Post Budget Game Dev: It Doesn't Make Sense to Stay in UK
Scotland prepares to leave for Canada
Yesterday's UK government Emergency Budget has already drawn the anger of ELSPA and Tiga, now it's having the expected effect on developers themselves.
Brian McNicoll, managing director of mobile phone game devs, Dynamo Games, has told The Press and Journal newspaper, "People in Canada are always talking to us, asking us to move out there, saying how things would be cheaper for us.
"I think that some companies will start to look at moving away after this announcement. If you have got a company with hundreds of staff it doesn’t make sense to stay here when you could go somewhere else."
He was joined in his disappointment by Lol Scrag, CEO of Dundee’s Cohort Studios, who commented, "This is disappointing but I was not surprised in the slightest. In March it was the first time video games were mentioned in a Budget as we are sometimes seen as a group of guys in a garage, but actually it is a multimillion-pound industry.”
Any other game devs out there who feel the same? Tell us in the comments below.
Brian McNicoll, managing director of mobile phone game devs, Dynamo Games, has told The Press and Journal newspaper, "People in Canada are always talking to us, asking us to move out there, saying how things would be cheaper for us.
"I think that some companies will start to look at moving away after this announcement. If you have got a company with hundreds of staff it doesn’t make sense to stay here when you could go somewhere else."
He was joined in his disappointment by Lol Scrag, CEO of Dundee’s Cohort Studios, who commented, "This is disappointing but I was not surprised in the slightest. In March it was the first time video games were mentioned in a Budget as we are sometimes seen as a group of guys in a garage, but actually it is a multimillion-pound industry.”
Any other game devs out there who feel the same? Tell us in the comments below.
Comments
Dannybuoy 23 Jun 2010 09:54
1/2
Another reason why all the Tory voters should feel very bad. Very bad indeed.
irritant 23 Jun 2010 10:08
2/2
@Dannybuoy
What? You think any politcal party would put money in the direction of the Games Industry when at the same time they are having to make cuts elsewhere? It might be a multi-million pound industry, but in these financial times there's no chance of getting any help.
It's been a long time since this country has recognised the value of any "manufacturing" industry in this country and therefore actually supported it.
As for the industry abandoning this country, it's not just to Canada. A former colleage of mine is out in Singapore (which pumped 100M US into the industry last year) and he's trying to convince me to move out there too. Gotta say I'm tempted.
What? You think any politcal party would put money in the direction of the Games Industry when at the same time they are having to make cuts elsewhere? It might be a multi-million pound industry, but in these financial times there's no chance of getting any help.
It's been a long time since this country has recognised the value of any "manufacturing" industry in this country and therefore actually supported it.
As for the industry abandoning this country, it's not just to Canada. A former colleage of mine is out in Singapore (which pumped 100M US into the industry last year) and he's trying to convince me to move out there too. Gotta say I'm tempted.