New Gaming Heroine: Luciana Berger
MP for Wavertree, Liverpool.
Published: 9:30, 29/07/2010 by Tuffcub.
None.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the interweb rejoice!A new gaming heroine has arrived in the rather lovely form of Luciana Berger, MP for Wavertree, Liverpool. Luciana’s special skills include knowing who Bizarre Creations are and promoting video game developers. In the ‘Summer Adjournment Debate’ held yesterday Ms. Berger said,
“There have been a number of short-sighted cuts, particularly the decision not to introduce a tax relief for the video games industry.
In 2009, the industry brought approximately £1 billion to the UK’s gross domestic product, and in my constituency and across Liverpool there are a number of video games developers including Genemation, Bizarre Creations, Magenta Software and Playbox.
Sony Computer Entertainment, based at Wavertree technology park, employs more than 600 people, and introducing a games tax relief would protect and increase a figure of £415 million in new and saved tax receipts for the Treasury, far outweighing the £192 million that the relief would cost.
Can the Deputy Leader of the House explain why the Red Book highlighted only the cost of the tax relief and not the net benefit?”
That’s another MP fighting for the rights (but probably not in her satin tights) of video gaming, leaving just 641 Luddites to convert. Luciana also wins special points for the following
- Having a name that lends itself to being the love interest in Uncharted 3.
- Admitting her ‘weaknesses are cheesy dance movies and crisps.’
- Looking a bit more lovely than previous Video Gaming Hero, Ed Vaizey. Sorry Ed.
Source: TheyWorkForYou
Most Comments This Week
- Gaikai’s Streaming – Does This Mean No PS4? [65]
- PSN Store Update: 23/05/12 [55]
- First Party Vita Games Drop To £12 On PSN [52]
- PSN Store Hit With 80023163 Errors [51]
- Is Something Big Coming To PlayStation Plus Soon? [50]
- “Leap” Motion Controller Could Revolutionise Gaming [43]
- Ghost Recon: Future Soldier PS3 Install Is Huge [42]
- Australian & New Zealand D3 Players Suffer High Ping Rates [41]
- Sony Files Patent For Game-Interrupting Soda Adverts [40]
- Ghost Recon Future Soldier Review (PS3, Xbox 360) [39]
Latest Reader Comments
-
New Hardware, New Plus: All Eyes On Sony This E3
- 01:37 Awayze: I really hope at this E3, Sony bring a major update to the PS3 such as instant trophy syncing as soon as...
- 01:36 samiro05: This is definitely a must for the PSV
- 01:30 stueeeee: Lol imagine, on the cusp of possible new hardware, their big announcement turns out to be…..a new...
- 00:47 JBoo: I would buy another PS3 if there is a slimmer version coming out :P But i am not going to think about it(i.e I...
- 00:47 seravok: Still waiting for a Monster hunter for my vita. :(
- TSA Speculates: Why You Might Not Need To Buy A PS4
- Microsoft Job Offer Mentions “Next Generation” Of Xbox
- Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock Review (PS3)
- Community Round-Up: 26/05/12
- Gaikai’s E3 Invite All But Confirms PS3 Streaming Partnership
- Sony Files Patent For Game-Interrupting Soda Adverts
TSAtv: Original Video Content
Batman book review
Kris Dancing, again
Joe Danger interview
Sonic Generations
29/07/2010 at 09:35
Member since: Feb 2010
mmmmmmmmmm berger!!!
29/07/2010 at 10:00
Member since: Feb 2009
well this government plans to shut down the film council so i don’t hold out much hope for tax breaks for the game industry.
if they’re shortsighted enough to shut down an organisation that has helped the british film industry grow and brought in hundred of millions and supports thousands of jobs, they aren’t going to see what helping the uk games industry will achieve.
considering things like films and games are a such huge industries where the uk can compete with almost any nation in the world, the uk can’t compete in many manufacturing industries, not anymore, to not nurture those businesses if big mistake.
just looking at how much the tax breaks would cost is shortsighted, it’s high tec business that doesn’t use vast material resources yet makes a hell of a lot of money, and employs thousands across the country.getting more publishers to come to british developers to make their games can only be good for the uk as a whole.
you know why so many films shoot in australia these days? tax breaks for the movie industry there, tax breaks for this industry could lead to more games being made here and more jobs.
29/07/2010 at 10:07
Member since: Forever
They’re not shutting down the money for the film industry, just the organisation which employs 75 people doing the handing-out, who’s own running costs diminishes the pool of money available to the film industry.
Any industry would benefit from tax breaks but all industries will benefit from some of the lowest taxes in the G20, which we’ll have by the end of this parliament. There’s nothing special about one industry over all others, especially when the money doesn’t exist and is being borrowed in the first place and added to the debt mountain.
Given that we have film tax breaks already in place your point about Australia proves why they don’t work, someone will always offer more
29/07/2010 at 17:15
Member since: Feb 2009
so you know who’s going to handle funding for new british films once the film council shuts down?
and it’s not like the film council was a failure.
frm the film council website.
“Since its creation in 2000, the UK Film Council has invested over £160m of Lottery funding into more than 900 films which have entertained over 200 million people and helped generate over £700 million at the box office worldwide, generating £5 for every £1 of Lottery money it has invested.”
maybe i’m missing something here but shutting down something that has proven to be very successful.
and gaming isn’t like every other industry, the uk can’t compete when it comes to heavy manufacturing, it hasn’t been able to for a long time, but in the high tech industries, like gaming, britain can compete with the rest of the world.
games developers in the uk can create product sold round the world in the millions, what other uk export can match the gaming industry?
and why is gaming nothing special in this case, yet when it comes to preowned sales gaming deserves special consideration that no other media does?
why is gaming a special case then but not here?
lastly, when has somebody being better than you ever been a reason to give up?
surely if you have any passion whatsoever for what you do, then somebody being better at you at it would push you to try harder, not push you to give up.
what kind of enterprise would ever be successful if run with that attitude?
29/07/2010 at 17:32
Member since: Forever
The money doesn’t exist it’s all being borrowed from internation sources and being added to £1.4 trillion debt mountain
sure if you pump money into an industry, if its managed properly you’d see a return on that money, hell if the Gov gave me £100K, I’d be able to make £120k but are they going to? No. Like-wise are they going to give it to every single industry which comes along? No! Why is gaming a special case, just because it’s our hobby and
Australia never went in to recession, they can do whatever they want because they don’t have a) £160bn deficit to get rid of b) £1.4tn debt mountain to get under control and start paying back
(the same goes for any country which handled their economies sensibly)
The interest on this alone (that’s just interest) will dwarf total spending on education, defence, climate change & international development, if we can reduce the burden – we’d have money to hand out to every tom, dick & harry that comes along – including the gaming industry.
What if we did give £250m tax-breaks, but another country gave £400m… so we give £500m and they give £750m… We’d be hundreds of millions out of pocket but not have secured the industry at all. What is happening though is tax on business profits is being lowered to amongst the lowest in the G20, a lower cost of employing people and other activities which benefit all business’ and all industries.
So yes, give any industry money and they’d be able to grow and give the money back – but if the money doesn’t exist thanks to past decisions then there’s not a lot anyone can do.
29/07/2010 at 17:53
Member since: Feb 2009
I live on Penny Lane in Wavertree ! To be truthful I had no idea she was my MP I’ve never heard of her . The only Berger in Liverpool i knew was Patrik Berger .
I take it she isn’t a Tory swine as they are rarer than sunshine in the North West of England (thank god) and hopefully she isnt one of those backstabbing traitors from the Liberal Democrats .
I’m glad to hear she is looking out for the gaming industry as in Merseyside we have Sony Liverpool , Bizzare Creations and Evolution Studios producing very high quality titles .