14 DAY TRIAL // Video games don't exactly have the most decent reputation, and a lot of people tend to fear that they are becoming a more and more mainstream form of entertainment. This concern, coupled with protests against video games led by some groups, deems them dangerous to children, teaching them violent behavior among other bad things.
Fortunately, slowly but surely, the gaming industry is becoming bigger and bigger, and because it brings such a big contribution to governments and the whole economy of certain countries, video games are losing their bad reputation, becoming important to a lot of communities.
We've already seen a British politician lobbying the Parliament so that game developers and companies would get some more advantageous financial rights, and it now seems that other politicians are already recognizing the big contribution these companies have on the economy, as Texas has named February 3 the Entertainment Software Day.
The US state has recognized the impact that the game industry has had on the community, as big companies, such as BioWare, have their headquarters there and are already passing resolutions and laws in order to make the state more attractive to other companies. The proclamation of this day follows a bill passed in Texas, which provides tax rebates for all the video game companies located in the state.
“The support of Governor Perry, Senator Deuell and Representative Dukes for the entertainment software industry in Texas is an endorsement of the artistic and economic contributions our industry has made to the state,” said Michael D Gallagher, CEO of the Entertainment Software Association. “These lawmakers are helping grow our industry as we work to create new jobs for Texans; boost the state's economy; and help discover new ways computer and video games can improve the ways Americans live, work and play.”
It finally seems that politicians comprehend the positive sides of the gaming industry, realizing that, in these troubled financial times, such profitable companies need to be helped in order to remain successful. Hopefully, we'll see more and more government actions directed to supporting video games in the future.