Activision Blizzard to Open new Studio in North of England

By May 21, 2012 Press Releases

TIGA
CEO says: “We have the talent, we have the tax breaks and now we are winning
the investment”

TIGA, the trade association representing the
UK games industry, said today that its successful campaign for Games Tax Relief
was already bearing fruit. TIGA made the comments following the news that Activision
Blizzard would be opening up a new studio focusing on mobile games development
in the north of England (http://www.develop-online.net/news/40861/Activision-plans-UK-rebirth-with-games-dev-studio).

TIGA said that
Activision Blizzard’s decision was a massive vote of confidence in the UK games
industry and a vindication of its long running campaign for Games Tax Relief.

 

Dr
Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO, said:

 

“This is a massive
vote of confidence in the UK games industry and demonstrates that TIGA's
successful campaign for Games Tax Relief is already bearing fruit. We have the
talent, we have the tax breaks and now we are winning the investment. This is
terrific day for the UK games industry, for people looking to work in our high
technology, high skilled industry, and for the UK economy. We are back in the
game.”

 

TIGA persuaded the
last Labour Government to back Games Tax Relief in the March 2010 Budget and
successfully won cross-party support for the measure during the 2010 General
Election campaign. However, Games Tax Relief was dropped by the Coalition
Government in the June 2010 Budget.  TIGA
continued to campaign for Games Tax Relief and successfully convinced the
Coalition Government to back the policy in the March 2012 Budget.

 

TIGA predicts
that Games
Tax Relief will enable the UK games industry to compete on a more level
international playing field and it will secure 4,660 jobs and £188 million in
investment over five years.

 

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 games
publishers, outsourcing companies, technology
businesses and universities amongst our membership. Since 2010, TIGA has won 11 business awards and has been nominated a
finalist for 9 other awards.  In 2010 TIGA won two business awards including
‘Trade Association of the Year’ from the Trade Association Forum.

In 2011, TIGA
won eight business awards including ‘Trade Association of the Year’ from the
Trade Association Forum, ‘Outstanding Organisation’ from the Chartered
Management Institute and two Global Business Excellence Awards, including
‘Outstanding Marketing Campaign’. 
Richard Wilson won the ‘Leadership Award’ from the Trade Association
Forum and the ‘Outstanding Leader’ award from the Chartered Management
Institute. In 2012, Richard Wilson won the IoD’s East of England
Director of the Year Award. TIGA is an
Investors in People organisation.

 

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.

For further information, please contact
Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO on: 07875 939 643, or email: richard.wilson@tiga.org.

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