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**Raz** · 03-20-2012 06:14 PM

(03-19-2012 09:19 PM)Kriven Wrote: I honestly believe more people are going to have to turn toward independent creative entertainment fronts to keep the economy rolling. We simply aren't going to have the retail positions we have now in just a few years.

That's not a bad thing at all. The corporation tax within the UK is set at the one level, 20%, even the highest grossing banks in London pay the same 20% as an independent retailer on the high street, it's for this reason that most of the game development studios in the UK have died out or moved abroad. I'd say we've become way too dependent on tertiary jobs such as financial services and retail, I'd like to see the UK get back to production of both digital and physical goods. There's a lot of talent here that gets wasted or stolen and relocated to another country because we're simply not competitive enough.

So hopefully you're right, hopefully we'll fix our broken tax system and more indie studios will open up and we can support those studios in providing the entertainment of the next twenty years.

Edit: http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate-uk...hallenges/

Looks like the tax percentage in the UK is being reduced. Good. Hopefully it'll help us have a nice welcome sign for new and existing businesses trading primarily from the UK.

Butler · 03-20-2012 07:37 PM

(03-20-2012 06:14 PM)Raz Wrote:
(03-19-2012 09:19 PM)Kriven Wrote: I honestly believe more people are going to have to turn toward independent creative entertainment fronts to keep the economy rolling. We simply aren't going to have the retail positions we have now in just a few years.

That's not a bad thing at all. The corporation tax within the UK is set at the one level, 20%, even the highest grossing banks in London pay the same 20% as an independent retailer on the high street, it's for this reason that most of the game development studios in the UK have died out or moved abroad. I'd say we've become way too dependent on tertiary jobs such as financial services and retail, I'd like to see the UK get back to production of both digital and physical goods. There's a lot of talent here that gets wasted or stolen and relocated to another country because we're simply not competitive enough.

So hopefully you're right, hopefully we'll fix our broken tax system and more indie studios will open up and we can support those studios in providing the entertainment of the next twenty years.

Edit: http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate-uk...hallenges/

Looks like the tax percentage in the UK is being reduced. Good. Hopefully it'll help us have a nice welcome sign for new and existing businesses trading primarily from the UK.

Rockstar is about the only really really well known studio located in the UK, and the only place you've got much chance of finding a career in game design in scotland is in and around Dundee(?)
The Tax break will be extremely good for those with independent businesses too.
Plus i still don't want a diskless Xbox.

NICKtendo DS · 03-20-2012 07:54 PM

(03-20-2012 07:37 PM)JoeButler Wrote: Rockstar is about the only really really well known studio located in the UK, and the only place you've got much chance of finding a career in game design in scotland is in and around Dundee(?)
The Tax break will be extremely good for those with independent businesses too.
Plus i still don't want a diskless Xbox.

If I'm not mistaken, Way Forward (Shantae and Mighty Switch Force) is in the UK aswell.

Deathbringer · (03-20-2012)

No, they're American. And isn't Rare based in the UK?

Kriven · 03-21-2012 03:57 AM

Rareware is indeed a UK company.

@Raz: Oh no, not saying it's a bad thing at all. Just thought it seemed like an okay spot to put what I think this is all coming to.

**Raz** · 03-21-2012 12:57 PM

(03-21-2012 03:57 AM)Kriven Wrote: Rareware is indeed a UK company.

@Raz: Oh no, not saying it's a bad thing at all. Just thought it seemed like an okay spot to put what I think this is all coming to.

I know, haha, sorry, I see how it may have looked. I basically meant "If that happened it'd be pretty awesome!"

As for Rare, I had no idea they were still around, I haven't heard from them in like five years... Man, what a great company. I remember reading about they have guards on the doors and stuff.

Ironically it was supposed to be as well guarded as the base of a James Bond bad guy.

Edit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17450719

Check the last part of the report. Looks like they ARE looking to help the video game and technology industry in the UK.

.Luke · 03-22-2012 01:20 AM

Rockstar's in the UK? Dang, I've been living under a really heavy rock, apparently! xD But does that mean releases like Red Dead Redemption were produced in Europe and not an alternate studio here in the states? Off to Wikipedia I go!

EDIT : Apparently half-true! A studio in the states and another in the UK co-developed it, sweet!

(03-18-2012 09:06 PM)Raz Wrote: Nope, we don't have a membership system like that. Any time you purchase a game you're asked to take a points card; the cards are pretty useless, you save points up and can use them for money off another game. You get 10 points for every £1 spent. 1000 points = £2.50, so you need to buy a tonne of games before you even get £2.50 off a game. Launch titles here are around £40. so you're looking at 30 games before you get that. You also seem to lose your points if you don't make a purchase in a while....

So basically, you get the same offer no matter if you use their loyalty program or not, and it's usually a terrible price you get while they sell the games for three or four times what you sold it for.

I really do hope some small retailers win out of this, I think we've let the idea of "superstores" go way too far. The one thing I liked about video game stores years ago is that all the staff were really interested in games, you could go in with no cash and just chat to the staff for ages. I believe the hiring policy is different now, I've heard that Gamestation do their recruitment through the Job Center in the UK rather than through individuals applying for a job.

Wow, I didn't think anyone would waste their time concocting a points system like that; it's like they don't even want you to use them. D: I think I'll take my complaints about Gamestop down a notch! (Mostly just about working condition of their used stuff, though.) At least it pays to be a member at that store.

Also I remember a time like that too, the clerks at the counter of quite a few preowned game stores I used to go to knew what they were talking about. It's how I learned of the unofficial Zelda games on the abysmal CDi, a lot of stuff about the Atari 2600, cartridge cleaning tips, parts replacement, you name it; they were really helpful with stuff outside of just recommending what new title you should buy.

**Dazz** · 03-25-2012 11:28 AM

The UK also does have a number of offices located in the UK, since I do work in journalism I have visited a few of them. Ubisoft Reflections are UK based too, up in Newcastle. Also, I believe that the guys behind Runescape are down in Cambridge. My friend works for them as a dispute specialist.

There's also a bunch of small time developers for crap Wii games.

But yeah, one thing I want in the next Xbox is the ability to assign a profile to a certain controller as default. Because me and my girlfriend play the xbox just as much, and so we don't have it auto sign-in when we turn it on... When really, that'd be great if we could have it sign in depending on the controller ID. And you can of course, sign out, and sign in as someone else. But yeah, that's just dreaming I suppose.

TreeStar · 03-25-2012 02:12 PM

(03-22-2012 01:20 AM).Luke Wrote: Rockstar's in the UK?

Rockstar has several different studios I believe. Their main studio I believe is based in new york.

**Raz** · 03-25-2012 09:48 PM

(03-25-2012 02:12 PM)Scumbag Steve Wrote:
(03-22-2012 01:20 AM).Luke Wrote: Rockstar's in the UK?

Rockstar has several different studios I believe. Their main studio I believe is based in new york.

Rockstar North (formally DMA) are responsible for some big titles. They just announced one that a lot of people are excited about. Grand Theft Auto V!

Nah, really though. I have no idea Rockstar North were still playing such a big role in the GTA series, I also didn't know they were hiring. So thank you for that!

TreeStar · (03-28-2012)

Back on the subject of Xbox though. The only way I'm ever going back to it is if they do away with the gold membership bullshit.

I should not have to be forced to shovel out 60$ per a year to play a game's online multi-player and deal with a bunch of raging gamers or whining kids who happen to suck at a game and blame other players for their own god damn mistakes and not use the other features. Of all the things a company should not have that much control over is the multiplayer and that's what's killing off the Xbox in several ways. Hell that's what's going to kill off microsoft as a whole in the gaming industry if they're not careful.

.Luke · 03-28-2012 03:39 AM

I agree with that in its entirety. I generally avoid online multiplayer because of how intense the immaturity is across all boards and platforms, even if there is a mute button; as if hearing unimpressive and whiny voices in the chatter wasn't bad enough. If you're not getting your tush handed to you by some "hardcore" guy with the unfair advantage of having invested roughly x10 more time than you in game play, you're dealing with cheaters or newbies who cut off earlier to avoid losing to you. Finding an equal (and mature) match is so rare that I only play online games that were setup beforehand, either with friends and/or internet buddies.

What's worse is that everyone is scattered across multiple games on every platform, so it doesn't take long for any game's online community activity to drop dramatically once the next release or blockbuster hit is on the shelf. Too many developers are slapping "afterthought multiplayer modes" into their single player games these days if you ask me, which really takes the focus off the campaign and more bugs/imperfections than ever are slipping through the cracks.

Bleh, enough multiplayer bashing. :/ I mostly dislike the Gold Membership for a lot more than just the multiplayer experience. You can't even buy downloadable games and commercial releases from the Live Arcade without going Gold first. (WTF that's just more of my money MS is losing right there! I can't realistically find everything in the used market relatively easily; it's a lot of time and research just to pay for a game worth $10 or even less.) You pretty much can't do really anything outside of download trials and demos with a silver account, which really turned me off. One more reason why I'll sooner buy a PS3 than an XBOX. At least I don't have to shell out $5 a month just to buy things on their network! (Which would, hilariously, be my only reason for "going Gold"; i.e a huge waste of money.)

TreeStar · (03-30-2012)

(03-28-2012 03:39 AM).Luke Wrote: Bleh, enough multiplayer bashing. :/ I mostly dislike the Gold Membership for a lot more than just the multiplayer experience. You can't even buy downloadable games and commercial releases from the Live Arcade without going Gold first. (WTF that's just more of my money MS is losing right there! I can't realistically find everything in the used market relatively easily; it's a lot of time and research just to pay for a game worth $10 or even less.) You pretty much can't do really anything outside of download trials and demos with a silver account, which really turned me off. One more reason why I'll sooner buy a PS3 than an XBOX. At least I don't have to shell out $5 a month just to buy things on their network! (Which would, hilariously, be my only reason for "going Gold"; i.e a huge waste of money.)
I thought you could have been able to buy downloadable games on Xbox silver, you just can't get the full potential out of them with out gold

Honestly other than what I bolded those are primary reasons why I sold my 360.

The 360 community is just shitty as a whole. You have the fanboys and the "hardcore" gamers and 9 year old boys who probably haven't seen a pair of tits yet. I haven't been to this unwelcoming of a community since what, Nsider? I mean hell it could even be the real successor to Nsider.

That and like we both stated. It burns a bigger hole in your pocket.

Kriven · (03-30-2012)

What the fuck are you guys talking about? I have a Silver account and I buy XBLA games left and right.

TreeStar · 03-28-2012 08:02 PM

(03-28-2012 06:31 PM)Kriven Wrote: What the fuck are you guys talking about? I have a Silver account and I buy XBLA games left and right.

I thought I said the exact same thing.

then again I worded it oddly so that might be why it seemed weird.