TIGA, the trade association representing the UK games industry, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) and senior figures from Scotland’s video games industry today called on the Scottish Government to support the video games sector in Scotland, calling it one of Scotland’s “key knowledge industries””.
The comments were made at the ‘Scotland In Focus’ event at Holyrood, hosted by Joe Fitzpatrick, MSP for Dundee West, and included speeches from key industry figures and a panel discussion. Speakers included Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO; Jackie McKenzie, NESTA, Head of Innovation Programmes Scotland; Colin Macdonald, Studio Manager, Realtime Worlds; Colin Anderson, MD, Denki; Jeff Meek, Head of Technology and Media, French Duncan and Paul Durrant from Abertay University/Dare to be Digital. The event was chaired by Blair Jenkins and sponsored by French Duncan.
Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO stated: “The Scottish development sector has a combined current turnover of approximately £20m and employs over 700 highly skilled, creative and talented staff. Dundee is the epicenter for the industry in Scotland. However there are also important games companies located across the country, including Edinburgh, Fife and Perthshire.
“This highly successful and growing economic sector has great potential. Yet it faces serious challenges: skills shortages, a brain drain of talented staff to development businesses overseas, and a competitive environment characterised by overseas governments giving substantial assistance to their games industries – typically in the form of tax breaks for games production – which puts Scottish developers in particular and the UK games industry in general at a serious competitive disadvantage.””
TIGA, NESTA and industry figures called for the Government to support the video games sector in three specific areas:
1. Support a UK wide Games Tax Relief for games production (as outlined by TIGA’s report ‘Investing In the Future’ which was submitted to Government in August 2009)[1]
2. Better promotion of the Scottish games industry as one of the country’s most exciting and promising sectors
3. More and effective investment in education at all levels to safeguard this industry for the future
Colin Macdonald, Studio Manager at Realtime Worlds stated: “TIGA has been working hard to raise the profile of the industry in the UK and this is the first time we as an industry in Scotland have joined forces to approach Government in this way.
“Intense international competition means that we now need the Government to step up to the plate and back our industry. We are not looking for hand outs, we just want a more level playing field to ensure our industry can survive in Scotland”.
Jeff Meek, Head of Technology and Media at chartered accountants and business advisory firm French Duncan and TIGA treasurer stated: “The video games industry in Scotland is knowledge intensive and extremely vibrant. Fiscal reform in the form of a Games Tax Relief must go hand in hand with better promotion of Scotland as a good place to live and work, and long term investment in skills and education. The global marketplace is highly competitive and we must fight hard to ensure we safeguard high-tech industries which create the jobs and skills which will drive Scotland’s long term economic growth.””
Jackie McKenzie, Head of Innovation Programmes Scotland for NESTA added: “At NESTA we know the importance of supporting industries that create original IP, drive up skills in crucial areas such as technology and science and create jobs. The video games industry can inspire future generations and help build Scotland’s knowledge economy. However international competition is fierce and without Government support there is a real risk we will loose this industry and the benefits that it brings to our economy.””
French Duncan, an independent firm of chartered accountants and business advisors, headquartered in Scotland, are sponsors of ‘Scotland In Focus’. French Duncan has long been a partner of TIGA, with Jeff Meek, Head of Technology and Media at the firm’s Edinburgh branch also acting as TIGA treasurer.
For more information on this event visit www.tiga.org.
Ends
Notes to editors:
About TIGA
TIGA is the trade association representing the UK’s games industry. The majority of our members are either independent games developers or in-house publisher owned developers. We also have outsourcing companies, technology businesses and universities amongst our membership.
TIGA’s vision is to make the UK the best place in the world to do games business. We focus on three sets of activities: political representation, generating media coverage and developing services that enhance the competitiveness of our members. This means that TIGA members are effectively represented in the corridors of power, their voice is heard in the media and they receive benefits that make a material difference to their businesses, including a reduction in costs and improved commercial opportunities.
About NESTA
NESTA is the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, a unique and independent body with a mission to make the UK more innovative. NESTA’s Creative Economy Programme works with over 300 businesses across the creative industries and tests the best way for them to grow. Together with our internationally acclaimed research, NESTA’s body of work on innovation constitutes a strong evidence base on how to drive growth in the creative sector. www.nesta.org.uk
About French Duncan
French Duncan LLP is an independent Scottish firm of chartered accountants and business advisers. It offers a personal service with all the necessary expertise to advise a business as it grows. Its clients range from private ones, business start-ups, owners and managed businesses to multinationals, and the firm is supported by 23 partners and a total of 160 staff across six offices.
Jeff Meek, the firm’s Head of Media and Technology, has advised many games companies on their financial and business needs. His many client assignments include the development of business plans and financial models as well as raising funding from bank Business Angels and Venture Capital. He is a well-known expert in the area of Research and Development Tax Credits and has a 100% record of successful R&D Tax Credits claims, in many cases taking over a failed assignment from the existing advisers to deliver a successful outcome.
French Duncan has gained particular experience in a number of market sectors such as Creative Industries, particularly the Computer Games industry; Professional Services; Hotels and Leisure; all areas of Technology; professional practices; manufacturing; Property & Construction; and the Charities and Not-for-Profit sector.
Meek also lectures on Fundraising, Strategic, Royalty Auditing and Tax planning as they affect the Creative Industries. He is Treasurer to TIGA (the trade body which represents the UK Video Games Industry).
Over the past 12 months French Duncan has grown significantly and now has a large presence across the central belt of Scotland. French Duncan is the sole Scottish member of ‘Polaris International’, a global accountancy network, which allows it to support its clients wherever they are around the world. The network of independent accounting and business advisory firms has 200 members in over 90 countries throughout the world and a combined annual revenue of over US$400 million.
It offers a very wide range of traditional accountancy services giving an experienced and independent view to help clients achieve their goals. In particular, it offers an extensive outsourced business-processing service which includes: payroll bureau, book-keeping, management accounts and reporting and preparation of VAT returns.
French Duncan LLP, 56 Palmerston Place, Edinburgh, EH12 5AY, Tel: +44 (0)131 225 6366 Fax: +44 (0)131 220 1041. Contact: Jeff Meek, E-mail: j.meek@frenchduncan.co.uk, www.frenchduncan.co.uk.
For further information, please contact Eva Field, Tiga PR Manager on: 07814 039 983, or email eva@tiga.org.
[1]The proposed Games Tax Relief is expected over 5 years to create 1,400 new jobs in the studio sector, increasing investment by games studios by £146m, direct and indirect annual tax revenues by £133m and GDP contribution by £323m. By year 5, for every £100 of investment by government in the Games Tax Relief, the industry will invest £176.