UK Games Industry

Growth of the Canadian games industry confirms the need for UK Games Tax Relief

TIGA, the trade association representing the UK games industry, today said that the growth of the Canadian games industry demonstrated that if UK politicians were serious about wanting to help the UK games industry then they must support and implement Games Tax Relief. TIGA made the comments following the news that the Canadian games industry had over taken the UK to become the third largest employer of development staff in the world, with the USA and Japan in first and second positions.

Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO, said:

“The remarkable growth of the Canadian video games industry has not happened by chance. It has been driven by extraordinary generous tax breaks and sustained by the availability of skilled staff. The UK video games industry has talented staff but has been held back by an unfavourable tax regime. The announcement in the Budget that Games Tax Relief would be introduced in the UK was exactly the right policy measure to help the video games industry. We now need to see TIGA’s Games Tax Relief introduced as quickly as possible after the General Election if we are to see significantly increased investment, employment growth and new IP in the UK video games sector.”

Jason Kingsley, TIGA Chairman and CEO and Creative Director of Rebellion said:

“Our political parties need to ensure that Games Tax Relief is operational in the UK by 2011 if they are serious about wanting to boost the UK video games industry. Just as tax breaks have powered the Canadian games industry, so Games Tax Relief will reinvigorate the UK games sector. We also hope that all political parties in the UK will support TIGA’s manifesto proposals to retain and expand the R&D Small Firms Tax Credit and measures to increase the supply of computer science and mathematics graduates.”

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.