Tiga, the U.K. trade association for independent videogame developers, is using the success of Grand Theft Auto IV to renew its call for tax breaks for the videogame industry.
The Independent Game Developers Association claims the runaway success of the game demonstrates the “vitality and creativity” of the videogame industry in the U.K., according to a Develop report, as well as its importance to the economy. “GTA IV’s world-wide success is indicative of the strength of the U.K. games development sector. Our games industry is the largest in Europe and we are the fourth-largest developer of games in the world,” said Tiga CEO Richard Wilson.
“The U.K games industry is also characterized by strong regional clusters. Scotland has a particularly creative set of games businesses. GTA IV‘s triumph is a success for Scotland in particular,” he said in reference to Edinburgh-based Rockstar North.
“From a wider policy perspective, if we are to improve on the games industry’s record of success, then the Government must create a more favorable tax regime for games developers and tackle the underlying skills shortages facing the games development industry. This approach will enhance the U.K.’s capacity for creating more videogame blockbusters,” he added.
Many U.K. developers cite Canada’s numerous tax breaks and incentives for developers as fostering a greatly-preferred environment for videogame developers, but the U.K. government has thus far declined to take similar steps of its own, and in March launched an investigation into Canada’s games industry practices via the European Commission.
