14 DAY TRIAL // ELSPA (Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) keeps asking the UK government for help and support when it comes to the country's games industry. The association is generally worried by the fact that more developers are leaving to Canada especially thanks to tax incentives offered by the Canadian government to companies. Recently, similar tax cuts were made in Europe and ELSPA fears that the country will have all their talented creative minds "stolen" by the neighbors.
These are the reasons that stand for the petition which called for Prime Minister Gordon Brown to provide tax or other incentives to support the UK computer and video games industry. Of course, nobody expected for it to have any success or even to be taken seriously, but it seems that people were wrong. The bad news is that the government considers it already does plenty for the games industry and refuses to look further into the situation.
The official response from Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office, quoted by website boomtown.net, says: "The Government committed to making sure that the creative industries, including the games sector, were aware of and made the best use of the generous Research and Development tax credits for small and medium-sized enterprises, introduced by the Government in 2000. The Government has already been promoting the credit within the industry".
But, according to the statement, this does not mean that the government is completely against new changes in the tax system, as it takes seriously the contribution of the UK's creative industries to the economy and to the UK's cultural richness. The members of the government just need a bit more proofs and studies to do so. One thing is clear: the ELSPA will keep sending them reminders, petitions will be written and, eventually, the results will follow. So, rest assured that everything's going to be OK!