UK MP: Game Industry Is Vital To UK Economy

Don Foster, a Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament in the UK, spoke against his colleagues who look to ban controversial video games without understanding the games industry. "I hardly play any games – I'm not from that generation -- but because of my job, I had to research the industry," Foster told UK publication The Guardian. "The vast majority of my parliamentary colleagues are always wanting to ban the latest game, but they don't know the details of the industry. Few people in this country realize how important it is to the UK economy." UK trade association Tiga (The Independent Game Developers Association) has repeatedly argued in recent years for specific government tax cuts for the games industry in the UK, claiming that countries such as Canada, the U.S. and France offer far more support for their industries. Along with the ELSPA (Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) and several UK development studios, Tiga even launched a 'Games Up?' campaign in May to promote the country's video game industry to the government, parliament, and the media. Foster says that the campaign will have to make its case "robustly" to convince the UK government to adopt tax breaks for the game industry, as it's competing against the fashion and tourism industries for those credits. He also noted a skill shortage in the games industry, one of Games Up?'s primary talking points.