Games Up? campaign signs final round of sponsors

Games Up? signs Qantm, Media Molecule and Splash Damage to help the final stage of the campaign.

 

Mail on Sunday: Video game courses a waste of time, say computer bosses

Britain's multi-million-pound computer games industry has criticised universities for offering gaming degrees that fail to equip students for work.

3D World magazine

The magazine for 3D artists features Games Up? on its front cover:

Special Report: The crisis in games training

Academy: Bafta magazine covers Games Up?

Fighting back. Costs and education are threatening the UK's games industry. Ceri Thomas reports on a campaign that's trying to level the global playing field.

22/07/08 The Edge

David Braben Writes for Edge: The games industry is a huge success story, and is growing at a phenomenal rate, with retail sales of games rising by 26% in 2007.

16/06 Liverpool Daily Post: Opinion piece

Is the game really up for Britain's video gaming sector?

07/07/08 gamesindustry.biz: Games Up? calls for strength in numbers

The Games Up? campaign has called for members of the games industry to visit its website and register their support by signing its petition.

04/07 MCV: Games Up squares up to Government

Developer-backed push for Government support plans constituency MP visits to game studios

04/07/08 Develop website: Games Up campaign prepares to lobby Parliament

Studio-backed push for Government support plans constituency MP visits to game studios

01/07/08 Computer Weekly: Gaming suffering skills shortage, says Ian Livingstone

Uk computer game manufacturers are struggling to find skilled programmers following a fall in the number of students taking computer science courses.

23/06/08 The Guardian blog: Is UK game development in trouble? And can women save it?

The UK needs game development staff. Desperately. And right now. The problem is, there's no way near enough to go around - and when talent emerges, it's being tempted out of the country.

24/06/08 The Guardian: Video games degrees: 95% fail to hit skills target

Nearly all degree courses in video gaming at British universities leave graduates unfit to work in the industry, campaigners warned today.

26/06/08 Newcastle Journal

Game of two halves and we're behind

The Newcastle Journal reports on the Game Horizon conference and writer Andrew Mernin finds out why an unfair playing field in the international video games industry is preventing thousands of jobs from coming to the North East.

24/06/08 Cambridge Evening News

Video games degrees are not fit for purpose, says David Braben of Frontier Developments in Cambridge.

23/06/08 Computer Weekly talks to Richard Wilson CEO of Tiga

Video game industry hit by IT skills shortage.

23/06/08 The Times online: UK game developers call for industry tax breaks

Britain's computer games industry has given warning that it could wither and die if the 100,000 people who develop the games are not supported with tax breaks and relevant degree courses.

23/06/08 The Times business pages

Developers seek tax breaks as Grant Theft Auto steals the computer games show

Regional radio coverage 24th June

Ian Livingstone interviewed about skills shortage aspect of Games Up? on Kerrang Radio, BBC Radio York, BBC Radio Berkshire, BBC Radio Shropshire, BBC Lincolnshire, BBC Guernsey

18/06/08 Radio 5 Live Breakfast show and Drivetime

5 Live interviews Ian Livingstone

18/06/08 BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine show

covers the Games Up? campaign

16/06/08 The Guardian: leader in praise of...Britain's video games

A leader on David and Richard Darling being awarded CBEs that refers to how the UK games sector is facing an exodus of telent to other countries offering tax incentives.

18/06/08 Radio 4 Today programme

Rory Cellan-Jones, Technology Correspondent for the BBC talks about the Games Up? campaign

18/06/08 BBC Radio Scotland

Rory Cellan-Jones interviews Ian Livingstone on the Games Up? campaign and talks to a newly recruited games developer

18/06/08 BBC TV Breakfast News and BBC One o'clock news

BBC Breakfast news interviews one of the Games Up? spokespeople focusing on both the tax breaks and skills shortage aspects of the campaign.

16/06/08 Financial Times: Games sector urges state support to stem UK developer exodus

The games industry warns the UK could lose one of its greatest creative assets without more government support.

28/05/08 Games Up? maintains momentum with latest media report

Develop magazine reports on the FT coverage gained by Games Up? campaign.

28/05/08 Tiga touts Games Up?'s unifying campaign

UK trade association outlines its part in the campaign to guarantee the 'right policy environment' for studios

27/05/08 12 more UK studios back new Games Up? campaign

More leading studios - including Blitz, Codemasters, EA, Exient, NC Soft and Realtime Worlds - support Government lobbying effort.

27/05/08 Develop: Gaming sector could 'become a dead man walking'

Develop magazine covers Games Up? campaign launch.

28/05/08 Financial Times - FT covers Games Up? campaign

Video game developers push for tax breaks

British video games developers are redoubling pressure on the government to address a lack of tax breaks and skills that could set the industry even further behind foreign rivals.

25/05/08 Mail on Sunday - Games pioneers in call for tax breaks

Britain's video games industry is demanding tax breaks from the Government to help it compete with foreign rivals.

27/05/08 Develop: Games industry heavyweights back Games Up?

Tiga and ELSPA-supported campaign for tax breaks gets backing from studio heavyweights.

Key companies confirm their support.

25/05/08 Develop - Britsoft firms back official campaign for tax breaks

16 studios, plus Tiga and ELSPA, start 'Games Up' campaign to put pressure on Government.

main companies

Supporting companies

AI FactorySpecialist Schools and Academies TrustCanterbury College
G E S Herbert Ltd (consultant)Simple LifeformsCornwall College
Bournemouth UniversityBlitz Games StudiosDods
VooFoo Studios LtdUbisoft3rd Dimension Creations LTD
Firebrand GamesRichard Jacques StudiosStrawdog Studios
Elysium Gaming LtdIdealpeopleSwordfish Studios
Floating Point StudiosBrain in a JarEndrant Studios Ltd
NaturalMotionRockstarExient Ltd
4J StudiosAardvark SwiftUniversity of Hertfordshire
Roundhouse