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NHS healthcare workers in the UK have been given free access to 85,000 games
NHS workers in the UK are being thanked for their efforts fighting COVID-19.
London is getting a 10-day 'Games Festival' this April
The UK has never held a video game event with quite the same clout as E3, the Tokyo Game Show or Gamescom. There's EGX and the indie-focused EGX Rezzed, but neither attracts quite as much attention as their international counterparts. To remedy the problem, Film London and games trade body Ukie are launching a new "London Games Festival" this April, which will offer 15 events across 10 different venues. These include a weekend "Now Play This" convention at Somerset House, industry talks at BFI Southbank and a bunch of smaller London Games Fringe events.
European Commission approves UK games tax breaks
The European Commission announced it's approved the UK's long-sought gaming tax breaks, paving the way for the government to start finally implementing relief for game makers in the country. Almost a year after raising doubts over the necessity of the relief, the EU executive body concluded its investigation and gave the measure the go-ahead. "Out initial doubts have been dispelled," said Commission VP in charge of competition policy Joaquin Almunia. "The proposed aid for video games is indeed focusing on a small number of distinctive, culturally British games which have increasing difficulties to find private financing." The news means the UK government can begin providing tax relief on games that pass the proposed culture test, which assesses the Britishness of a game and its development. It may sound bizarre but the test was a sticking point for the EU Commission which was satisfied that "only around 25 percent of UK-produced games would be eligible for aid." UK gaming trade body UKIE says the breaks come into effect starting April 1, confirming that as originally proposed, developers of qualifying games can claim 25 percent relief on 80 percent of expenditure. "This is a great boost for the UK games industry, and excellent news for jobs and growth," said UKIE's Ian Livingstone. "There is no doubting the cultural, social and economic importance of games, the fastest-growing entertainment industry in the world. The new production tax credit will help UK games development talent to create even more world class, culturally British content for global audiences to enjoy. This support will undoubtedly result in a greater contribution from the games industry to the UK's digital economy." [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
UKIE 'pretty confident' UK tax relief will go through despite EU doubts
UK gaming trade body UKIE is "pretty confident" the country's tax break proposal will be approved by the European Union and finally put into place, nullifying the doubts raised by the EU Commission over taxpayers contributing to the proposed relief. Last year, the UK government approved the much-needed breaks for the country's ailing games sector, set to provide 25 percent tax relief on 80 percent of the budget for qualifying UK-made games. Then in April of this year, the European Commission put the proposal on hold by announcing an in-depth investigation, raising doubts over whether the relief was needed, and the potential for positive discrimination towards the UK and a resultant "subsidy race" between EU states. Speaking to Joystiq, UKIE CEO Dr Jo Twist said her organization expects the proposal to be approved by the EU Commission despite those doubts, although there are apparent concerns over how long the process will take. "I think we're pretty confident it'll go through," Dr Twist told us."We know that the [UK] government is 100 percent committed - across all parties, as well, there's 100 percent commitment to get this through. UKIE also approached other creative industries - so film, animation, and TV - and they wrote a letter of support to say 'we want the games industry to have tax credits just like we do now.'" "We sort of weren't altogether surprised that [the European Commission] did this because the European Union is the European Union, and they have to go through these processes and ask the questions and make sure that they're asking the right questions," she added.
UK Interactive Entertainment CEO defends games as culture before EU tax investigation
Last week the European Commission announced it would kick off an "in-depth investigation" into proposed UK tax relief for video game developers, and UK Interactive Entertainment's Jo Twist wasn't too pleased by the news. This week the non-profit's CEO calls on the UK games industry to send a clear message to the European Commission, that games are culturally and economically relevant."[Games] generate culture, and are purveyors of culture in their own right," Twist writes. "They generate emotion and opinions, and the way they do that is through story, through experiences, and a huge diversity of innovative mechanics ... We have to show why there are not as many culturally British games being made as there could be and how the credit would help address this."The UK games tax relief plan calls on developers to pass a "cultural test" before receiving financial aid, incentivizing games starring British lead characters, in British locations or made by a local British team. The EU Commission worries the tax relief could negatively impact competition."The market for developing video games is dynamic and commercially promising," said EU Commission VP of Competition Policy Joaquin Almunia. "It is not clear whether the taxpayer should be subsidizing this activity. Such subsidies could even distort competition."Twist notes that the EU Commission investigated both the UK film tax credit and French video game tax system, both of which were eventually approved, setting a historical precedent to accept the UK's proposal. Further information on UKIE's defense can be found on its Facebook page.
UK games industry showing slight signs of recovery
UK trade association TIGA published a report this week, claiming that employment in UK games development grew by four percent in 2012.Looking deeper at the numbers shows us UK studios aren't making the huge games they used to, however, and are evolving into smaller studios supporting more mobile and tablet development.According to TIGA, from 2011 to 2012, creative staff across the UK grew from 8,888 to 9,224, which is where the modest four percent increase cited earlier comes from. The number of studios in the UK increased from 329 to 448 – that's 119 new studios and only 336 new jobs. The UK has shifted to smaller studios after years of layoffs and closures."Mobile and internet based gaming provide opportunities for growth; we have access to a highly skilled and creative workforce; and TIGA's Games Tax Relief will give a further boost to employment and investment from April 2013," said TIGA Chairman and Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley.TIGA estimates the sector's contribution to UK gross domestic product increased from £912 million to £947 million in 2012. The UK finally passed tax relief for the ailing sector last year, having proven it passed the cultural test. [Image: Christos G. via Shutterstock]
UK video game tax relief hinges on passing this 'cultural test'
The UK government outlined a "cultural test" that video games developed in the region must meet for the studio to qualify for tax relief, as part of the industry overhaul begun earlier this year. A game must earn 16 points to receive the tax break, with points awarded for such criteria as being "set in the United Kingdom or another EEA state," which includes all countries of the European Union, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The studio gets four points if the game stars two of three lead characters "from the United Kingdom or another EEA state or from an undetermined location," or it depicts "a British story."If at least half of the game's development is completed in the UK, studios can earn three points, while a "qualifying" project leader, script writer, composer, artist, programmer, designer and department head earn one point each. If at least half of the entire team qualifies as a legitimate UK operation, the studio gets another point. The tax code is like a game in itself.For example, if a studio in the UK (3 points) with all local staff (8 points) creates a game about a time-traveling doctor in a bowtie (4 points) as he journeys around Liverpool (4 points), Hufflepuff wins the House Cup. See? Easy.Peruse the entire cultural test below.
Nintendo counterfeiter makes $962,000 in illegal sales, faces jail time
Nintendo's ever-vigilant quest against piracy continues, as Justin Success Brooks of the United Kingdom has been charged with the fraudulent sale of counterfeit Nintendo games, according to the Croydon Guardian. The 41-year-old man was caught in an investigation conducted by Nintendo and the UK Interactive Entertainment association. The two groups purchased games from suspect outlets, eventually finding their way to Brooks.Operating between 2009 and 2011, Brooks allegedly made an estimated £600,000 (over $962,000) selling "thousands" of counterfeit Wii, DS and DSi games. All told, Brooks has been charged with seven counts of fraud, including "two counts of fraudulent trading, two counts of supplying an article to use in fraud, two counts of unauthorised possession of goods bearing a trademark and one count of unauthorised use of a trademark."Brooks has pled guilty to all counts. He has been granted bail and awaits sentencing, which will take place on November 9. Always remember, Mario is watching.
UKIE wants 30% games industry tax break, UK begins tax plan scrutiny
UKIE, a trade group for the entertainment industry in the UK, joined UK gaming trade association TIGA in calling for a tax relief flat rate of 30 percent across the industry, in the hopes of stimulating the UK's game development business. In March, UK chancellor George Osborne pledged to "turn Britain into Europe's technology centre, starting with digital content," by extending the country's film tax breaks to the TV, animation and gaming industries.Yesterday was the deadline for suggestions to the UK government on how the gaming tax breaks should be handled. TIGA previously suggested the 30 percent flat rate, or an alternative tiered rebate giving 25 percent relief to projects costing £250,000 ($400,000) or more.After consulting with more than 200 UK companies, UKIE proposed relief should extend to the entire industry, covering indies, large studios and new companies established by parties overseas -- all with a 30 percent relief rate, regardless of budget. UKIE included relief for DLC and post-launch support in its proposal.The tax relief is poised to begin in April, pending parliamentary approval and a round of summaries, scrutiny by tax professionals and consultation. Edge has a round-up of the whole process here.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, FIFA 12 top UK sales in 2011
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was easily the best-selling game in the UK for 2011. Data released today by UKIE (compiled by Chart-Track) has Activision's behemoth franchise grossing a record-breaking £83 million in sales during its first week, which also turned out to be the biggest week of video game sales ever in the UK at £121m. The year 2011 was also the third year in a row Activision had the top-selling game -- and all from the same franchise, fancy that -- with Call of Duty: Black Ops in 2010 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in 2009. EA took both the silver and bronze with FIFA 12 and Battlefield 3, respectively. Both titles had stellar opening weeks in the UK and have consistently performed well in the all formats top ten since launch. The number four game for the year was Zumba Fitness, which should come as little surprise to anyone who followed our "summer of disbelief." The launch of the fitness title for the Wii kept the game atop the all formats chart for longer than we would have thought, but on the Wii chart it remained in first for a record-breaking 28 consecutive weeks. Find the all formats and console-specific chart toppers for 2011 after the break.
UK retail game market fell in 2011
The boxed retail market continues to decline in the UK, with sales slipping 7 percent from 2010. The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment (UKIE) reports, using Chart-Track data, that 2011 saw boxed sales of £1.42 billion ($2.2 billion). Of the ten best-selling games in the year, eight were launched in the fourth quarter, generating 51 percent of annual revenue. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was the top seller, generating £83 million ($128 million) during its launch week and selling two million copies in five days. "In a year when overall consumer spending was down, 2011 proved to be a better than expected year for the UK's boxed-product games market," said UKIE Chairman Andy Payne. Helped by the launch of many top quality titles, particularly in quarter four, total software sales of £1.42bn was better than many predicted." Overall, the total gross generated in the UK games market from hardware, software and accessories in 2011 was £2.5 billion ($3.9 billion), a drop of 13 percent. That's understandable since the global economy is horrible, so keep calm and carry on. [mffoto via Shutterstock]
Black Ops led 2010 UK game sales, Just Dance top of the pops on Wii
Although it comes as little surprise, Call of Duty: Black Ops was the best-selling game in the UK last year. The UK Interactive Entertainment Association's 2010 bestsellers list features the usual suspects, with Black Ops, FIFA 11 and Just Dance occupying the top three spots, respectively, across all platform sales. Breaking it down by format, Blops landed in the top sales spot for Xbox 360 and PS3 games, while Just Dance and its sequel filled the first and third positions among Wii releases, naturally. Professor Layton And The Lost Future took the golden picarat for DS and FIFA 11 charged to the top of the charts on PSP. Although one could speculate as to why Black Ops wasn't at the front line of PC sales in the UK, it's just as fitting that Football Manager 2011 and 2010 occupied the forward spots in the region. Check out the complete breakdown by format after the jump.
Xbox 360 and PS3 dominated UK in 2010, game market sales totaled £2.875 billion
The UK video game market withstood a 13 percent sales decline in 2010 from 2009, according to The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment's annual report. UKIE put total software and hardware sales at £2.875 billion ($4.8 billion) in the territory last year, with console games alone accounting for £1.45 billion ($2.26 billion) of the total gross. The Xbox 360 and PS3 were the only hardware platforms to see sales growth, with the 360 accounting for £232 million ($361 million) in sales from 18.2 million consoles sold (thanks price break!), and the PS3 just below that figure with £229 million ($357 million) in sales from 13.8 million units. UKIE didn't share specific numbers for handhelds or the Wii, though its report notes the total revenue for console hardware sales amounted to £800 million ($1.25 billion) in 2010. Of course, key product releases helped sell those consoles -- the biggest undoubtedly being Call of Duty: Black Ops, which smashed UK sales records upon launch. Kinect and PlayStation Move presumably aided sales growth for their respective consoles, too, though UKIE didn't detail the specific fiscal impact of either in its report.
