UK game industry laments lack of government support

11:00 AM on 05.18.2009   |   Jim Sterling

16 comments

British politicians don't understand or remotely like videogames. That is the impression most people have, thanks in no small part to sniveling leeches like Keith "Vadge" Vaz who'd rather talk about Manhunt than his dodgy expense account. The British game industry certainly feels that it has no support, so one can hardly be surprised that developers are quickly abandoning the country in search of greener pastures.

Canada and France are currently welcoming British developers with open arms, and the UK is losing talent fast to more culturally progressive nations. Electronic Arts' Matthew Boulton is a British developer who now works in British Columbia, and it seems he made the right move.

"Games are a lot more high profile here; it's recognized as an important industry," he explains. "Maybe that's true in the UK as well, but you never get that sense. You never hear politicians mention it – but here, it's one of the things that people know is strong and that you need to support."

Conservative MP Edward Vaizey is one of the few politicians who will voice their support, and he adds: "The only time [the game biz] gets mentioned in parliament is when Keith Vaz [chairman of the home affairs committee] is blaming it for causing some recent outrage. We were the second largest in the world, but we are slipping."

Videogames have been huge contributors to the British economy for years, and the government's lack of respect for the industry is amazing. I'm sure the sale of videogames helped Keith Vaz waste government spending money on frivolous expenses. We'll see how much taxpayer cash he can flush down the toilet when the games industry is no longer there to rake some in.