UK Games Industry

[Ranooth]

Well the UK just had an EMERGENCY (AHHHHHHHHHH!) Budget today and in it the promised tax cuts to the growing Games Industry have been cancelled. Now this is to help reduce spending and in a way is good. However im a Games Design student, i have 2 years till i graduate and have to find a job, this kinda hurts me big time.
For those that don't know business a tax break would've encouraged more studios to set up shop in the UK creating and publishing games. A portion from the revenue from these sold games would become tax and therefore bring in money for the country. This would've created more jobs and more trade for the UK (which we kinda need right now).
Also with an increase in VAT (something us British folks pay on top of the price of a product) games will be more expensive therefore decreasing sales which in turn hurts the industry here again.

The discussion here is does this tax cut effect/concern you? Are you in my position and now thinking about moving to America or Canada where there is more support for the industry? Or are you more concerned about the VAT increase? (Not in the UK? Feel free to laugh)

 

[RewardMe]

Not to worried about either really. Remember when labour reduced the VAT to get us all spending again? No difference at all... This rise however will just be a couple of pence increase on most basic things. People buying expensive cars and what not will be effected, though.

Did tax incentives for gaming companies work? Did anyone set up shop here? I'm not really sure myself.

Atleast they didn't touch my booze and cigs. Thank you tories. For this year only, you will always have a place in my heart.

 

[WolfLordAndy]

What I find odd is how they up VAT, but don't change Fuel, Alchohol or Tobacco taxs at all. Surely extra tax on them would help as well as have the knock on effect of increasing health/helping the enviroment.

Some of the tax breaks for small business are quite good however, so any indie game studios (read 10 or less employees) will have that added bonus. But yeah, I was quite looking forward to more game studios opening up in the UK. I'm from Derby where Core Design originated from and miss that bit of gaming limelight since they moved to London!

 

[RewardMe]

What I find odd is how they up VAT, but don't change Fuel, Alchohol or Tobacco taxs at all. Surely extra tax on them would help as well as have the knock on effect of increasing health/helping the enviroment.

Some of the tax breaks for small business are quite good however, so any indie game studios (read 10 or less employees) will have that added bonus. But yeah, I was quite looking forward to more game studios opening up in the UK. I'm from Derby where Core Design originated from and miss that bit of gaming limelight since they moved to London!

Screw that. Worry about your own health and not mine or other drinkers. We have to be one of the worst taxed nation on alcohol and cigs as it is. Now, i don't really mind them upping tax on cigs, but leave my beer alone.

I doubt getting rid off the tax incentives will affect the U.K gaming industry that much.

 

[Akihiko]

It will affect companys more than the public. If you remember when they decreased the tax to 15%, the prices in shops didn't decrease, they stayed the same, just that retailers managed to gain more profit, which at the time, in my opinion, was a good thing, as it would help them to stablise the companys financial troubles. Increasing the tax would have the opposite affect, meaning that companys get even less profit, which in a time of companys only bearly managing to stay going, isn't a particularly good idea. Of course retailer might higher their price, but then that means less money would be flowing in to the company as less and less people can afford to buy products.

I would of much rather them increase tax on Alcohol and Tobacco personally, if they did have to do anything. The odd drink or cig wouldn't affect you much, as the increase would be miniscule. However, if people were buying in amounts which could potentially cause damage, which ends up costing the NHS millions, the tax increase would affect you much more, and rightly so.

 

[Nmil-ek]

What I find odd is how they up VAT, but don't change Fuel, Alchohol or Tobacco taxs at all. Surely extra tax on them would help as well as have the knock on effect of increasing health/helping the enviroment.

Some of the tax breaks for small business are quite good however, so any indie game studios (read 10 or less employees) will have that added bonus. But yeah, I was quite looking forward to more game studios opening up in the UK. I'm from Derby where Core Design originated from and miss that bit of gaming limelight since they moved to London!

Gas is already outrageously high, and if you live in a remote town like myself the only way to get real work is to go into the city, rather than taxing and hurting the working population more we should be spending on better fuel scources or at the very least upping the prices for our north sea oil to foreign countries.

As for the industry well yeah sucks but It's a minor thing to be fair I'd rather we try and stabalise/change our current infastructure first before investing millions into a new market.

Another point maybe we wont see a boom in the gaming sector but they wont just up and leave thats buisness scare tactic 101, do the banks all move to America despite Europes stringent regulation by comparison no, do the oil companies in norway move away despite the norwegian government taking a cut of profits and using it for socialistic programs no.

 

[WolfLordAndy]

Screw that. Worry about your own health and not mine or other drinkers. We have to be one of the worst taxed nation on alcohol and cigs as it is. Now, i don't really mind them upping tax on cigs, but leave my beer alone.

I drink Cider, and as such, quite glad they dropped the idea of taxing Cider more then other alchoholic drinks, but the thing is, its not just "your health" when a portion of tax goes to the NHS to pay for people with heart/liver/lung diseases which have been caused by alchohol/tobacco/poor diet.

As for companies being effected more then the public... yes and no, it shouldn't effect small business too much, while big business can hopefully take what is a relatively small hit, on the chin. Some may rise their prices a bit, but this shouldn't effect people's general lives too much as most food is 0 rated, and fuel tax isnt going up, so the "essentials" are hopefully going to remain unchanged.

At the moment however this is all guess work and we'll see if society has broken down in 6 months time!

 

[Sephychu]

Games industry here, not great. All we got going for us really is Rocksteady and Crytek UK.

 

[Akihiko]

Games industry here, not great. All we got going for us really is Rocksteady and Crytek UK.

Rockstar North, Lionhead, Media Molecule.

There is also some smaller companys too, but aren't as big as those.

We have more well known companys than most countries, really. Although, US and Japan do still lead.

 

[RobCoxxy]

As I've said before, George Osborne is a miserable little squit.

 

[E-Hybrid]

It is unfortunate for the games industry, but I suppose it is better not to have funds taken away rather than to have not received possible money.

Also the increase in VAT is more annoying rather than a major inconvenience because it won't stop me in my normal shopping route.

 

[RewardMe]

Screw that. Worry about your own health and not mine or other drinkers. We have to be one of the worst taxed nation on alcohol and cigs as it is. Now, i don't really mind them upping tax on cigs, but leave my beer alone.

I drink Cider, and as such, quite glad they dropped the idea of taxing Cider more then other alchoholic drinks, but the thing is, its not just "your health" when a portion of tax goes to the NHS to pay for people with heart/liver/lung diseases which have been caused by alchohol/tobacco/poor diet.

As for companies being effected more then the public... yes and no, it shouldn't effect small business too much, while big business can hopefully take what is a relatively small hit, on the chin. Some may rise their prices a bit, but this shouldn't effect people's general lives too much as most food is 0 rated, and fuel tax isnt going up, so the "essentials" are hopefully going to remain unchanged.

At the moment however this is all guess work and we'll see if society has broken down in 6 months time!

You're making it out like all us drinkers are alcoholics who will need a liver at one stage in our life. I work nine hours a day, five days a week(sometimes six), and at the weekends i pop down the pub. It's getting to the stage where its becoming too expensive to even do that.
You seen the price of pints recently? 3 to 4 quid, depending on where you live.

If we are gonna raise tax on alcohol, i would like to see it raised in the shops BUT reduced at the pubs. Most alcoholics are the ones that drink alone with a bottle of cheap cider bought from supermarkets. Their the ones that screw up their liver.

Umm.. anyway, yea bad news for the gaming industry.. I think.

 

[TheGuy(wantstobe)]

You're making it out like all us drinkers are alcoholics who will need a liver at one stage in our life. I work nine hours a day, five days a week(sometimes six), and at the weekends i pop down the pub. It's getting to the stage where its becoming too expensive to even do that.
You seen the price of pints recently? 3 to 4 quid, depending on where you live.

If we are gonna raise tax on alcohol, i would like to see it raised in the shops BUT reduced at the pubs. Most alcoholics are the ones that drink alone with a bottle of cheap cider bought from supermarkets. Their the ones that screw up their liver.

Umm.. anyway, yea bad news for the gaming industry.. I think.

Holy hell at the bolded part. Where I am a pint of pretty much anything is £1.90 with local ales at £1.50 in some places.... Never though i'd be glad ofr Cardiff's pubs lol

 

[Teachingaddict]

lol I swear the next person that says yay no rise to Alcohol, Tobacco etc......

VAT is added on all items bought in the UK, no set rise yes, but there will be a rise none the less, just one that hasn't been put in big letters for you to read.

Personally the public sector pay freeze has dented me sightly, being a teacher and all, I deserve that "less than rate of inflation" pay rise.

 

[RewardMe]

lol I swear the next person that says yay no rise to Alcohol, Tobacco etc......

VAT is added on all items bought in the UK, no set rise yes, but there will be a rise none the less, just one that hasn't been put in big letters for you to read.

Personally the public sector pay freeze has dented me sightly, being a teacher and all, I deserve that "less than rate of inflation" pay rise.

Of course the VAT will increase the cost of alcohol and cigs(and at most by ten pence). BUT under labour they planned a yearly increase of tax on alcohol for three years(three?). Even a few penies of tax on alcohol forces the brewery to raise the price by ten pence for us.

Now the question is whether the tories are planning to keep the proposed labour taxes or have abandoned it.

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

I hate David Cameron... We should turn up outside number 10 with pitchforks and flaming torches.

 

[dragonslayer32]

I hate David Cameron... We should turn up outside number 10 with pitchforks and flaming torches.

agreed, but Nick Clegg is even worse. he has sold his soul, dropped everything he stood for just for power. he is a massive prick.

 

[Teachingaddict]

Sorry but after the way GB fecked this country up Im glad of the change tbh. Still I would rather they have froze vat on normal items and increased on luxury. Well atleast the fat cats are getting it with the 10% increase to CGT this evening --- lol

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

I hate David Cameron... We should turn up outside number 10 with pitchforks and flaming torches.

agreed, but Nick Clegg is even worse. he has sold his soul, dropped everything he stood for just for power. he is a massive prick.

It's a shame I really wanted Nick Clegg in power (hahaha... lib dems winning) but I was hoping he would side with labour. Now he's sided with Torys and the country's about to be fucked up even worse than under Labours rule (which I still stand by wasn't that bad).

 

[MissPixxie]

Never thought i'd be glad of Cardiff's pubs

Totally agreed. Moving to England again come autumn is going to be hell on the pockets!