ELSPA: More Government Support (if that's ok with you)
Won't stand up for banned games. Will demand more dosh. Nice.
Yes - I pwn everyone at Sensible Everything... give them more cash.
ELSPA, the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association, thinks that the industry is not being taken seriously enough by the government.
And let's face it, video gaming is all about being taken seriously by the government.
Having previously laid down and played dead on behalf of one of its members - Rockstar - in the Manhunt 2 saga. It appears that ELSPA is also prepared to follow another tune when asking for government support.
Why follow? Because the initial cry to support came independently from Eidos/SCi CEO, Jane Cavanagh speaking to MCV this week regarding her company's new Canadian studio. Cavanagh pointed out, "Over the years, people have tried lobby for this sort of funding in the UK – in line with the perks given to UK film studios – and the result has been pretty much nil.
It seems that this industry is not being taken seriously: not only in terms of retaining talent, but for foreign companies to come in and create a pool of talent.”
This appears to have woken ELSPA Director General Paul Jackson to the extent that he's issued a press release (to the sound of bandwagons being jumped by flustered sheep) to the extent that, "Jane's comments reflect the very serious position the industry finds itself in. ELSPA has been engaging with the new Brown government on this issue via the DCMS and DEBRR. Our impression is that government understand that there is a serious problem here and we have been invited back to discuss the issue further. However we are wary that historically government has never really given us the support we require when compared with other industries in our sector. It is therefore is up to this new administration to reverse the failings of the past and fully support the games industry at this difficult time.”
He added: "The UK lost its manufacturing base some 20 years ago and became a service based economy. Now we are in danger of exporting our services based industry. Not only that but we consistently argue that as an entertainment business in the ascendancy, the games business is an essential part of the future development of the country's long term creative, IP, entertainment and technology industries. The reality is that the market is financially doped in other parts of the world, making it incredibly difficult for the industry in the UK to compete."
While SPOnG applauds anything that gains the video games industry the opportunity to create more and better games - we would have liked to have seen the industry's own peak body making the waves rather than surfing those created by a company which doesn't appear to want to move labour abroad but feels that it has to.
And let's face it, video gaming is all about being taken seriously by the government.
Having previously laid down and played dead on behalf of one of its members - Rockstar - in the Manhunt 2 saga. It appears that ELSPA is also prepared to follow another tune when asking for government support.
Why follow? Because the initial cry to support came independently from Eidos/SCi CEO, Jane Cavanagh speaking to MCV this week regarding her company's new Canadian studio. Cavanagh pointed out, "Over the years, people have tried lobby for this sort of funding in the UK – in line with the perks given to UK film studios – and the result has been pretty much nil.
It seems that this industry is not being taken seriously: not only in terms of retaining talent, but for foreign companies to come in and create a pool of talent.”
This appears to have woken ELSPA Director General Paul Jackson to the extent that he's issued a press release (to the sound of bandwagons being jumped by flustered sheep) to the extent that, "Jane's comments reflect the very serious position the industry finds itself in. ELSPA has been engaging with the new Brown government on this issue via the DCMS and DEBRR. Our impression is that government understand that there is a serious problem here and we have been invited back to discuss the issue further. However we are wary that historically government has never really given us the support we require when compared with other industries in our sector. It is therefore is up to this new administration to reverse the failings of the past and fully support the games industry at this difficult time.”
He added: "The UK lost its manufacturing base some 20 years ago and became a service based economy. Now we are in danger of exporting our services based industry. Not only that but we consistently argue that as an entertainment business in the ascendancy, the games business is an essential part of the future development of the country's long term creative, IP, entertainment and technology industries. The reality is that the market is financially doped in other parts of the world, making it incredibly difficult for the industry in the UK to compete."
While SPOnG applauds anything that gains the video games industry the opportunity to create more and better games - we would have liked to have seen the industry's own peak body making the waves rather than surfing those created by a company which doesn't appear to want to move labour abroad but feels that it has to.
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Comments
ajmetz 12 Aug 2007 02:49
1/1
=P Roger, we miss you.