The UK government may introduce tax breaks for the domestic games industry as part of next month's Budget.

According to the Sunday Times, Tory Chancellor George Osborne is "considering the introduction of tax breaks for the computer games industry as an eye-catching measure to put in his budget for growth".

The article estimates that £30 million will be used to finance the tax breaks initiative, Develop reports.

Michael Rawlinson, director general of games trade body UKIE, told the site he was unsure if games tax breaks would form part of the March 23 Budget, but added: "The government is seriously looking for initiatives that support Britain's creative industries, and the games industry is an important one for them."

Chancellor Osborne scrapped plans to implement UK tax breaks for games when the Coalition Government came into power last year.

In June 2010, UK trade association TIGA said that the domestic games development workforce had fallen by a shocking 44 studios - six percent - since 2008, and that figure is still growing.

Last September, APB and Crackdown developer Realtime Worlds was forced to shut its doors, while Blur and Project Gotham maker Bizarre Creations was closed by Activision last week.

[ Source: Develop ]

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/28 ... ks-report/

I can't help thinking that, like the film industry, gaming should know the risks