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UK games industry still waiting on promised tax breaks
UK games industry trade association TIGA has urged the European Commission to deliver promised tax relief for local game developers after failing to meet a proposed implementation date. The UK government planned to issue a total of £50 million in tax breaks for UK developers, starting in April of this year and extending through 2015. The proposed Games Tax Relief (GTR) plan offered 25 percent tax relief on 80 percent of a qualifying game's budget, and required passing a "cultural test" for consideration. In April, the European Commission launched an investigation regarding the plan's necessity, delaying its implementation.
Report: Wii U price drops not spurring UK sales, Wii Mini sees 'low interest'
The Wii U's recent unofficial price cuts in the UK market seem to have done little to increase the latest Nintendo console's struggling sales.Trade publication MCV has quotes from two different retail buyers, the first noting the natural sales bump has "resulted in a smaller than desired increase" and the other saying the thing Nintendo really doesn't want to hear: "They've got to do something otherwise it is GameCube all over again."For its part, Nintendo Europe says it is reaching out to retailers directly over the next few weeks to highlight the "strong and broad line-up of software launching this year." Console price reductions are more flexible in the UK than they are in the States.Meanwhile, TechRadar mentions Wii Mini sales aren't doing much better in the UK. The site reports demand for the unit has been exceptionally poor. The Wii Mini sold 37.5K units in Canadian market, which Nintendo was pleased about.
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]
Vodafone UK launches a full Windows Phone 8 roster on February 6th
Vodafone's British division has been shy to embrace Windows Phone much at all in recent months. There'll be no such reservation as of February 6th, when the carrier starts offering a wide array of Windows Phone 8 devices. HTC's Windows Phone 8X and 8S will ship in subdued colors, while the (partly expected) Lumia 620, 820 and 920 will be available in livelier hues. We've yet to hear about pricing -- and there's no mention of Samsung's ATIV S, for completists -- but the launch remains good news for UK residents who want to try Microsoft's approach to smartphones without leaving the Red Dot network.
Black Ops 2 retakes top spot as Devil May Cry tumbles in UK charts
This week's UK charts feature a very familiar face at the summt. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, the country's best-selling game of last year, is back on top for the first time in 2013 thanks to a 20 percent bump in sales from the previous week. It ain't done yet, nosiree.Despite it being a relatively quiet January - Ni No Kuni doesn't arrive in Europe until February 1 - DmC: Devil May Cry wasn't able to retain top spot this week. Ninja Theory's reboot fell from grace to No. 4 after a 64 percent drop in sales. Meanwhile, Assassin's Creed 3 went on a climb up to No. 5, ascending on the back of promotional discounts.Otherwise it's the same ten games doing the limbo, lazily relaxing backs and limply looking over shoulders as they wait for the big hitters of February and March to take to the dance floor. You can boogie on past the break for the UK top ten.
FIFA 13 storms back up to first on UK charts
The new year kicks off with FIFA 13 seated first on the UK all formats sales chart. The game hadn't been in the top spot since that naughty Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 showed up, followed by a surprisingly strong showing by Far Cry 3. Blacks Ops 2 and Far Cry 3 currently hold third and second place, respectively.If the historical pattern holds up, FIFA and Just Dance franchises will show strong in the weeks ahead as the year gears up. Just Dance 4 is currently in seventh.New games entering the top 40 (thanks to discounts) are Batman: Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition at No. 25 and Saints Row: The Third - The Full Package at 40. Yes, you want to play Saints Row if you've yet to indulge.
Black Ops 2 reigns for sixth week in UK to capture Xmas No 1 spot
Let's face it, it was going to take a Christmas miracle to knock Call of Duty Black Ops 2 off the festive top spot in the UK charts. Despite a valiant but not quite miraculous effort from Far Cry 3, which saw an 86 percent rise in sales on the back of meaty holiday discounts, the latest CoD ruled the roost once more to become this year's Xmas No 1, as well as the only game to top the UK charts for six weeks in a row in 2012.That near-doubling of Far Cry 3 sales helped the open-world shooter leap over Hitman: Absolution into second place. Otherwise it's much as you were for the UK's penultimate sales week, with the same collection of top ten games playing a very restrained, possibly hungover version of Musical Chairs.You can find the UK top ten snoring loudly on the couch after the break.
PS3 12GB slides to £125 at GAME in UK
UK retailer GAME is dropping the price of the 12GB PS3 to £125 on the day following Christmas. A GAME representative informs us that price also includes a copy of The Amazing Spiderman movie. The console, regularly priced at £150, is immediately shedding the pounds during the holiday season.Other deals include Assassin's Creed 3 and FIFA 13 for £35, along with Forza Horizon and Halo 4 for £25.All this pound talk is already making us feel stuffed and the real feasting hasn't even begun.
UK offers long-awaited copyright reform that sanctions format shifting, remote education
Believe it or not, it's still illegal in the UK to rip a favorite CD, or even to show copyrighted work in distance education -- both fair use permissions that many North Americans take for granted. Some sense is at last coming around now that the Intellectual Property Office is putting forward copyright reforms that accept a digital reality. The measures explicitly approve private copying for personal use, making it legal to shift formats as long as it's to play purchased content. Many of the reforms also clear up the murkiness surrounding institutional use: analysts, researchers and teachers should have access to copyrighted material over networks, as long as it's for non-commercial purposes. The fair use terms aren't as broadly outlined as they are in the US -- these are exceptions, not general rules -- but they go a long way towards legitimizing what many wanted all along. Or, let's be honest, were already doing. [Image credit: Department for Business Innovation and Skills, Flickr]
Black Ops 2 makes it five weeks atop UK charts, Agent 47 sneaks into second
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has matched Lego Batman 2's 2012 streak of five weeks in the top spot of Chart-Track's UK sales rankings. Black Ops 2 sales were actually up 14 percent last week, so it'll likely make that sixth week from a vantage point, unless FIFA 13 rallies. FIFA games typically get a boost right at Christmas week and after New Year's.The rest of the UK top ten relatively remained in their same spots as last week, with the exception of Hitman: Absolution, which moved up four spots and into second place. Agent 47 had price promotions in the region to thank for his sudden ascension. The UK top ten can be found after the break.
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.
Black Ops 2 stays top dog in UK, Far Cry 3 maintains second place
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has now held the top spot on the UK charts for four consecutive weeks, joining FIFA 12, FIFA 13 and Lego Batman 2, which have all accomplished the same feat in 2012. Branding, branding, branding!Far Cry 3's strong reviews haven't hurt it any, as the shooter (and best advertisement for kidnap and ransom insurance ever) slipped 8 percent in sales but maintained second place.And, as we warned everyone a while back, the insidious Just Dance 4 continues its creep. This week the danceathon's sales are up 54 percent and it moves up two spots into fourth place. Keep your eyes on it. Without vigilance, it will take the top spot early in the new year. Find the UK top ten, and that shark skin you need for a new wallet, after the break.
British government announces Cyber Reserve to protect the Queen's laptop
The British government has updated its online cyber-security strategy with a variety of new cyber-programs to protect the motherland's cyber-future. It's setting up a nationwide Computer Emergency Response Team in order to help companies deal with... you know, cyber-threats. Alongside it, will be a new Cyber Reserve, which will call upon the talents of the motherland's finest cyber-minds in times of dire cyber-need. The plan will be pressed into action later next year, just as soon as our politicians learn another buzzword.
Call of Duty: Blacks Ops 2 not budging from UK top spot, Wii U launches
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is staying right where it is, enjoying the high vantage point atop the UK charts for a third week in a row. Sales of the shooter were down 35 percent from the previous week, but loss was mitigated due to the debut of the Wii U version.Far Cry 3 was the big debut of the week, entering in second. According to Chart-Track, Ubi's first-person shooter franchise became the ninth biggest launch of the year, "just behind last week's Hitman: Absolution," which slipped two spots into fourth."Although there isn't any official data on Wii U's UK sales, MCV's math pegs it somewhere around 40K units. A more interesting sign of the launch is that none of the console's exclusive titles broke the top ten. Nintendoland, New Super Mario Bros. U and ZombiU were the best performers at spots 11, 14 and 17, respectively. Swipe on over past the break for the UK top ten.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 tops in UK, Hitman: Absolution debuts in second
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 maintained its top spot on the UK charts, despite a sales drop of 81 percent. However, when you're the fourth largest game launch of all time in the UK, you've likely got a decent buffer. Chart-Track also noted sales are actually up 15 percent from last year's Call of Duty installment, Modern Warfare 3, during its second week.Hitman: Absolution debuted respectably in second. Comparing premiere weeks, Absolution outsold Hitman: Blood Money, Agent 47's previous adventure from back in 2006, by almost threefold.Other new entries further down the chart are Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse and PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale at 34, 35 and 38, respectively. Punch past the break for the UK top ten.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is 4th biggest UK launch of all time
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 launched across the globe last week and, as sure as the Queen combines her corgis like Voltron into one giant corgi to ride around the palace, the game debuted in the top spot. We're not projecting the right gravitas here. The game didn't just premiere at the top spot in the UK, it starts out there as the fourth biggest game launch of all time, according to Chart-Track.Halo 4 stepped down one notch into second, with FIFA 13 tapping its foot in third, awaiting the moment where it can move back up once the holiday blockbusters are over. Speaking of other franchises with ridiculously long tails on the UK charts, Just Dance 4 climbed up two spots from nine to seven. FIFA and Just Dance love that top ten dance floor, check out the other members of the soul train after the break.
Toshiba AT300SE tablet launches for the budget British crowd with Jelly Bean, Tegra 3
Toshiba has spent a surprising amount of time at the high-end of the tablet world this year with devices like the Excite 7.7 and Excite 13. It's taking an opposite tack going into the all-important holiday season. The AT300SE spotted earlier this year (likely to be called the Excite 10SE in North America) has been made official for the UK, and it's all about catering to the starter audience without tarnishing the core experience. The 10.1-inch slate is slightly thicker and heavier than its regular AT300 (Excite 10) cousin and scales back the cameras to 3 megapixels at the back and 1.2 at the front, but it preserves the quad-core Tegra 3 and 1,280 x 800 IPS-based display that we know so well. There's even a slight advantage to having held out for the frugal model: the AT300SE ships with Jelly Bean from the outset, which could leave it feeling faster than its Ice Cream Sandwich-toting predecessors. At £300 ($476), the lone 16GB model due this fall isn't officially as cheap as the AT300 on the street, although we wouldn't be surprised to see the real-world cost drop lower. We're mostly left wondering if the as yet unconfirmed Excite 10SE could beat the slimmer original's $400 price in the US.
Say 'allo, 'allo to Halo 4 in UK top spot
Halo 4 grabbed the top spot on the UK charts, but it did so showing the hesitancy everyone had about the franchise's new custodian. According to Chart-Track, Halo 4, the first installment by Microsoft's 343 Industries, was the 18th biggest launch in terms of first week sales. Halo 3 and Halo: Reach launched as 15 and 12, respectively. Allow us to be clear, though, the concern that Halo 4 is some inferior product is unwarranted.The prior week's numero uno, Assassin's Creed 3, slipped one spot into second. FIFA 13 is required by law to remain in the top five for its first six months following launch in the UK, so it can be found in third.Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 launches tomorrow. If there's some place you can bet on UK game sales for the following week, we can assure you Black Ops 2 is about as solid as a bet ever gets. The UK top ten can be found after the break.
Assassin's Creed 3 is second biggest launch of year in UK
Red-coat murder simulator Assassin's Creed 3 is publisher Ubisoft's biggest launch ever in the UK. According to Chart-Track, along with the previously mentioned achievement, AC3 is also the second biggest launch of the year (behind FIFA 13, natch). This fifth installment in the franchise (1, 2, Brotherhood, Revelations, 3) sold double that of Assassin's Creed 2 during its launch week, and 117,000 units more than last year's Revelations.FIFA 13 sits comfortably in second, followed by three new titles and Medal of Honor: Warfighter's quick fall from grace. WWE '13, Football Manager 2013 and Need for Speed: Most Wanted debut in spots three through five, respectively. Kick it on past the break for the UK top ten.
Apple iMessage sees second outage in a week, iTunes UK follows suit (update: back up, in theory)
Apple may have a lot of iMessage users, but it has also had its share of teething troubles as the chat service (and iCloud) grows. That's certainly been true this month: Apple has confirmed that, for the second time in a week, iMessage is down for at least some users. There's a real chance those conversations won't go through unless it's between iPhone users that can try SMS. More pressing for anyone in the UK is a wider iTunes outage, as we've heard multiple reports of the app and media repository being inaccessible in the country no matter what device they use. We've reached out to Apple and will update if there's an explanation or a repair schedule for either outage. For now, we'd suggest that iMessage lovers communicate through social networks and passive-aggressive word choices in Letterpress. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: And no sooner than we post than Apple has iMessage back up and running. Let us know through tips if you're still having iMessage or iTunes UK trouble, however.
