France trying to poach UK’s £2bn-a-year games industry after Brexit
THE FRENCH have launched a brazen bid to steal UK game developers, and some of the £2 billion they contribute to the UK's GDP.
A new promotional campaign has been launched called Join the Game to encourage developers from overseas to set up in France.
They promise tax breaks of up to £5.4 million every year, and highlight the funding options open to companies for research and community events.
Jo Twist, boss of UK game industry group Ukie, told that our developers have "fought hard" for the UK's reputation as a good place to make games, but warns that "reputation can be eroded in a globally competitive industry."
"The emergence of a programme designed to poach talent and businesses from the UK should remind policy makers of this fact," she told the trade site.
"Uncertainty caused by Brexit and potential for disproportionate regulation of our industry without the support of a robust evidence" could see developers wanting to set up shop elsewhere, and make the UK a less attractive destination for developers, Twist said.
Video game sales in the UK were worth over £5 billion last year, while development studios and publishers based in the UK added around £2bn to our GDP over the same period.
The news of the French attempts come as Parliament is in the middle of an inquiry into "immersive and addictive technologies".
This has seen Fortnite makers flounder after being accused of making a game that's addictive, and also saw EA attempt to redefine loot boxes as 'surprise mechanics'.
France is home to a number of huge game companies, including Ubisoft - and the Assassin's Creed maker is now even making a game about post-Brexit London, called Watch Dogs Legion.
Surveyed after we voted for Brexit, EU-loving game developers in the UK revealed that 40 per cent of them were considering leaving the country, while 57 per cent of them employ people from other EU countries.
MOST READ IN GAMING
The UK is not the only country targeting games with regulation, though.
A new law in the USA could see Fifa Ultimate Team banned, while Belgium has just flat-out banned the sort of loot boxes that FUT depends on for revenue.
The changes come as the WHO recognised 'gaming disorder' as an official problem worth investigating, with horror stories of game addiction becoming much more commonplace.
Is it dedication, or addiction?
GAMING addiction is a hot topic, and many dedicated gamers might be worried that they're crossing the line.
But how can you tell if you're playing too much, and determine if you should think about cutting down?
The World Health Organistation has revealed nine criteria for gaming disorder - if five or more apply to you, you may be officially an addict.
- preoccupation with games
- withdrawal symptoms when gaming is taken away
- tolerance, resulting in the need to spend increasing amounts of time engaged in games
- unsuccessful attempts to control participation in games
- loss of interest in previous hobbies and entertainment as a result of, and with the exception of, games
- continued excessive use of games despite knowledge of psychosocial problems
- deceiving family members, therapists, or others regarding the amount of gaming
- use of games to escape or relieve negative moods
- jeopardizing or losing a significant relationship, job, or education or career opportunity because of participation in games.
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