Welcome for £2m support to help grow video games sector
The Government’s pledge to keep supporting the video games industry has been welcomed by support agency Vision + Media.
The new coalition administration’s decision not to offer tax relief to video games companies was criticised by many in the sector, but last week communications minister Ed Vaizey insisted he was keen to see the sector keep growing.
Speaking at the Develop conference in Brighton, he listed a number of measures the coalition government is taking to support growth in the sector, including:
The formal launch of a £2m fund to help small businesses create video games prototypes. The fund will be managed by the University of Abertay, in Dundee, which will welcome applications from eligible businesses across the UK. A new video games centre of excellence is being created in Dundee.
The announcement of an independent review of education and training in the UK games sector, to be spearheaded by Ian Livingstone OBE, life president of Eidos, and carried out by NESTA and Skillset. Mr Vaizey said the Government wanted to produce a better-skilled workforce for the sector.
The video games industry is one of Merseyside and Cheshire's economic success stories, with hundreds employed at firms such as Sony and Bizarre Creations. Enda Carey, sector lead for games, at North West creative industries support agency Vision+Media, said: "The UK games industry makes a huge economic and cultural contribution, so we're delighted that the Government has recognised this and invested in the industry through the new video games centre of excellence and the £2m fund.
"This project will address some of the key issues currently facing the industry, giving companies the support they need to take their games concepts forward, supporting skills development, creating new jobs and businesses and helping to enhance the international competitiveness of our games industry."
Mr Vaizey said: "Government recognises the difficult challenges faced by the UK video games industry in the wake of a new economic climate. It is an industry that has real potential to create the high quality jobs of the future that will be so important as we recover from the recession.
"We need to invest in talent that will ensure the UK remains at the forefront of games creativity. That is why it is important to focus on skills and on giving small companies the support they have been telling us they need to help them take forward innovative new games concepts.
"These small and start-up companies will play an important part in enhancing the international competitiveness of our games industry, while showing the UK is open for business."
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