TIGA is 10: Looking Back

I think 99 per cent of policy issues we completely agree on. Don't forget that UKIE is almost exclusively foreign-owned multi-national publishers for whom the UK is part of their business - but a number of companies have set their headquarters up outside the UK for tax reasons. They're perfectly entitled to do that, because they're multi-national corporations.

I employ a lot of people in the UK, pay UK tax and I'm a UK company - so I suppose I can be a bit more parochial in thinking about the UK and how it affects my business. TIGA doesn't really worry about retail as such, and I know that's an area for UKIE - but it's an increasing concern for them because it's arguably a declining sector, so that's an interesting transition for them.

They've been more about piracy and box-shifting really, and never really thought about development because it wasn't on their remit - but there's not much tension at all. I think there's a certain amount of tension from UKIE's perspective - I think the people they represent are shifting. There aren't that many UK publishers at all, if any, and I think they're interested in helping out developers... but unfortunately for them we already have our own organisation.

What I would say that is in the early days, before TIGA, they had the opportunity to embrace developers - but they had a very, very poor attitude towards us. They were there, as a trade association representing the industry - and quite frankly, they looked down their noses at the guys actually creating the product that their members were selling.

They had that opportunity back then; when TIGA was in its infancy, they had the opportunity to get their act together and be respectful to the creators - but they chose not to do anything. So it was only when TIGA was actually a significant force, getting significant attention, that they decided that they missed a piece of the market and wondered if they should change their remit. Well, it's a bit late now.

I would say starting... actually coming together as an organisation and keeping on going - maintaining momentum and helping its members. We've got the value for money component - it costs a certain amount to become a member, but you get an awful lot of that back as far as I'm concerned.

I'd say that the government links, and getting them to understand the games industry - and getting them on board. Because traditionally they've not really embraced the industry, but now they understand it - and 98 per cent of them are really positive... at least verbally.

That's pretty significant, and I wouldn't have predicted ten years ago that we could have made such an impact; that we'd be in and out of Whitehall and other government buildings. We've had dinners at the Houses of Parliament, we've got lots of representative MPs signed up to the All Party Group - we're really thick as thieves now with a lot of MPs, which I just wouldn't have predicted.

If I've got anything to do with it, yes.

It's actually healthier now than it's ever been - there have been times over the years where its future has looked a little bit precarious, but I'd say it's probably at its strongest right now, and gathering momentum.