Eidos’ Ian Livingstone has railed against the British climate for the videogames industry, mainly the lack of government support despite topping UK TV and film combined.
Universities don’t escape him either, saying they ”get paid for putting bums on seats” but teach very little substance in videogaming. The industry contributes ”40bn a year to GDP.”
”The industry doesn’t get any support event though it contributes £40bn a year to GDP,” he told Crain’s Manchester Business.
”It’s bigger than the film and TV industry put together, which get lots of support, but it operates in a background of regulatory pressure and an unsupportive press.”
”Universities are not producing enough of the type of people we need,” he continued.
”The industry needs mathematicians, physicists and artists. There are something like 81 courses in the UK dedicated to computer games, but universities get paid for putting bums on seats and they’re turning out students who know all about the history of games, but they can’t make them.”
Previously he likened the industry in the UK to having respect ”one notch” above the porn business ”in the eyes of most of the establishment. We’re still seen as the red-headed stepchild of the creative industries,” he said last October.
Source: CVG
