Think we'll ever see this in North America?

[Zeus]

I don't..

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/06/02 ... 26833.html

[Kupek]

I don't think it will happen here, either.

Establishing a governmental body to promote the games industry might politicize it. If the government is promoting the industry, I think it's inevitable that some politicians will use the argument that since public money is used to help the industry, it should also be government regulated.

[Zeus]

What about the other artistic forms of entertainment? They fund movies and music. But they'll never see games like that, not for a long time

[Kupek]

In what capacity are movies and music funded? I can see the NEA funding symphonies and orchestras, and maybe documenteries, but nothing beyond that. Certainly not popular movies and music. Videogames are exclusively pop-culture. What this article is talking about isn't direct funding for artistic purposes, but commercial promotion. This is far more similar to farm subsidies.

[Zeus]

In what capacity are movies and music funded? I can see the NEA funding symphonies and orchestras, and maybe documenteries, but nothing beyond that. Certainly not popular movies and music. Videogames are exclusively pop-culture. What this article is talking about isn't direct funding for artistic purposes, but commercial promotion. This is far more similar to farm subsidies.

What about tax breaks? Up here, the large Hollywood productions get HUGE tax breaks, as do the big music artists (that's why so many of your films are shot in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver). Obvious reason is the money they bring into the community. And of course, the documentaries and symphonies get their coin as do a lot of Canadian films. But the small games development houses (ie. Koei) which, you could argue, bring even more benefit to the community on a whole than the small films, get nothing. And it'll be like that for the next 20-50 years until the old guard is out of office IMO

[Kupek]

What about tax breaks? Up here, the large Hollywood productions get HUGE tax breaks, as do the big music artists (that's why so many of your films are shot in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver). Obvious reason is the money they bring into the community. And of course, the documentaries and symphonies get their coin as do a lot of Canadian films. But the small games development houses (ie. Koei) which, you could argue, bring even more benefit to the community on a whole than the small films, get nothing. And it'll be like that for the next 20-50 years until the old guard is out of office IMO

Tax breaks is something, but that's not on the same scale as what this article talks about.

[Zeus]

What about tax breaks? Up here, the large Hollywood productions get HUGE tax breaks, as do the big music artists (that's why so many of your films are shot in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver). Obvious reason is the money they bring into the community. And of course, the documentaries and symphonies get their coin as do a lot of Canadian films. But the small games development houses (ie. Koei) which, you could argue, bring even more benefit to the community on a whole than the small films, get nothing. And it'll be like that for the next 20-50 years until the old guard is out of office IMO

Tax breaks is something, but that's not on the same scale as what this article talks about.

No, not at all. But if the games industry can't even get the current support of the films and music industry, they sure as hell aren't gonna get anything close to this....

[SineSwiper]

Can I be the Vice-Chairman of Kung Fu?!