UK government must work with games industry, says Livingston

Eidos' Ian Livingstone says that the UK government and the games industry must work together to protect and build the future.
Speaking to GamsIndustry.biz,the industry veteran said that the recent spate of studio closures andstaff reductions are not simply a matter of the games industry beinghit-driven.
"In the UK it is also a case of the high cost oflabour and the UK government's unwillingness to offer subsidies and taxcredits," he said.

"The government sees that retail salesof games are increasing and assumes everything is OK - yet if itbothered to look at the charts, it would discover that none of thegames in today's top 20 were developed in the UK."
Given theheritage of UK game development, Livingstone views the currentsituation as a terrible state of affairs and says that the governmentmust act soon.
"Overseas governments and companies have long seenthe value in the UK games talent that has resulted in a brain drain andstudio sales. However, the UK government has been very slow to supportour industry and to realise there are serious threats facing it.
"Ifit does not act soon it will count the economic cost of the loss of UKstudios, the brain drain and the loss of ownership of IP. Rome burns,and all that."
Livingstone also said that there is a skills shortage and that many universities have produced poor quality graduates.
"What industry needs are graduates with specific programming, art and animation or project management skills," he explained.
"AsChair of the Computer Games Forum on behalf of Skillset, I have beenworking with industry and the universities on an accreditation schemefor computer game courses to produce the graduates that industry needs.
"Itis important that universities partner with local development studiosto keep up to date on content and technology trends as well as invitingguest lecturers and mentors to teach and inspire their students."
As with the issue of studio closures, Livingstone believes that the UK government has a role to play.
"Again,it is up to the government to put more resource into games education ifit wants to continue to reap the rewards of the industry whichcurrently contributes 0.75 per cent of GDP and employs over 22,000people in the UK and is a net contributor to the UK's balance ofpayments.
"It is vital that UK industry comes together toarticulate what it needs in terms of support and skills and to workclosely with government and the education and skills system to protectand build the future. For God's sake, let's not become a work-for-hirenation."
The complete interview with Ian Livingstone can be read here.