UK games industry
Government to invest £10 million, including £2 million into an Abertay University prototyping fund.
08 December, 2009
TIGA has welcomed the news that £10 million will be invested in the UK games development industry, including a £2 million prototype fund being administered by Abertay University for the UK.
The commercial potential developed at Abertay will be enhanced by the new centre of excellence in Manchester. The new facility at MediaCityUK will help take games and creative content to the next level. Companies will gain a better understanding of how gamers use their prototype products, providing the opportunity for the product refinement that will lead to enhanced success in the market.
The video games centre within MediaCity UK grew from a commitment in the Digital Britain report published in June 2009 that highlighted the potential for links with Abertay University. It is supported by £1 million from the Strategic Investment Fund. With complementary funding from individual European Regional Development Fund initiatives in Manchester and Scotland (almost £1m via the Scottish Government) and from the North West Development Agency, a total of up to £10 million funding for the two centres is expected.
TIGA CEO, Dr. Richard Wilson, clearly pleased with this investment, said:
“This is good news for the UK games industry. We particularly welcome the intention to use the funding to invest in prototypes to support new Intellectual Property (IP) development. Finding sources for finance for new IP is difficult at the best of times.
“We now look forward to the Pre-Budget Report on Wednesday December 9th. A commitment by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, that the Government will introduce Games Tax Relief would demonstrate that the Government is serious about supporting the UK games industry, one of the UK’s leading digital industries.”
Ends
Notes to editors:
About TIGA:
TIGA is the trade association representing the UK’s games industry. The majority of our members are either independent games developers or in-house publisher owned developers. We also have outsourcing companies, technology businesses and universities amongst our membership.
TIGA's vision is to make the UK the best place in the world to do games business. We focus on three sets of activities: political representation, generating media coverage and developing services that enhance the competitiveness of our members. This means that TIGA members are effectively represented in the corridors of power, their voice is heard in the media and they receive benefits that make a material difference to their businesses, including a reduction in costs and improved commercial opportunities.
For further information, please contact Eva Field, TIGA PR Manager on: 07814 039 983, or email eva@tiga.org.