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Bulletin:

Kotick Says UK’s U-Turn on Tax Breaks Was “a Terrible Mistake”

Before last year’s general election the UK videogame industry was feeling pleased with itself. There was hope in the air that they would be getting a very useful tax break on par with the UK film industry, and gaming industries in other countries such as Canada.

Sadly, once elected the coalition government wasted no time in scrapping existing plans, then doing a u-turn on what they had previously hinted at.

As reported in the Telegraph, Activision Blizzard’s Bobby Kotick has called the move “a terrible mistake,” adding that there “are so many other places that are encouraging the video games industry”.

Whilst there are no quotes to support the claim, the Telegraph also reports that the company has not ruled out moving away from Britain. Activision Blizzard currently employs around 600 people in the UK.

Comments

ouched Says:
January 3rd, 2011 at 7:50 pm   (Reply)

True, a number of places are incentivizing developers to create jobs via tax policy, but times are tough across the industrialized world in terms of State budgets. Given the decision to give tax breaks to an arguably still successful industry or cutting back on spending funneled to established interests, pols look to to polls. Clearly the industry isn’t old enough to play the game well yet.


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