Post by leunas on Nov 27, 2006 18:06:39 GMT -5
It seems that the French videogame community are going to have tough days ahead of it as the European Union just turned its sights to the booming industry. Currently, they are enjoying certain privileges, like tax breaks and other government incentives. The EU Competition Commission on the other hand, is thinking if they might have broken some rules.
"We must be sure that the measure will promote only genuine cultural projects and that it will not have the effect of an industrial policy instrument in favour of the videogames sector," explained Neelie Kroes, a commissioner of the said government agency. Kroes also mentioned an initial investigation, wherein they stated that the French scheme "may give rise to a potentially broad interpretation and it is not clear that they make it possible to select only videogames with a cultural content."
Developer trade group Association des Producteurs d'Oeuvres Multimedia together with the French government set up the scheme back in 2003. Accordingly, the objectives of the act are to promote culture, maintain and develop the videogame industry in France as well as for educational and training initiatives.
On a related matter, French company Nevrax and developer of MMO game Ryzom, has been on the gaming news these past few days. Accordingly, the company is soon to cease operations because of major financial woes.
feeds.feedburner.com/~r/qj/xbox/~3/53149957/73875
"We must be sure that the measure will promote only genuine cultural projects and that it will not have the effect of an industrial policy instrument in favour of the videogames sector," explained Neelie Kroes, a commissioner of the said government agency. Kroes also mentioned an initial investigation, wherein they stated that the French scheme "may give rise to a potentially broad interpretation and it is not clear that they make it possible to select only videogames with a cultural content."
Developer trade group Association des Producteurs d'Oeuvres Multimedia together with the French government set up the scheme back in 2003. Accordingly, the objectives of the act are to promote culture, maintain and develop the videogame industry in France as well as for educational and training initiatives.
On a related matter, French company Nevrax and developer of MMO game Ryzom, has been on the gaming news these past few days. Accordingly, the company is soon to cease operations because of major financial woes.
feeds.feedburner.com/~r/qj/xbox/~3/53149957/73875