What If: The Tories Win
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Article written by Tuffcub in PS3 News, Xbox 360 News, on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 15:00.
It’s not really a “What If” more of a “When” the Conservative Party win the next General Election, it’s pretty much expected Labour are on the way out unless Gordon Brown manages to walk on water and then feeds an entire Bermondsey council estate with only a tin of Pilchards and a Ham and Cheese slice from Greggs. What has this got do with gaming? Is David Cameron going to appear in Ratchet and Clank as an end of level boss? Perhaps Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable, will be donning the body armour in the next Halo? Unfortunately not, but the decisions taken by politicians do effect gaming in many ways. They can give tax breaks to encourage new software developers, decide how games are rated and even affect the speed of you broadband. If the Conservative party win, the man with the plan for the games industry will probably be Ed Vaizey MP, the current Shadow Culture Minister.
Ed spoke at the recent London Games Conference and gave an insight in his plans for the future, I have a copy of his speech but before we pick out some key points I would just like to say I have absolutely no loyalty to any political party and neither does TSA, apart from CB who you might have seen on Question Time a few weeks ago, big chap, quite sweaty – doesn’t like immigrants. Anyway, on to dissecting his speech and in the time honoured fashion of the internetz the Shadow Culture Secretary shall be rated on various topics as either WIN or FAIL. Here we go..
One of the best ideas from the Conservatives is to integrate video games in to the UK Film Council, a body that looks after the economic, cultural and educational aspects of the UK film industry both here and abroad. The council also distributes Lottery money to finance new independent UK films and I would assume they would to the same for games. This could lead to a more PSN and XBLA games. WIN.
Ed highlights the threat to the UK games industry from competition abroad. France gives games companies tax breaks as do twelve U.S. states, Canada has a pot of $400 million to hand out in incentives to games companies who move there and South Korea has a $200 million fund and a $144 million agency. The UK has no incentives at present which reduces the chances of the next LittleBigPlanet developer emerging here in Blighty. What are the Conservatives going to do about to stimulate game development on these shores?
“When possible and when necessary, we will provide the right investment, business and fiscal environment to allow you to compete.”
‘When possible’ is they key phrase here as it promises nothing. ‘When possible’ I will give every TSA reader a brand new Ferrari!
Ed is keen to point out that an ‘All Party Group for Video Games’ has been set up in Parliament with the aim to educate MPs that games can be fun for all generations and not the devils cyberspace training ground for mass murders and rapists. It’s a start but the Conservatives could be so much more for the UK Games industry. FAIL.
The subject of the Internet is next with Ed suggesting that the current Government target of UK wide 2 Meg broadband by 2012 just is not fast enough. A valid point, downloading a HD video from PSN Video store might be a struggle if you are on a 2 Meg connection.
As you may know the UK is going to get an “ADSL Tax” – 50 pence or so slapped on your monthly phone bill to pay for network improvements. Vaizey suggests,
“The current Government plans to enable superfast broadband by creating a new tax. Frankly, this is an old economy solution to a new economy problem. The cable revolution happened without a cable tax. The satellite revolution happened without a satellite tax.”
BT is the only company that is allowed to upgrade the UK internet backbone at present so the Conservatives wish to deregulate and allow other companies to compete. Competition means lower prices and that should means end users (you and me) should benefit. This sounds like a WIN, but there is the chance Labour could bring in the 50p tax before the next election. Ed does not say if the Conservatives would get rid of this tax if it is already in place. The current party line is they oppose the tax. WIN and FAIL.
The final topic from the speech I wish to cover is internet piracy. Vaizey says,
“The advent of superfast broadband makes the need to find workable solutions to internet piracy all the more pressing. We think that ISPs do bear part of the responsibility to address this problem, but this must work hand in hand with content providers working innovatively to make their content availability easily, legally, reasonably priced, online.”
If people have the choice of downloading a HD Video for £25 or getting a dodgy copy for free, people will go for the dodgy copy. If you can download a perfect HD Surround sound 7.1 HD movie for £5-£10, people will get the legal version. Ed wants to make sure content is available digitally and at a decent price. WIN.
That concludes my dissection of our Shadow Culture Minister. He appears to be enthusiastic about gaming and he does not assume that anyone who plays GTA IV will go and chainsaw a nearby prostitue – this is a very good thing. The bit where he understands gaming does not turn you in to a psycho, not the chainsawing of prostitutes.
Here is an example of Ed at work and you can see he has done research and knows what he is talking about – rare for any MP on any party. This is the transcript of a debate in the House of Commons, November 2008,
John Whittingdale (Conservative):… Part of the problem with video games… is that there is no hard evidence to prove that playing a game will lead someone to go out and commit a crime or physical attack. Nevertheless, we agree that there is a probability that it could occur, and there is anecdotal evidence to support that view. The Video Recordings Act 1984 provided that games should be classified, that it is necessary to restrict certain games to people over a certain age… and that there would be games that should be banned entirely. That system has been generally successful since then, although there is often controversy about individual games…
Edward Vaizey (Conservative): I invite my hon. Friend, in the tone of his remarks, to make the point that when we talk about harmful video games and films, we are talking about a small minority. Does he agree that it is incumbent on hon. Members to remind the House as often as possible, when they talk about video games, that we have a most successful video games industry in this country, which employs thousands of people?
Keith Vaz (Labour): …The fact remains that some of those games, even though they are a minority, are very violent. The hon. Gentleman and I have both commented on the video internet game “Kaboom” in which people replicate the activities of a suicide bomber. It cannot be right that the makers of those games should choose such storylines to provide entertainment, especially on the internet, where our children and under-18s can access them more easily than if they were going into a shop to buy them, as with non-internet games?
Edward Vaizey (Conservative): May I make a point to my hon. Friend? In his response to Keith Vaz, he has implied that “Kaboom” is somehow a legitimate video game that breaches the boundaries of taste, but it is not. It was created by an individual in his bedroom. To say that we should ban “Kaboom” is, with the greatest respect to my hon. Friend, slightly missing the point.”Kaboom” is not subject to any legal constraints. It cannot be submitted to a regulator to be classified, because it is made by an individual, outside the mainstream… It is not at all part of the mainstream video games industry.
If you want to go and read the entire debate, click here. It would be hilarious if it weren’t for the fact these people RUN OUR COUNTRY, people we trust to be intelligent but then say,
“…there is no hard evidence to prove that playing a game will lead someone to go out and commit a crime or physical attack. Nevertheless, we agree that there is a probability that it could occur.”
No evidence, but we are still going to say VIDEO GAMES MAKE YOU KILL BABIES. John Whittingdale MP you should be bloody ashamed. As for Ed, let’s hope he keeps up the good work he genuinely seems to be interested in promoting games rather than demonizing them.
Tuffcub can see the Palace of Westminster out of his office window and Vince Cables daughter sits a few desks across from him (she works for the same company and likes Wine Gums). Michael Portillo stopped and asked him where Sainsbury’s was a few weeks back and Boris Johnson has almost run him over on his bike. Jeremy Paxman beware!
Comments
Please note that all comments are the opinion of the individual author and not TheSixthAxis.
cc_star | 04/11/2009 15:19
Team TSA: Writer
5869 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
All good common sense policies of an opposition party, the realities of government will mean 90% of it will never work and we end of with a fudge of policies like we currently have.
stingraz | 04/11/2009 15:27
Member
2131 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
mmmn yummy fudge..!
everybodysinging | 04/11/2009 15:29
Member
469 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2009
its so bad for you yet so good….fudge that is….
BadBoyBoogie | 04/11/2009 22:48
Let There Be Rock
2516 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
cc_star’s comment sums it up perfectly!!
Severn2j | 04/11/2009 15:25
Member
1267 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008
Well, good for Ed.. I actually like the guy (seen him on The Wright Stuff a few times) and think there should be more politicians like him.. However, if the tories win, nothing will change. Seriously. All politicians talk a great game before an election, but once they are in power, I’m sure they act just as badly as Labour have and we will continue our inexorable march towards a police state.
seedaripper1973 | 04/11/2009 17:23
Member
1356 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Hear Hear!
jonny_bolton | 04/11/2009 15:27
Chooses The Impossible
1813 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2008
Wow I’ve never felt more involved with politics. This is the first ever “political article” I have ever written and I watched QT the other week.
Seriously though, good article and it’s nice to see that there are men in Parliament that seem to have a sense of perspective when it comes to video games.
Tuffcub | 04/11/2009 16:04
Team TSA: Writer
3448 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2008
Well that’s made my day. Dead chuffed.
ray_gillespie | 04/11/2009 15:36
Member
87 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
“Unfortunately not, but the decisions taken by politicians do effect gaming in many ways.”
It should be “affect gaming”.
tjgb | 04/11/2009 15:42
Member
276 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
John Whittingdale MP has a point. While most people who play video games won’t copy the content. There will alway be a minority of very stupid people who will take some influence from the things that they watch, hear, or play. The actual quote is “we agree that there is a probability that it could occur” – It would be ignorant to think otherwise.
Tuffcub | 04/11/2009 16:02
Team TSA: Writer
3448 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2008
You are quite correct, so stupid muppet might want to kill someone after GTA but the point is GTA didnt MAKE them kill someone. The same way Texas Chainsaw Massacre has never MADE someone kill people. People kill people, not video games.
Gastos84 | 04/11/2009 16:10
Team TSA: Writer
3612 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
MGS1 nearly killed my brother…when I threw the case at his head!
tjgb | 04/11/2009 16:32
Member
276 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
I do agree with you, but I don’t think you can compare the Texas Chainsaw Massacre with GTA. It’s that same old argument that a game is more immersive than a film. In GTA, I’m the one shooting pedestrians with a shotgun, whereas when Leatherface is slicing people into pieces, I’m just an observer.
GTA would probably be a good example of a game that has anecdotally influenced *SOME* of the people that have played it to go out and, say, hotwire a car.
Don’t get me wrong, I hate the way that gamers are often demonised, but I think that of all the things that anyone (especially politicians) has said about games, that’s probably one of the less offensive examples.
benny boy | 04/11/2009 21:48
Member
630 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
I think the word “probability” here is the problem. Of course there is always a possibility but it’s not probable that it will happen. It’s these little words that show what he really feels.
I can’t even remember any murders in this country to do with video games. When people blame video games because someone has done something violent, is it because that person owened a violent video game? If that’s the case, I’m sure many murderers in this country are in that boat.
It’s kind of ridiculous that people do blame video games. Of course you are more involved than when you watch a film but only people that are already psychotic won’t actually be able to tell the difference between real life and video games.
Severn2j | 05/11/2009 09:19
Member
1267 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008
There have been countless investigations into links between violence and videogames and of all of them, not a single one could find a link. There is just no evidence to support the idea that violent games make people violent. Its a myth at best, and political lies at worst.
X201 | 04/11/2009 16:04
Member
260 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
Political parties will promise you the Earth. And give you nothing.
cc_star | 04/11/2009 16:11
Team TSA: Writer
5869 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Oh and Keith Vaz is a c**k. Fact!
BiaFly | 04/11/2009 16:56
Member
16 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2008
Oh isn’t he just the pits?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5298267/Keith-Vaz-75000-for-a-flat-12-miles-from-home.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1162213/Keith-Vaz-damning-letter-How-senior-Labour-MP-abused-position-help-crooked-lawyer-court.html
His indignant, pompous and self-righteous tone really does get on my tits. He is more that happy to lay into video games because they are such a soft target yet he is quite likely to be a complete crook. What a total c**t!
cc_star | 04/11/2009 18:52
Team TSA: Writer
5869 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
I’ve had the misfortune of doing business dealings with him in the past… well I say him, but he has an 8 man entourage (courtesy of tax payers)
Rob92 | 04/11/2009 16:12
Member
1230 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2008
I’m a supporter of the Tories and I still think that although the games industry in this country is the largest in terms of fininancial gain, it still has a stigma attached to it.
I cant see any political party really making any progress in supporting the industry. Good article though
Uhyve | 04/11/2009 17:21
Member
329 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2008
Ah, don’t worry about it. Have you seen the age of most people in Government? Old age should get them soon enough and then we’ll finally have people in the House of Commons who have a clue about technology.
X201 | 04/11/2009 16:25
Member
260 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
The other thing that worries me is that the Tories main paper is the Daily Mail, that well known bastion of tolerance and understanding towards video games.
minerwilly | 04/11/2009 21:10
Member
556 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
Yea great point , I lived through a REAL recession in the Eighties under Thatcher and her disgusting bunch of cronies and I never ever want a return to those dark days . Too late now as most young people have only really known Labour and therefore naturally want a change and beleive that the grass is always greener .
Im resigned to the fact this bunch of toffs will be in power next year , the best I can hope for is that it will only be a 4 year term. I think they are pretty much all as bad as each other only that I cant stand a bunch of tory rich kids ruining the country and making the rich richer ! It would be great if the Liberals got a go of it but its never going to happen as a vote for the Liberals is basically like giving one to the Tory twits . All very Depressing and why the hell cant i do paragraphs on this new Computer ? !
cc_star | 04/11/2009 21:46
Team TSA: Writer
5869 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Don’t be fooled though, there’s nothing working class about the labour party, very few of them represent ‘the working man’
The thought of Harriot Harman scares me as much as the thought of David Cameron, and don’t get me started on Mandleson.
Oh and just because you may not be directly affected by the mis-management of the UK’s economy, millions of people are being including myself, and not one government crackpot scheme is able to help me in anyway whatsoever, I’m also worried as to what the tax liability is going to be over the next parliamentary term in paying off hundreds of billions of pounds of debt and associated interest payments.
I’ve been old enough to vote for 3 general elections, and have voted for the winner everytime, I wouldn’t ever be able to vote Tory, but I sure as hell ain’t voting for Brown, Darling, Harmen & Mandleson… No ‘effin way I’m not sure anyone could afford 5 more years, yes 5 more years of that collective…
Unfortunately we live in a country where the election choice is akin to asking someone what flavour shit they want from dinner
benny boy | 04/11/2009 21:52
Member
630 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
“Unfortunately we live in a country where the election choice is akin to asking someone what flavour shit they want from dinner”
Couldn’t put it better myself.
Soild_Nat | 04/11/2009 16:28
Member
725 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
Politics on a gaming website, my word TSA really is expanding its horizons.
Good piece guys and well put together, it will be interesting to see, which ever party is in power, how they deal with some of the issues facing the gaming industry.
davidjmclare | 04/11/2009 16:34
always on easy
894 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
whoever gets voted in does not matter. gaming is not an issue atm, so no parties will have an interest. the interest only happens when the media takes a negative view, and then whichever party is elected will choose to slam the gaming indusrty.
less politics on TSA please
cc_star | 04/11/2009 22:04
Team TSA: Writer
5869 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Gaming is an issue, the fact that most UK developers have been absorbed by foreign companies is an issue, I think British produced games are some of the most unique around, and the huge amounts of jobs lost is an issue. I also think tax breaks for creative industries is an issue, that alone won’t sway my vote but it is an issue, before all creative industries move abroad
rht992 | 04/11/2009 16:48
Member
2284 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
i don’t think the government will ever fully support computer games because to many people still think they make us, the gamers, completely mental.
But its good to know there are a few politicians who know, or pretend to know, that games aren’t harmful
bunimomike | 04/11/2009 17:04
Member
3371 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
Good article. It would be nice to see what the other parties have in mind but understand why you went with the tories. Top stuff, tuffcub.
seedaripper1973 | 04/11/2009 17:32
Member
1356 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Great read Tuffcub (im really warming to the cut of your jib).
Well, its all swings and roundabouts these days..i cant tell the difference between the 2 now, as labour seem to be rolling to the right and the tories are rolling to the left…is there anyway the lib dems can have a go?? pretty please?? they cant be as bad as what these 2 parties have fucked up with regards to the country?? and i bet they like games too!!
*has horrific flashback to the thatcher years …NNNOOOoooo!
cc_star | 04/11/2009 18:49
Team TSA: Writer
5869 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
unfortunately don’t need flashbacks to the Brown years
rmhbolton | 04/11/2009 18:53
* Banned *
-985 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
you do’nt know the meanning of community
dirtyhabit | 04/11/2009 19:09
Member
1154 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
And you don’t know the meaning of ‘dictionary’
minerwilly | 04/11/2009 21:24
Member
556 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
Comparing Brown to Thatcher is absolutley ridiculous unless you think that we are the only country in the World whom is in recession . Im no Brown fan but to compare him to that terrible woman is daft . In this recession many people drive 4X4’s own more than one car , have Satellite subscriptions , huge houses , large LCD’s , can afford stupidly high prices for Football matches , go to poncy Coffee shops , eat fast-food regularly rather than make sandwiches for lunch – the list gos on and on .
I remember for practically the whole of the Thatcher reign living in real poverty , eating Sugar on toast was a regular meal . Schools on strikes for years , Miner Strikes , Riots in the streets of many major Cities , Unemployment at a level you couldn’t dream of , Poll Tax Riots , Bombings in London , Police Brutality , etc etc . There was a HUGE north south divide where great swathes of the North and the whole of Scotland had their industries destroyed by that party and all the while that ***** of a woman kept her voters in the South of England happy . Sure vote for them if you are rich because the will help ypu get richer but for the rest of us forget it .
cc_star | 04/11/2009 23:18
Team TSA: Writer
5869 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
I’m not rich and that is why I can’t afford the burden of voting labour again, unless I want to choose to have a life on benefits.
As for other countries being in recession, none of them have been in recession as long as we have and none of the are in recession as deep as we are, believe all the red rag bullcrap you want but don’t be under any illusions that the length and depth of the recession is a direct result of Blair/Brown policies, and wasting money on stuff like s temp VAT cut where something like the Australian governments approach of directly giving people up to thousands of AUS$ means they’ve avoided recession altogether. In the US an extensive goverment spending plan including billions of dollars on broadband infrastructure, widespread road building and other national infrastructures means that their recession was shorter and shallower than ours, same with other developed countries like France & Germany.
The only thing this lot know what to do with money is to pay it out in benefit payments, which now by far exceed income tax revenues, in making benefit claiming a lifestyle choice the party of the working man has created a country of unworking men/women. The one thing in Gordons favour is that come election time that is millions of votes guaranteed for him.
Your talking about a different era in your comparison, one where the UK relied on coal for power, a large amount of houses didn’t have modern day amenities, it was before the rise of China as a manufacturing powerhouse so nearly everything was expensive, it was before the rise of the supermarkets, most people then could afford to have a ‘wife’ at home, whereas now anyone who works will know both people need to work to afford all the material things you mentioned, unless you both give up work of course and the state will now pay.
You mention strikes? well the unions are weaker these days, and in the real world I mean private companies people can’t really strike, that luxury is the domain of public sector workers, like various councils and Royal Mail etc… Police brutality you say? You seem to be forgetting the footage of police slapping women in the face and the ‘murder’ of an innocent newspaper seller on his way home from work in London earlier this year.
With the Tories imploding over Europe and the competition from the BNP & UKIP the Conservative win isn’t a foregone conclusion that some people seem to think it is, and when you take into account the millions of people who use benefits as a lifestyle choice, and the hundreds of thousands more who work for various quangos set up at great expense I predict another Labour win, but maybe with a heavily reduced majority or even a hung parliament.
I only wish there was a true choice but like I said earlier, it’s like choosing what flavour sh*t you want for dinner.
seedaripper1973 | 05/11/2009 01:26
Member
1356 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
@ minerwilly..i absolutely concour! you obviously was part of my generation (the username date speaks for itself) and my family were originally mining based (geordies moving to stoke). Thatcher, took away my milk, my dads job and our dignity…dark years, and i would’nt like them repeated! the tories have always been about keeping the rich, rich and the poor, poor! elitism at its worst (look at that prick boris johnson) you seem to be cool mate, add me.. seedaripper1973
rmhbolton | 04/11/2009 18:52
* Banned *
-985 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
you need a brain scan
cc_star | 04/11/2009 19:00
Team TSA: Writer
5869 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Ok, bye!
rmhbolton | 04/11/2009 18:44
* Banned *
-985 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
How old are you lot ? If it were not for politicians we would all still be living in caves,but you lot would’nt care as long as you had your “games”. Wake up ,vote for anyone but conservatives.
cc_star | 04/11/2009 18:50
Team TSA: Writer
5869 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
If the politicians carry on spending our money like they currently are doing we’ll be living in caves again, pretty soon.
rmhbolton | 04/11/2009 18:55
* Banned *
-985 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
so you can buy more games i suppose ,who cares about anything else.
Rob92 | 04/11/2009 19:44
Member
1230 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2008
Hello Gordon.. I mean bolton.
). And you know, this is a gaming website! Linking into gaming, possibly?
I’ll vote for whoever I bloody want thanks (well when I can anyway
Thank god your banned.
llizard | 04/11/2009 21:56
Member
86 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2009
Erm i’m pretty sure that without politicians no one would be living in a cave. Now without useful people like builders, farmers, scientists, engineers, entrapreneurs, health workers, etc. maybe we would.
Politicians are the (unfortunately) necessary waste products of democracy. It’s just such a shame that anyone who want to run for office is the last person who should get in.
davidjmclare | 04/11/2009 23:58
always on easy
894 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
wow this guy felt strongly about politics. how did he stumble across a gaming site?! lol.
and england did pretty well with no politicians, people thrived for centuries with kings and queens… ah to be a peasent!