Realtime Worlds’ Dave Jones is urging the UK government to invest more heavily in the games industry to maintain the region’s status in the global market.
In an interview with BBC TV, David Jones of APB and Crackdown creators Realtime Worlds urged the UK government to invest in careers in the games industry in order to keep the region competitive in the global market. “Let’s make sure we invest in careers,” Jones said, to keep Britain at the “cutting edge” of the industry.
“Some of the biggest ever games in the world have come out of the UK,” Jones said, probably in reference to titles like the Grand Theft Auto franchise, which he had a hand in creating.
The UK has pumped out some of the biggest and most novel games ever, but things might not stay that way if the industry keeps going the way it’s going, Jones thinks, and he’s not the first one to be concerned about his. Far more dramatic were the warnings of the UK’s National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, which published a report last year arguing, partially, that the lack of government subsidies put the UK market at significant risk to fall in global standings not only in terms of sales, but innovation.
“The situation is worsened by international competition from countries, such as Canada, where developers receive government support,” NESTA’s report said. “Generous subsidies make it increasingly tempting for studios (particularly those owned by publishers) and developers to relocate there.”
Let’s hope Jones and the growing chorus of UK developers clamoring for more support from its government prove successful.
[Via VG247]
Published: Jun 16, 2009 08:24 pm