UK Minister Ed Vaizey: Politician's Attitudes are Changing to Video Games
Gamers' Voice event resonated with MPs.
The Parliamentary Games Day, staged last night at the House of Commons, was treated to an appearance by Culture, Communications and Creative Industries Minister Ed Vaizey. There, he spoke of a continuing dialogue with UKIE, TIGA and other industry bodies about alternatives to the cancelled tax relief plans.
"We’re meeting with UKIE on Monday to talk about access to finance, and we're going to involve a whole range of different representatives from the games industry," Vaizey told SPOnG last night.
"We want to look across the range - IP reform but also how games companies can access some major initiatives like the regional growth fund, technology and innovation centres, organisations like the Technology Strategy Board... it's a question of joining them up and creating a coherent agenda for the games industry."
Despite previously stating that the games industry had not made a sufficient enough case for tax relief, Vaizey admitted that organisations such as Gamers' Voice and the work achieved by charity Special Effect are resonating with MPs.
"I think [attitudes amongst politicians are] changing a lot - there's a whole new generation of MPs in following the 2010 general election, and I think the landscape was changing back in 2005 anyway," he said, noting a change in PR that focused on the social and educational benefits of video game software.
"There’s a certain maverick element to the games industry, which is a good thing - you get very interesting people working in the industry but I also think the games industry has understood now that it's an incredibly important mainstream industry and its got to engage with the policy makers and its doing that in very imaginative ways."
Vaizey also re-asserted his admiration for the industry and told SPOnG that he hopes the positive momentum made by last night's event can be maintained. "I love the gaming industry, so I'm just going to keep on talking about it whenever I can. I think tonight is a very good example of a very positive industry by games.
"I want the games industry getting to see the Treasury, I want to get them in to see the Department for Education... [the games industry] has to continue to raise its voice and makes sure it gets a seat on the top table."
"We’re meeting with UKIE on Monday to talk about access to finance, and we're going to involve a whole range of different representatives from the games industry," Vaizey told SPOnG last night.
"We want to look across the range - IP reform but also how games companies can access some major initiatives like the regional growth fund, technology and innovation centres, organisations like the Technology Strategy Board... it's a question of joining them up and creating a coherent agenda for the games industry."
Despite previously stating that the games industry had not made a sufficient enough case for tax relief, Vaizey admitted that organisations such as Gamers' Voice and the work achieved by charity Special Effect are resonating with MPs.
"I think [attitudes amongst politicians are] changing a lot - there's a whole new generation of MPs in following the 2010 general election, and I think the landscape was changing back in 2005 anyway," he said, noting a change in PR that focused on the social and educational benefits of video game software.
"There’s a certain maverick element to the games industry, which is a good thing - you get very interesting people working in the industry but I also think the games industry has understood now that it's an incredibly important mainstream industry and its got to engage with the policy makers and its doing that in very imaginative ways."
Vaizey also re-asserted his admiration for the industry and told SPOnG that he hopes the positive momentum made by last night's event can be maintained. "I love the gaming industry, so I'm just going to keep on talking about it whenever I can. I think tonight is a very good example of a very positive industry by games.
"I want the games industry getting to see the Treasury, I want to get them in to see the Department for Education... [the games industry] has to continue to raise its voice and makes sure it gets a seat on the top table."
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Ed Vaizey
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