Tories criticise UK gov support for games

By Games Industry.biz Published 28 October, 2009

Vaizey: Industry is "critically important".

Ed Vaizey MP, shadow culture minister for the Conservative Party in the UK, has strongly criticised the lack of support given by the present government to the UK videogames industry, which he has labelled as a "critically important economic growth area", GamesIndustry.biz reports.

He also outlined plans on behalf of his party that would, in the event of a change in government next year, extend the remit of the Film Council to include the videogames industry, as well as offer recognition that developers - as high technology companies - face specific challenges in attracting investment in the UK.

"NESTA's research suggests the UK videogames sector could shrink by 16.5 per cent over five years, resulting in the loss of more than £180 million in external investment and nearly 1700 jobs," he said during the London Game Conference. "As in so many other areas, Labour ministers simply do not seem to care that we are falling behind our competitors in a critically important economic growth area."

But while he pledged to give the industry the support it needed to compete globally, in keeping with the Party's overall policy of addressing the national debt, he stopped short of promising more cash to companies.

"Gordon Brown's economic mismanagement means the UK government simply has not had the fiscal headroom to offer the kind of support that has been available in some other countries," he said. "But just because they cannot offer tax breaks, does not excuse them actively doing down the industry.

"I would love nothing more than to work with you to facilitate the investment and risk-taking the industry needs. We are campaigning at a time when Britain is broke, but this creates an opportunity to shape policies that assist the high-tech entrepreneurs that will drive our economy in the future. The videogames sector must play a key part in this."

With a general election to come in 2010 and the Conservative Party ahead in a number of polls, any political statements made now by those who could soon be in power are likely to impact a wide section of the industry.

Picture of Games.

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Comments (50) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Hermiod #1 2 years ago

    I agree with a Tory.

    /shoots self.

  • paul_haine #2 2 years ago

    Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

  • BlitzwingHaz #3 2 years ago

    Yeh I've never voted Tory, but now I'm considering it.

  • Ignatius_Cheese #4 2 years ago

    "Tories criticise current failing government to gain populist vote."

    Fixed.

    Don't ya just love opposition politics! :oP
    Edited by 1 at 28/10/09 @ 08:38

  • Quint2020 #5 2 years ago

    My god... I.... I agree with him... I've entered bizarro world.

  • neilka #6 2 years ago

    Surely "criticise *lack* of UK government support for games" would be a better headline?

  • stoopidgreg #7 2 years ago

    By tories you mean 1 tory. And there are no promises given.

  • teabagger #8 2 years ago

    @Ignatius_Cheese: I don't think that's the case here though. I can't see game developers making up a particularly significant percentage of voters. If you look at the kind of tax breaks our major competitors in the industry have - France, Canada etc. etc. then UK developers are at a disadvantage. Given the global turnover of the games industry is now comparable to film (*might even be greater, but I forget the figures) and the fact that the UK market has overtaken Japan it does actually make good sense to support the industry, encourage greater investment and increase the potential for wealth generation from that sector.

  • matrim83 #9 2 years ago

    @neilka LOL. I guess no one proof reads headlines.

  • patch #10 2 years ago

    extend the remit of the Film Council to include the videogames industry

    If it's a critically important economic growth area then why lump it in with the British Film industry? Not criticising their role with British film, but do the Film Council have the expertise necessary to relate to and guide the video games industry? I would have thought films and video games have completely different needs with regards securing funding and receiving tax relief, let alone with regards recruitment and development of talent. Did no one think to pick him up on this?

  • Toothball #11 2 years ago

    Looks like they may have realised that gamers are quite often adults who are also able to vote rather than just kids whose minds have been warped by all those violent video games. Of course we're often quite warped too, but they still want the votes.

  • Dreadaxe #12 2 years ago

    the UK has done wonders for Europe like the nose dive that is the value of the pound sterling

  • skillian #13 2 years ago

    My God, if you'd would consider voting Tory for this reason alone, you have no shame. Of course, if you'd consider votiong Tory for any reason you probably have no shame, but that's a personal matter ;)

  • peterv #14 2 years ago

    Must be an election coming up.
    Next week it will be some other group they will be arse-licking.
    But the only people these fuckers care about really, is the very rich.

  • GamerG #15 2 years ago

    Wow a politician coming out in support of video games

    faints

  • Shikasama #16 2 years ago

    Yeah Blitz, lets all vote Tory because one of them said the videogames industry could do with some cash. Thats how I want my government picked, yes siree.

    Who really wants Dave Cameron funding your games?

  • schnide #17 2 years ago

    The Labour government have been so poor on this (amongst many other things) that it's almost too easy for the Tories to sound positive on this. It's getting them to come good on it when they inevitably win the next election (OR WILL THEY..?) that actually matters.

  • rhubarbandcustard #18 2 years ago

    People saying that they are astonished that they agree with a Tory are most likely to have previously voted for Labour.

    (Assumption based on Labour getting most votes in past 3 elections - God help us.)

    Congratulations on helping to ruin this country.

  • skillian #19 2 years ago

    Congratulations on helping to ruin this country.

    You ain't seen nothing yet.

  • The-Bodybuilder #20 2 years ago

    What's the BNPs view on this?

  • peterfll #21 2 years ago

    I'd rather be dead than red.

  • Hermiod #22 2 years ago

    @rhubarbandcustard - I've voted Lib Dem at every election since I've been old enough to vote. I have never voted for Labour in my life.

  • rhubarbandcustard #23 2 years ago

    Hermiod:
    Congratulations on helping to ruin this country.

    We don't have Proportional Representation so by not voting Tory you allowed Labour in.

    Well done.

  • RexRunti #24 2 years ago

    @stoopidgreg "By tories you mean 1 tory. And there are no promises given. "

    By 1 tory you mean the Shadow Culture Minister who decides policy on this sort of thing (barring interferance from leadership), and when was the last time you heard any politician make an actual promise about anything (apart from a referendum on the European constitution) this is as close as your going to get from an opposition party this far from an election.

  • bioreit #25 2 years ago

    @ rhubarbdandcustard

    You must be either too young or too old (and therefore suffering from early onset of dementia) to not remember what the good ol' Tories did before 1997. Unless you *liked* the idea of 90% tax rates (but with vastly infalted wages so the top people never actually lost out), no minimum wage, the cementing of the Conservative ideal of "everyone for themselves, unless you're poor and lower-class, in which case you need to kneel down and let us get away with everything".

    Not saying Labour's been perfect, but the Conservatives have shown time and time again throughout the last hundred years that their primary concern was, is and always will be corporations and the rich. Everyone else is pandered to *only* when there's an election involved and even then, all they do is "what he said, only bigger".

    Still, thanks all for the laugh. Love it when people can say things along the lines of "Oh, I disagree with Insert Political Party of Choice on all their main policies, but on Meaningless Election Promise on Inconsequential Minor Topic I agree with them 100% so I'm gonna vote for them!"
    Edited by 1 at 28/10/09 @ 11:46

  • teabagger #26 2 years ago

    Pretty much the most pointless thing anyone can do in arguing for a political party is to drag up something in a previous term that was, or is perceived as being bad. Every political party this kind of stuff in their history, where do you draw the line? 10 years? 20 years? 50 years? For every Tory fuckup you can find a Labour one and visa versa.

    At the end of the day you can only really judge them on current policies, and while I know that's not really saying much it's pretty much the best any of us can do.
    Edited by 1 at 28/10/09 @ 12:07

  • skillian #27 2 years ago

    Looking at a political party's past actions is pointless? That's completely crazy.

    Would you judge the BNP on the fact that they are now happy to accept black and asian members? Or do you look at their past links to fascism and violent racist groups?
    Edited by 1 at 28/10/09 @ 12:08

  • dither #28 2 years ago

    lolpolitics

  • teabagger #29 2 years ago

    @skillian: But the BNPs agenda is still, quite clearly, the same as it ever was and I wouldn't say that they seem especially 'happy', as you put it, to accept multi ethnic members into their party.

    Also, I wouldn't say that their links to racist and fascist groups are in the past either as the well documented YouTube video of him sharing a platform with KKK members proves.
    Edited by 2 at 28/10/09 @ 12:22

  • YourMessageHere #30 2 years ago

    Do NOT vote tory because of this. This statement is a great typical example of current Tory strategy: say something right on and with popular appeal, but do not under any circumstances make any promises or give any specific details. Next time you see something a tory has said, ask yourself this: Does this tell me what the actual tory policy is? What will they actually do? Is what I just read actually specific about anything? It's months since I heard a tory make a specific undertaking or describe a firm policy about anything - almost as if they didn't know themselves and were making everything up as they went along, reacting and not acting. Do you want that as your government?

    Patch is right, this may sound good but it is really incoherent bullshit. Games have no more place being dealt with by the Film Council, whatever they might actually be about, than novels or scrabble sets. He may have had his researchers find him some figures to spew out but he's not saying anything other than "the current government is bad and doesn't care about you".

    @ rhubarbandcustard

    Labour have sucked in a lot of ways, it's true. I certainly regret voting for them in 2001. But did you see the state of the tories, then and before, in 1997? And since then...the sheer undistilled genius of Hague? Duncan Smith? Howard? Are you seriously suggesting any of them would have done better than the Labour rabble? Really, the best way to ruin the country would have been to vote any of those Conservative incompetents into power.

  • freakzilla #31 2 years ago

    Just words. Isn't it usually the right wing loonies who think video games will bring about the end of the world?

  • Gecks #32 2 years ago

    official tory policy or it didn't happen.

    there's still the problem of that odious cunt george osbourne, amongst other things...

  • makeamazing #33 2 years ago

    Im old enough to have voted for all three main parties, and trust me, they are ALL as bad as each other.

    Yes great, someone has come along and said that the games industry needs support, but the question is if they will do anything if they get in power... its amazing how many quotes parties give before elections, the difference is in what they do when they are in power.

  • dahsif #34 2 years ago

    Hell, I voted for Tony Blair just because we use the same brand of toothpaste.

  • TeeHee #35 2 years ago

    http://ww w.sk-gaming.com/content/17518-B...

    Nice to see the most powerful tory in britain towing the party line.

    It's also nice to see politicans speaking about games as an economic topic rather than a moral one, although i'm sure he said the same thing early this year (late last?) I also remeber darling pledging support for the industry during his last budget, but then again that could have been a dream.

    anyway, as someone said earlier, it's effectively upto Osborne or Cameron when it comes to down to it, more likely Cameron me thinks since he will be a presidential primeminster, it'd be a shock if it isn't.
    Edited by 1 at 28/10/09 @ 13:48

  • RedSparrows #36 2 years ago

    Most people, c. 2009: 'I hate all politicians, they're all scumbags OH HAI POPULIST PROMISE, I VOTE YOU??'

  • RexRunti #37 2 years ago

    Wow, and I thought anti-"insert console manufacturer" fan boys were bad. Instead of slagging off a party who have announced something you agree with, why don't you pressure your own prefered party to take a similar stance?

  • teabagger #38 2 years ago

    Funny how people always paint a picture of Tories supporting the well off and Labour being the champion of the poor.

    Everyone forgotten who abolished the lower rate of income tax?

    Or how they let the city spin out of control because they were distracted by the sound of money flowing into government coffers from taxes on bonuses, the impact of which is felt not by them but by everyday guy in the street?

    Or supporting the UK as a tax haven for the very wealthy, allowing them to exploit loopholes that result in them paying a lower percentage of tax than Mr. Average?

    I suppose I hardly need to mention the expenses row and the fact that Michael Martin, a Labour peer, was trying to exclude such information being covered by the freedom of information act.

    Not that I think things would be any different whoever was in power...

  • butler` #39 2 years ago

    roll on next summer eh

  • Skooch #40 2 years ago

    "Not saying Labour's been perfect"

    £30 Trillion worth of debt agrees with you. Congrats to Bioreit for the biggest understatement today.

  • jefranklin18 #41 2 years ago

    @Patch: "If it's a critically important economic growth area then why lump it in with the British Film industry? "

    In some respects this would actually help the industry as it would raise it's profile from the social misfits hobby, to a respected part of the UK entertainment industry. Also keep in mind the UKFC awards grants to small/indie developers, sorry I mean studios and you can see that there is scope there for a helping boost to the industry.

    I am not going to argue politics as I imagine it is very rare people change their point of view on an internet forum.

  • patch #42 2 years ago

    I guess my main issue with linking to the Film Council is that it fails to recognise the games industry for what it is. I would argue that British film, while still a growth sector, doesn't have anywhere near the potential that the British games industry has. At the moment we're close to the top with regards game producing countries and I feel it's important to keep pace with the best of the world. I simply don't think the Film Council is the right organisation to accomplish this, and I feel Ed Vaizey has failed to recognise the unique situation which the video games industry in Britain finds itself.

  • jefranklin18 #43 2 years ago

    @Patch

    I see your point, and yes the UKFC may not be the best organisation to handle this at the moment but if they were to bring onboard respected developers, such as David Braben, to advise then surely they would be in a better position?

    I am pretty sure it is all moot as any QANGO, government department is normally ineffiicient and out of touch

  • nightstorm101 #44 2 years ago

    Interesting spin considering David Cameron's seems to think Computer games are the root of all crime/evil. To quote Cameron from Aug 07:
    "We are never going to deal with crime unless we look at the broader context and say 'Yes, tough laws, strong action on the police, but also action to strengthen our society. And that includes, I think, video games and things like that where we do need to think of the context in which people are growing up."

  • Retroid #45 2 years ago

    They have to keep the industry healthy so they can scapegoat it later on instead of addressing a social ill. Obviously.

  • Retroid #46 2 years ago

    teabagger: "I suppose I hardly need to mention the expenses row"

    Several Tories would much rather you didn't, seeing as it was mostly Tories who were the famously piss-taking ones in that.

  • andrewfromdoncaster #47 2 years ago

    Fucking cunt.

    Why does that big fat toff care about people making/doing things.....he has an inheritance to live off.

  • smelly #48 2 years ago

    >who said labour were the champion of the poor?

    Me!

    (but that was before "new labour" .. which is tory in everything but name)

  • canIdoyabombsforya #49 2 years ago

    Paul Daniels was right

  • potatoes #50 2 years ago

    I was seriously worried about reading this comment thread, but it appears that the EG readership is actually pretty savvy when it comes to conservative bullshit and their shady past. Hooray for everyone here! Hugs all round