UK developer consortium Tiga cries foul over Canada tax breaks

It's common knowledge that game companies have been migrating to Canada's developer-friendly shores for some time, a side effect owing more to the region's inviting tax breaks than to its scenery or love of winter sports. Now the UK's Independent Games Developers Association, a gathering more commonly known at Tiga, has cried foul, referring to Canadian government subsidies to game developers as unfair, and that by offering tax incentives "the playing field is increasingly tipped against UK based games developers."

Tiga CEO Richard Wilson has issued a statement calling for the UK government to investigate whether or not Canada's tax breaks for game companies violate any World Trade rules -- something the organization feels is "likely" -- and if so, to "take action via the World Trade Organisation against Canada at the earliest opportunity."

Until such a ruling can be made, however, Wilson has asked the government to "introduce tax breaks for game production in the UK in order to level the playing field against unfair competition." Honestly, nobody likes a crybaby, and if the UK would would match the efforts of Canada, maybe developers like Eidos or Ubisoft wouldn't be so keen on bundling up and setting up shop in America's great white north.