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UK Tax Breaks For "Culturally British" Games

An anonymous reader writes with news of a proposal in the recent Digital Britain report to set up tax breaks for developing video games that are "culturally British." Quoting the report (PDF): "In film a system of cultural tax credits has long helped to sustain a wide range of films that speak to a British narrative, rather than the cultural perspectives of Hollywood or multinational collaborations. Other countries such as Canada, for similar reasons, extend the model of cultural tax relief beyond the film industry to the interactive and online worlds. CGI, electronic games and simulation also have a significant role in Britain's digital content ecology and in our international competitiveness. Each of these has the same capability as the more traditional sectors, such as film, to engage us and reflect our cultural particularism. They may in future have a cultural relevance to rival that of film." Conservative Shadow Arts and Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said the government has ignored the games industry, and he seeks to set up a government council to promote it. The report also outlined a number of changes to how games are rated.

7 of 267 comments (clear)

  1. New requirement: by b00fhead · · Score: 5, Funny

    To qualify, games must be written in Python.

  2. Coming soon for the Wii... by s0litaire · · Score: 5, Funny
    "Wii British" series of games including:

    Pub Brawl

    Use you Wii-remote as either a beer glass or chair and attack as many fellow pub drinkers, as possible...

    Or

    Soccer riots:

    The worlds first multiplayer FPR (First person rioting) game....

    --
    Laters Sol "Have you found the secrets of the universe? Asked Zebade "I'm sure I left them here somewhere"
  3. Corruption! by Goffee71 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Expense fiddling - the game

    --
    If he's the Walrus then can I be a penguin please?
  4. British by clarkkent09 · · Score: 5, Funny

    proposal in the recent Digital Britain report to set up tax breaks for developing video games that are culturally British.

    The Sims - Football Hooligans
    EA Sports Cricket 09
    Age Of Former Empires
    Tom Clancy's Surveillance Society

    --
    Negative moral value of force outweighs the positive value of good intentions.
    1. Re:British by darthvader100 · · Score: 5, Informative

      Where are mod points when you need them... FYI EA Sports cricket 09 DOES exist(at least in SA)

  5. Re:New for Ninteno Wii by Stormx2 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Call of Duty: Dad's Army
    World of Needlecraft
    Personal Space Invaders
    Need For Tweed: Underground
    Super Mario Milk Float
    Battersea Nintendogs Home
    Tom Clancy's Toast and Tea Recon

  6. Re:Xenophobia by FourthAge · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Your original post strongly implied that support for "British culture" was closely related to support for the BNP, which is incorrect.

    The case, "nationalism = racism" has come up before, and in England it is official policy, something which many English people find insulting. The Welsh and Scottish cultural history is celebrated and preserved, as are the cultures of recent immigrants, but the English are mischaracterised as racists if they show any national pride. For example, if you display the traditional St George flag (red cross on white background), people will tend to assume you are a BNP supporter. Display the Scottish flag and you're regarded as a proud Scotsman. It frustrates me that supposed "intellectuals" regard this as right and proper, never questioning the groupthink. Hence I try to challenge that attitude wherever I see it.

    --
    The tao of democracy: the government you can vote for is not the real government.