MPs quizzed on videogames this month

By Robert Purchese Published 9 March, 2010

UK's big three laying out future plans.

Update: Embarassingly, this has turned out not to be an episode of TV show Question Time but an event using a similar title as a hook. Sorry for the confusion. Am a plonker.

Altered story: The UK's leading political parties will be questioned later this month on their party's videogame plans, should they be elected to power.

An invite sent out be ELSPA set the date as 29th March. The Telegraph's Matt Warman will chair.

Guests will be MPs Ed Vaizey (Conservative), Tom Watson (Labour) and Don Foster (Liberal Democrats). Vaizey has demanded more support for the UK games industry in the past and Tom Watson's pro-videogame stance was loud and clear last December. Don Foster, too, believes creating games to be a crucial part of the UK economy.

There's an entry fee of £10, and the event will take place in Piccadilly, London.

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.

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

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Comments (22) Latest comment 2 years ago

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

  • fiery_jackass #1 2 years ago

    they should have persuaded self-publicising, populist dildo Keith Vaz on. How that man is still allowed to participate in politics is beyond me.

  • RobotRocker #2 2 years ago

    Invite only or open to the public? And do we have to apply to the BBC website as I am so there if I can.

    Tom "Fucking" Watson, he keeps us warm you know.

    edit: http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=yYgXedpeMuc video proof.Also keeps you safe from hyper intelligent shark people.
    Edited by 1 at 09/03/10 @ 11:28

  • Mkwone #3 2 years ago

    Credit to the BBC, a clever way to get a whole new demographic to watch question time.

  • MiniAmin #4 2 years ago

    Isn't it usually free to appear as a guest on Question Time? Damn, even the BBC are trying to fleece gamers.

  • Rirekon #5 2 years ago

    So the panel consists of 3 people who are pro-game industry but who have no actual power to do anything about it?

    Get Brown, Clegg and Cameron on and let's see what they have to say

  • insincere_dave #6 2 years ago

    This sounds like one of the crappy spin-offs, no way this will be on BBC1 with Dimbleby presenting it.

  • RobotRocker #7 2 years ago

    Edit: Never mind, Robert is a plonker. Comments section now focused on how Robert is a plonker.

    ROB YA PLONKER

    Get Brown, Clegg and Cameron on and let's see what they have to say

    Brown is actually committed to expanding the industry but Labour seems to hem and haw over officially supporting the industry because of Vaz causing Moral Panics all the time and Darling excluding them from the Digital Britain initiative. Cameron doesn't care as long as they turn a profit but still bows down to the backbenchers Moral Panic and god knows what Clegg says because the man needs to raise his goddamn voice.


    Edited by 2 at 09/03/10 @ 11:50

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #8 2 years ago

    ALERT. I am an idiot. This is not Question Time the TV show but an event confusingly using that moniker as a hook. Still, the event should produce similar results and we'll report all that goes on and what they're wearing if they're sweating who they had lunch with, that sort of thing.

  • geeza2020 #9 2 years ago

    politicians to support games industry shocker??

  • Murton #10 2 years ago

    god knows what Clegg says because the man needs to raise his goddamn voice.

    I wouldn't mind knowing what he thinks about this as of the three leaders he strikes me as the one that speaks the most sense. It's a shame that politics has become more about who shouts the loudest rather than what they are actually saying.

    Looking forward to this event and seeing what is said by who. Though I'm going to take a guess that as a whole they encourage the industry to keep going but fall short of mentioning actual tangible support for it.
    Edited by 1 at 09/03/10 @ 12:32

  • Banksy #11 2 years ago

    What would Malcolm Tucker say?

  • superdelphinus #12 2 years ago

    not going to be a particularly interesting debate if they are all in agreement! should have got keith spaz on there

  • Redeye #13 2 years ago

    MPs and videogames - does it ever end well?

    Personally and more than slightly OT, I'd like to hear a debate on how Keith Vaz should be cannon-launched up an elephant's arse for Children in Need.



    Hell, I'd sponsor it.

  • GitSomE_UK #14 2 years ago

    An MP's view on video games...

    Is it a Wii thingy that does sport? Yes? It's great!

    Does it have Ant and Dec fiddling with it... Yes we support the games industry!

    Everything else = Ban this sick filth

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #15 2 years ago

    Does it have Ant and Dec fiddling with it...

    They didn't like it when they were doing that to phone-in quizzes.

  • Mkwone #16 2 years ago

    Embarassingly, this has turned out not to be an episode of TV show Question Time but an event using a similar title as a hook. Sorry for the confusion. Am a plonker.

    Am a ploker?

    Be you are :p

  • cnlfailure #17 2 years ago

    This sounds like the most redundant meeting ever. Three party representatives all of whom back the games industry in one place to discuss how much they back the games industry. Is it going to accomplish anything?

  • RobotRocker #18 2 years ago

    Is it going to accomplish anything?

    Depends really. If developers show up and voice their concerns for the future like the PEGI take over from the BBFC and how the government will provide support for developers in the future, it could be fruitful. On the other hand, it could be yet another ELSPA circlejerk where the publishers pat themselves on the back on a job well done and schmooze with MP's which is going to accomplish nothing at all.

  • tachometer #19 2 years ago

    Couldn't this have been done on party chat?

  • LosCapitan #20 2 years ago

    "Guests will be MPs Ed Vaizey (Conservative), Tom Watson (Labour) and Don Foster (Liberal Democrats). Vaizey has demanded more support for the UK games industry in the past and Tom Watson's pro-videogame stance was loud and clear last December. Don Foster, too, believes creating games to be a crucial part of the UK economy."

    WHAT? They all AGREE??? Then what's the point?

    It needs a "BAN THIS SICK FILTH" demographic (Keith Vaz mebbe?) throwing in to make this a SPICY ENCOUNTER.

  • CosmicGypsy #21 2 years ago

    @Banksy - What would Malcolm Tucker say?

    Something along the lines of:

    "Don't get sarcastic with me, son. We burned this tight-arsed city to the ground in 1814. And I'm all for doing it again, starting with you, you frat f*ck. You get sarcastic with me again and I will stuff so much cotton wool down your f*cking throat it'll come out your arse like the tail on a Playboy bunny"

    I think :)

  • RobotRocker #22 2 years ago

    Official BBC merchandise that I want but will never be made

    - The "Tucker's Law" tea-towel