TIGA (https://www.tiga.org/) the network for games developers and digital publishers, today published its Annual Report 2014 – 15. The Annual Report shows that in 2014-15, TIGA made significant progress in the delivery of our strategic objectives: effective political representation, profile raising, enhancing education, and helping our members commercially.
Political representation
- TIGA’s seven year campaign for Games Tax Relief (GTR) reached a successful conclusion in March 2014 when the EU Commission finally consented to its introduction in the UK. Over five years GTR is projected to create over 2,700 new studio jobs and increase investment from games development companies by £320 million. TIGA would like to thank our friends in government, politicians of all parties, civil servants and other third parties who worked with us to help achieve the introduction of GTR.
- In January 2015, TIGA launched its Manifesto 20/20 Vision: Strengthening the UK Video Games Industry
- Two of TIGA’s manifesto proposals were adopted by the UK Government in its March 2015 Budget:the creation of a new 4-year, £4 million games prototype production fund; andthe maintenance of the Skills Investment Fund, a measure that enables studios to invest more money in training.
- TIGA worked with Justin Tomlinson MP and Chris White MP, successively Chairs of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Computer and Video Games Industry at Westminster, to advance the sector’s priorities.
Profile raising
- TIGA provides a powerful voice for the games industry in the media. In 2014-15, TIGA represented the games industry in a wide range of media publications and channels, including Bloomberg, CNBC, BBC News, ITV News and ITV London News, The Metro, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Sunday Times, The Independent, The Herald, The Courier, Here is the City and Business Week.
Skills, Training and Education
- TIGA introduced the TIGA Accreditation process to ensure that universities and colleges produce graduates with industry relevant skills. Courses at the following universities have achieved TIGA Accreditation: Bournemouth University, Portsmouth University, Sheffield Hallam University, University of the West of England and Staffordshire University.
- TIGA plays a key role in determining the skills agenda. TIGA representatives serve on Creative Skillset’s Video Games Skills Council (a UK Government funded agency) and currently hold the position of Chair and Vice-Chair.
Helping our members commercially: membership services
- TIGA organised 25 successful networking events including: the TIGA Mobile and Tablet Games Conference in September 2014, the TIGA Manifesto Launch in the House of Commons in January 2015, and the TIGA Access to Finance Conference in February 2015.
- The TIGA Games Industry Awards took place on November 6th 2014 at the stunning OXO 2, in London. 200 industry leaders celebrated the creativity, technical excellence and business proficiency of TIGA members. 39 Awards were made to industry winners and almost 12,000 people voted to determine winner of ‘Game of the Year’. The TIGA Games Industry Awards were featured on Bloomberg TV and in The Independent.
- TIGA provides best practice information and advice. Over the last year TIGA published six guides including Sources of Funding: The Sinews of Business.
- TIGA negotiateddiscounts of 10 – 30 per cent for members to attend numerous industry conferences.
- TIGA published comprehensive and detailed benchmarking information on salaries and benefits in the games industry with Aon Hewitt.
Organisational achievements
- TIGA won five business awards and commendations in 2014-15 including: ‘Outstanding Public Relations Campaign’ from the Global Business Excellence Awards.
- TIGA is a Bronze Level Investors in People – a standard obtained by just 0.05 per cent of all UK businesses.
Excellence in citizenship
- TIGA is a not for profit organisation and aims to act as a good corporate citizen. Over the last year TIGA has supported the Prince’s Trust Enterprise Programme in Hertfordshire and the excellent charity SpecialEffect.
Jason Kingsley OBE, TIGA Chairman and CEO and Creative Director at Rebellion and Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO, said:
“We would like to thank the TIGA board, the TIGA team and above all TIGA’s membership for progress made in 2014-15. At TIGA we want to see a flourishing developer and digital publisher sector, with strong numbers of start-ups, growing sustainable studios, a decline in the current business mortality rate, an increase in the overall studio population, increases in employment and investment and the UK become a globally recognised centre for games education and continuous professional development. Additionally, TIGA’s ambition is for an increase in the production of culturally British video games, driven by video Games Tax Relief. At TIGA we look forward to working with our membership to make this vision a reality.”