UK Games Industry Now Solely Up To Department For Culture, Media And Sport

The UK government's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will no longer be involved in the region's game industry, leaving the industry the province solely of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It means a slight reporting change for Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries Ed Vaizey, who's known to be friendly toward the games business. Instead of serving as a joint minister between the BIS and DCMS groups, he now reports directly to the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, according to a report in UK trade site MCV. The DCMS has been careful to assert that Vaizey will maintain a close working relationship with the BIS ministers, however. The news was welcomed by local trade body UKIE (the new name for ELSPA), which said in a statement it is "looking forward to continuing its relationship with DCMS to achieve its broad policy agenda." However, many see the shift in BIS' role as potentially symptomatic of what's been viewed by some as a lack of interest on the part of the UK government when it comes to financial support for the region's game industry. Discussions about possible tax breaks for UK game developers fizzled out in mid-2010. UKIE has expressed concern that the removal of BIS from the industry equation may lead to an even more distant relationship with the Treasury.