burnout Paradise, New Need for Speed game), Relentless Software (Buzz!), Black Rock Studios (Pure, Split/Second) and many more.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (54) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Concrete #1 2 years ago

    Show . . us . . the . . tax . . breaks.

  • Vice.Destroyer #2 2 years ago

    Don't you wish that Gordon Brown could take a break at screaming and shouting at his £15,000 admin assistants and take a look at the comment from Concrete above?

  • LHH #3 2 years ago

    In Europe, we have the biggest industries for life sciences, financial services, creative industries and ICT.

    Makes me want to go all 'have your say' on that comment.
    Shame about engineering and manufacturing.

  • crazyhorse174 #4 2 years ago

    Politician in sensible conversation about the gaming industry shocker! Surely not!?

    You'll be telling us we're not all mass murdering, rapists soon...
    Edited by crazyhorse174 at 23/02/10 @ 15:12

  • Sunyavadin #5 2 years ago

    All the Germans who import their copies from here will be helping quite a bit...

  • TopKatt #6 2 years ago

    I wonder how long it will be before Keith Vaz blames playing video games for Browns temper tantrums.

  • ant72 #7 2 years ago

    Is his favourite game Bully?

    Thankyou. Goodnight.

    Actually, as it's the UK that would make it Canis Canem Edit. Which is not so funny.
    Edited by ant72 at 23/02/10 @ 15:16

  • alimokrane #8 2 years ago

    He wants to get the gamers votes it seems ;P

  • cianchristopher #9 2 years ago

    Best in Europe, for sure - but Canada is kicking the UKs ass internationally.

    UK has dropped from 3rd in the world to 4th due to the Canadian government's highly supportive tax incentives for companies...

    And, speaking of "best in Europe" - why doesn't the UK have a big league publisher, like France's Ubisoft?

  • TeaFiend #10 2 years ago

    Shame however that they are not making any move to try and encourage them to stay. eg, Canada or Ireland offering tax breaks for games companies.

  • mcmonkeyplc #11 2 years ago

    We had Eidos, that was taken over by Square Enix. Still have Codemasters I believe and alot of our studious are also owned by huge global publishers.

  • Vice.Destroyer #12 2 years ago

    I know this is going to result in an avalanche of negative results, but why has my quip above got me a -3? It was funny, people. Funny.

    (To me)

  • cianchristopher #13 2 years ago

    Yeah, Codemasters are doing well - but they're a far cry from the Activision/EA/Ubisoft levels of power...

    Actually, it's amazing how a French conglomerate (Vivendi) basically owns ActiBlizz, and Ubi are French too. Those Frenchies be runnin' dis thang...

  • feistycheese #14 2 years ago

    What isn't commonly known is that Gordon Brown is a massive fan of COD:MW2, and his temper issues stem from the fact hes a huge rage quitter, and he hates bieng shot by 10 year old chavs.

  • reality_cheque #15 2 years ago

    No mention of David Braben's company? They made Elite ffs, the greatest game ever made.

    And I know they're still making games as my mate works there and got me a spangly Elite t-shirt :)

  • MiniAmin #16 2 years ago

    Ah well. We'd all like to see Tax Breaks, but I won't complain too much, at least he's demonstrated he isn't a dinosaur who dislikes games because they're a threat to society. Besides, things could be much worse.

  • RobotRocker #17 2 years ago

    Yes, so good that you left them out of Digital Economy Bill despite your own Digital Britain investigation recommending tax breaks you utter cretins.

  • hiddenranbir #18 2 years ago

    And, speaking of "best in Europe" - why doesn't the UK have a big league publisher, like France's Ubisoft?

    Because as true wannabe supporters of a free market we don't make company buy outs difficult for foreign investors. Even though their own governments go out their way to keep their companies out of foreign control.
    Edited by hiddenranbir at 23/02/10 @ 15:33

  • Murton #19 2 years ago

    No mention of Codemasters there? Though with them dropping third party publishing from their business they're not as big a player as they used to be.

    Brown and others have commented a few times about how Britain is "punching above its weight" in the games industry but how long will that remain true if our developers and publishers don't get some much needed support to keep them competitive, look at he surge in games industry operation in Canada after the tax breaks there for example.

  • Quint2020 #20 2 years ago

    About time this was recognised now give them some bloody tax breaks so we don't lose yet another important industry.

  • TonyCocaCola #21 2 years ago

    So whats the plan then Gordon, you wanna sell all the companies?

  • OrgasmicMutton #22 2 years ago

    So this would be before he saw Beat Down With Brown - Intern Overload then!

    http://www.yoyogames.com/games/116817-be...

  • GamesConnoisseur #23 2 years ago

    Tax breaks would be excellent but then what industries in UK get tax breaks? I ll be delighted to support proposal for this but would be tough if we recall the huge deficit we got as a country!!

    Not as bad as Greece but if government gives out tax breaks left and right?

    So a strong arguments would be needed from the industry and keep pressure on, threats to outsource or relocate to Canada etc.

  • seanthejackal #24 2 years ago

    yay games!!!

  • Farfarer #25 2 years ago

    Thank you Gordon, your words mean so much to me :'(

    So can we have some tax breaks now?

  • knightmt #26 2 years ago

    Tax breaks are not a good example of fair trade. Lets see how many minuses I can get.
    Though I do not think many poor countries develop games given.

  • bifbert #27 2 years ago

    "And after a long day of sorting out international problems and making the world a better place there's nothing more I like than trying to get to tenth prestige on MW2, but it doesn't half take long" Gordon Brown. actual quote from the daily mail

  • RobotRocker #28 2 years ago

    Though I do not think many poor countries develop games given.

    CroTeam, GSC GameWorld and Sumo Digital India would love to have a word with you.

    Tax Breaks arent exactly fair but when you are in an economic climate like this. You need to stimulate employment somehow. Videogames are an untapped resource that brings in a lot of money a year into the economy and into the creative industries. More tax breaks means more jobs in the sector.

  • actionfitz #29 2 years ago

    Tax break much Gordo?

  • Riggers #30 2 years ago

    We're the best in Europe, apart from those other European companies that are beating us due to their beneficial tax breaks.

    I can has tax breaks?

  • easychord #31 2 years ago

    And all thanks to the Tory government of Maggie Thatcher in the 80s. I'm sure he said that after. Maggie Thatcher would have given those dirty Canadian communists with their state sponsored games industry a jolly good seeing to! Humpf, gurgle, nurse! Time for my medicine I think.

  • TruSmiles #32 2 years ago

    Ditto with all the comments about tax breaks. We have so many amazing studios, yet many more have been forced to close or move elsewhere. A little support would go a long way, and in return, votes will go your way ;P

  • deepspacefox #33 2 years ago

    Gordon loves Beat-Em-ups

    Shame he doesn't actually play video games though.

    /ba-dum ting!

  • kongzi #34 2 years ago

    ah so we like the money part, but we don't like the violence and that kids play mature video games....
    hmm..

  • Flabio #35 2 years ago

    I think we're only the biggest in Europe since Ubi moved their central office to Canada...

  • Bennicus #36 2 years ago

    If we're best in europe what do we need tax breaks for? 4th in the world seems good enough, lets leave it at that and go home early. /british
    Edited by Bennicus at 23/02/10 @ 17:07

  • Wolverfrog #37 2 years ago

    We hardly create any games in the UK. America has most of the big developers. Bungie, Infinity Ward, Epic Games, Naughty Dog, Bethesda, Bioware (Canada, to be fair), Valve, Treyarch, DICE; the list just goes on.

    Which big developers do we have here? Rockstar North and Lionhead.

    Wow.

    If the UK government wants to boast about UK games' development, then they need to support and encourage it to grow further. Perhaps more games development courses in Universities, and have them so they're fairly competent.

    Just my two...pennies.

  • Murton #38 2 years ago

    Tax breaks for the games industry could help with the deficit though. Lower tax rates will allow our domestic companies to invest the savings in more staff, resulting in more income and national insurance tax revenues from their wages and additional VAT from the purchases that they can afford to make.

    And that's before you take foreign investment into consideration.

  • Shikasama #39 2 years ago

    Funny how people want tax breaks for games companies but when their personal tax icnreases to make up the deficit they'll complain

  • Shikasama #40 2 years ago

    Oh, and if there is such a thing as a 'gamers vote' then you need your fucking head looked at. By a crowbar.

  • abot #41 2 years ago

    Brown can talk the talk, but can he walk the walk.

    Talk is cheap deeds are plentiful.

  • RobotRocker #42 2 years ago

    Which big developers do we have here? Rockstar North and Lionhead.

    Rare, Realtime Worlds, Codebastards, Sumo Digital, Rebellion, Bizarre Creations, Media Molecule, Sony Liverpool, Evolution Studios, BlackRock, Climax, Frontier, Sports Interactive, Criterion.

    I just named 15 UK studios that have produced major name titles in the last few years. The UK has plenty of big developers. The only thing that needs to be done is to allow them to grow and compete with the Infinity Ward's and BioWare's of the world.

    Oh, and if there is such a thing as a 'gamers vote' then you need your fucking head looked at. By a crowbar.

    You mean that all important 18-30 demographic that will make up the future voting establishment. Well smack me over the head then.

  • Shikasama #43 2 years ago

    Yes, because that 18-30 demographic:

    a) are all gamers
    b) all visit this website
    c) should pick their world leaders based on which l33t first person shooters the country produces

  • jefranklin18 #44 2 years ago

    @reality_cheque

    Sadly Frontier have not only shot themselves in the foot, but have taken a bayonet to it as well. The constant lack of clarity regarding whether Elite 4 is or isn't in development, the lack of any updates regarding the Outsider which is has arguably been usurped by recent games and the fact that nothing has appeared on a "next gen" console except for a number of WiiWare games really relegates them in the software development standings.

    Don't get me wrong, I respect Braben and Frontier: First Encounters is my favourite game ever (I still go back and play it periodically) but their (Frontier's) lack of a recent top tier release or other platforms being catered for in their catalogue has really damaged them in my eyes.

  • jmp303 #45 2 years ago

    And of course the blues are going to be the champion of gamers and the games industry, aren't they? Be careful what you wish for. Just waiting for Mr C to try sorting out "broken Britain" and guess who's likely to be in the firing line first. Easy targets are always the first to be taken down.

  • TRUTH #46 2 years ago

    Urm how long before UK sells all game industries thanks to Labour?...Gorden you know you want too! FAT LYING ARSE!!!

  • Murton #47 2 years ago

    jmp303: your fears of a Conservative government attacking the games industry are totally unfounded. To my knowledge the Tories have never mentioned in the industry one way or another.

    Besides we're almost looking a hung parliament this summer, though I'll grant that it'll most likely be a Conservative minority victory. If it does go that way however "Mr C" as you call him is going to have a very hard time running the country when he needs to win over more members of opposing parties than he does his own in order to get anything through the Commons.

  • Diogo_Ribeiro #48 2 years ago

    "We're leading the way in creative industries: by far the biggest producer of computer games in Europe," he bullied, according to a traumatized GamesIndustry.biz.

  • Softie2k #49 2 years ago

    "Funny how people want tax breaks for games companies but when their personal tax icnreases to make up the deficit they'll complain"

    The investment should reap a return in theory as it did in Canada.

  • the_mtfr #50 2 years ago

    @mcmonkeyplc, Eidos wasn't taken over by Square-Enix. Eidos was taken over by SCi in 2005 and SCi used its brand since. Technically Square-Enix took over SCi.

  • Murton #51 2 years ago

    @beemoh: true, I should probably have said they hadn't said anything about games that could be interpreted as policy.

  • Wolverfrog #52 2 years ago

    "We're leading the way in creative industries: by far the biggest producer of computer games in Europe," he bullied, according to a traumatized GamesIndustry.biz.


    Win. I was reading about that in the paper the other day.

    :p

  • jmp303 #53 2 years ago

    @Murton: "Mr C" as I like to call him has indeed mentioned games, specifically violent ones, and the curbing of said games (a brief look on Google turned up at least one reported comment made in 2007 to this effect, although I'm sure this is not the only time). Although it seems that he mainly has problems with kids playing violent games and I can't say that I disagree with him there. Let's just hope The Daily Mail isn't setting the agenda and it's an outright ban on violent games for everyone (or at least serious censorship, like Australia or Germany).

    I can honestly say that I don't care who runs the country as long as my freedom is not being curbed....and yes, I know "Mr B" (in which the B stands for Bully, apparently) and his lot have not got a great record on that. There again, I won't be voting for them either.
    Edited by jmp303 at 24/02/10 @ 18:43

  • Murton #54 2 years ago

    I was running from memory so I'm guessing his words weren't particularly high profile, I do seem to remember some discussion on what is needed to keep media for "mature audiences" out of the reach of children though, just didn't realise he had waded in. Hopefully the reforms in the certification and the decision to make PEGI the standard will satisfy those particular requirements.

    As for the running of the country, I honestly believe that it is "the other Mr C" that would be best for Britain at the moment, but there's no realistic chance of that happening. Which makes me think that a hung parliament may be the best thing that could happen come the Summer, if nothing else it would remind the country (and Parliament for that matter) that there are more than two parties and give the third party a fair chance to be seen and heard by the electorate and with that some much needed momentum for the future.