Codies: UK games industry in dire straits
In danger of being "iPhone devs" only.
The UK games industry is in danger of becoming an iPhone dev-only scene, according to a top Codemasters developer.
Andy Wilson, who's directing forthcoming FPS Bodycount at the UK publisher's Guildford studio, told Gamerzines that the lack of tax breaks for developers is sending projects overseas, causing developers here to shut up shop.
"The UK is primarily tough, in my opinion, because the bright, shining hope of tax breaks for the games industry got torpedoed," he explained.
"It's a tough economy for sure, but we need to start supporting the industry properly or the whole thing is going to melt into iPhone developers - and there's only so many four-man teams who are going to find success.
"When you look at the level of support in North America it becomes painfully obvious why so many developers here are closing their doors, including my former home Black Rock. I'm still sitting in disbelief at that one."
Wilson added that, as far as he knew, Codemasters had no immediate plans to shift development overseas.
"Codemasters already has a studio in Malaysia for production of art assets, but I would think it unlikely we'll move fullscale development overseas any time soon. We're still flying the flag as the last British publisher, after all."
Wilson is not wrong – it's been a horrid 12 months for the UK games industry, with Black Rock, Bizarre Creations and THQ Digital Warrington among those closing down in recent months.