Tax breaks granted

Slawkenbergius

Slawkenbergius
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ZeeWolf

ZeeWolf
Yes! About time too and possibly even too late. We've pretty much slipped into fourth place as a games developing nation thanks to the UK Governments attitude that games are trivial childish and not something to be aligned with politically... when our short burst of computer literacy dominance in the 80's should have given us a massive advantage.
 

Mike Evans

Designer- Elite: Dangerous
Frontier
I wonder if Elite technically passes the culture test though. Most of the game takes place in space with no story due to the sandbox nature and even so I doubt the story would be based in Britain or other applicable places.
 

Dr. Funkenstein

Dr. Funkenstein
I found this on Neogaf:

To pass, you need 16 points of 31 to qualify. Gets those calculators ready

The Cultural Test in full

(1) A video game may be certified as a British video game under section 1217CB(1) of the Act only if it passes the following cultural test.

(2) A video game passes the cultural test if it is awarded at least 16 points in total under paragraphs (3) to (6).

(3) Up to 16 points shall be awarded in respect of the content of the video game as follows—

(A) Up to 4 points depending on the percentage of the video game that is set in the following locations

(i) 4 points if at least 75% is set in the United Kingdom or another EEA state;

(ii) 3 points if at least 66% is set in the United Kingdom or another EEA state or set in an undetermined location;

(iii) 2 points if at least 50% is set in the United Kingdom or another EEA state or set in an undetermined location;

(iv) 1 point if at least 25% is set in the United Kingdom or another EEA state or set in an undetermined location;

(B) Up to 4 points depending on the number of the characters depicted in the video game with the following characteristics

(i) if there are more than three characters depicted in the video game, 4 points if two or three of the three lead characters are from the United Kingdom or another EEA state or from an undetermined location or, if only one of the three lead characters is from the United Kingdom or another EEA state or from an undetermined location, 2 points if that character is the first or second lead, 1 point if that character is the third lead;

(ii) if there are only three characters depicted in the video game, 4 points if two or three of them are from the United Kingdom or another EEA state or from an undetermined location or, if only one of them is from the United Kingdom or another EEA state or from an undetermined location, 2 points if that character is the first or second lead, 1 point if that character is the third lead;

(iii) if there are only two characters depicted in the video game, 4 points if both of them are from the United Kingdom or another EEA state or from an undetermined location, 2 points if one of them is;

(iv) if there is only one character depicted in the video game, 4 points if that character is from the United Kingdom or another EEA state or from an undetermined location;

(C) 4 points if the video game depicts a British story or a story which relates to an EEA state;

(D) up to 4 points depending on the percentage of the original dialogue that is recorded in the English language or in a recognised regional or minority language as follows

(i) 4 points for at least 75%; (ii) 3 points for at least 66%; (iii) 2 points for at least 50%;

(iv) 1 point for at least 25%.

(4) Up to 4 points may be awarded in respect of the contribution of the video game to the promotion, development and enhancement of British culture.

(5) Up to 3 points shall be awarded in respect of work carried out in the making of the video game as follows

(a) 2 points if at least 50% of the work carried out on any of the following is carried out in the United Kingdom

(i) conceptual development; (ii) layout and storyboarding;

(iii) programming;

(iv) visual design;

(b) 1 point if at least 50% of the work carried out on any of the following is carried out in the United Kingdom

(i) performing and recording the music score created for the video game;

(ii) voice recording;

(iii) audio production;

(iv) picture production.

(6) Up to 8 points shall be awarded in respect of the personnel involved in the making of the video game as follows

(a) 1 point if the project leader (or, if there is more than one, the main project leader) is a qualifying person;

(b) 1 point if at least one of the scriptwriters (or, if there are more than three, one of the three lead scriptwriters) is a qualifying person;

(c) 1 point if the composer (or, if there is more than one, the lead composer) is a qualifying person;

(d) 1 point if the artist (or, if there is more than one, the lead artist) is a qualifying person;

(e) 1 point if the programmer (or, if there is more than one, the lead programmer) is a qualifying person;

(f) 1 point if the designer (or, if there is more than one, the lead designer) is a qualifying person;

(g) 1 point if at least one of the heads of department is a qualifying person;

(h) 1 point if at least 50% of the development team are qualifying persons.
Click to expand...
 

JohnStabler

JohnStabler
Mike Evans said:
I wonder if Elite technically passes the culture test though. Most of the game takes place in space with no story due to the sandbox nature and even so I doubt the story would be based in Britain or other applicable places.
Click to expand...

Just get Alan Rickman and Christopher Lee to do a couple of voice overs and you're gold.
 

Slawkenbergius

Slawkenbergius
Mike Evans said:
I wonder if Elite technically passes the culture test though. Most of the game takes place in space with no story due to the sandbox nature and even so I doubt the story would be based in Britain or other applicable places.
Click to expand...

Does that not count as 'undetermined location' seeing as the player could be just about anywhere within the galaxy, and currently none of it is set in an existing territory... I basically read that section as, you can't make games set in the United States, because the EU hate the dominance of US culture.
 
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Darren Grey

Darren Grey
Mike Evans said:
I wonder if Elite technically passes the culture test though. Most of the game takes place in space with no story due to the sandbox nature and even so I doubt the story would be based in Britain or other applicable places.
Click to expand...

The rules as they stand are pretty easy to game (ho ho). With the high number of British staff and the fact the game is in English it will easily pass.

Though I know a lot of indies frustrated right now because their games don't feature traditional characters or have abstract settings, and one-man teams don't count a lot on the points! But even with them they can hit the right buttons for "promoting British culture".
 

Lobster

Lobster
Maybe FD should twin all the stations to UK towns and villages.

Port Manchester
Port Barnsley
Port Slough
Port Cheddar
 

ZeeWolf

ZeeWolf
Lobster said:
Maybe FD should twin all the stations to UK towns and villages.

Port Manchester
Port Barnsley
Port Slough
Port Cheddar
Port Port
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I still think motorway service stations would be funnier (I mean more culturally significant) can you imagine Port Clacket Lane Services?
 

ZeeWolf

ZeeWolf
Back to the original topic. Doesn't most of the work being done by Frontier on Elite Dangerous count as R&D anyway? Especially when I think of the work on the Oculus Rift which is pretty cutting edge.

I filled out a proposal once for R&D work tax return on software and it was successful. The software in question was very basic in comparison.
 

Ian Doncaster

Ian Doncaster
Dr. Funkenstein said:
Up to 4 points may be awarded in respect of the contribution of the video game to the promotion, development and enhancement of British culture.
Click to expand...
Eleven from sections 5 and 6 given that it's basically a British company making the game in a British location are probably easy. Four more if the dialogue is mostly recorded in English and other common UK languages is also going to be a giveaway.

So then you need to claim that Elite IV contributes at least 1 of a possible 4 points to British culture to get up to 16. Given how much the original Elite contributed to British culture - and especially computer/gaming culture - in the 80s, that should be easy...

The character and setting points probably aren't going to count, though - I'd read "undetermined location" as "the game is set on a farm; where the farm is isn't stated, so it might be in the EEA" - Tau Ceti VI is a fictional (or if real, non-EEA) location, not an indeterminate one.
 

Yaffle

Volunteer Moderator
Yaffle
Ian Doncaster said:
Eleven from sections 5 and 6 given that it's basically a British company making the game in a British location are probably easy. Four more if the dialogue is mostly recorded in English and other common UK languages is also going to be a giveaway.

So then you need to claim that Elite IV contributes at least 1 of a possible 4 points to British culture to get up to 16. Given how much the original Elite contributed to British culture - and especially computer/gaming culture - in the 80s, that should be easy...

The character and setting points probably aren't going to count, though - I'd read "undetermined location" as "the game is set on a farm; where the farm is isn't stated, so it might be in the EEA" - Tau Ceti VI is a fictional (or if real, non-EEA) location, not an indeterminate one.
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And the Alliance is kinda like the EU. So more points there.

AND there is very much a Slough system. Can't get much more British than having a Slough.

On a serious note FD should be looking at this and making a quiet call to their tax advisers. Assuming it's not already been done.
 

Winterwalker

Winterwalker
Mike Evans said:
I wonder if Elite technically passes the culture test though. Most of the game takes place in space with no story due to the sandbox nature and even so I doubt the story would be based in Britain or other applicable places.
Click to expand...

I did notice, from videos, that ships entering/ exiting Zelada Station do conventionally drive on the left?? :D

Instead of a station bar .. how about introducing somewhere to get a decent cup of tea .. or Fish and Chips ..

Robert could be your mother's brother!!
 
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