A state-owned games company

[Sandman]

This is a brainchild of mine.

Most (if not all) countries have some government intervention in culture. Theatre, films, art, music, literature, museums: - these things all tend to have subsidies, tax breaks, regulations or other state control. For whatever reason, the market is not given a free reign.

Why should games development be different? I can't think of any reason why the state shouldn't, at least, take an interest. After all, there are endless panics about the state of the British film industry, or Scottish Opera, or the dumbing down of TV.

So I propose a publicly owned games company for the UK (although it could work for most countries). First off, don't worry about taxpayers' money propping up profitless games; this company would be required to support itself entirely by its own commerical activities. Like Channel Four, it would be state-owned, but not state-funded. And like Channel Four, it would have a public service remit requiring it to produce games that would otherwise not be made.
There'd be stuff like:

* Games set in the UK

* More characters from ethnic minorities

* Games about the First World War

* Gay characters in games

* More games in niche genres... like TBS

* An emphasis on creativity and innovation

And so on. There'd be more conventional stuff as well, to help with the funding.

Now, before any free-marketeers have a go at me, it might be worth remembering that there's already a state backed game out there... America's Army. Market-driven homogeneity is one thing, military-backed games are something else entirely.

[General Ludd]

The developers of planeshift have apparently made a Non Profit Organization that's purpose is to foster the development of "public" games. Not state-owned, but a somewhat similiar idea.

[Pythagoras]

If hardcore Gamers were in the elite of society, then I could see this.

For many things such as opera, there is a small market for it. Games, however, there is a larger growing market.

I mean there once was a larger commercial market for opera, but there really isn't as much anymore, so the government wants to preserve it and they step in.

[CapTVK]

Aren't most open source games an example of this?

[Jamski]

I mean there once was a larger commercial market for TBS games, but there really isn't as much anymore, so the government should want to preserve it and step in.

-Jam

[General Ludd]

What about the US military's recruitment game?


That's sort of set a poor precedent for any government made games.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by General Ludd
The developers of planeshift have apparently made a Non Profit Organization that's purpose is to foster the development of "public" games. Not state-owned, but a somewhat similiar idea.

Originally posted by CapTVK
Aren't most open source games an example of this?

Not quite. State owned companies would have money to begin with. It's very different from non-sponsored ventures, which are often underground and have insufficient finances to create a product that appeals to more than a niche of geeks. In particular, open-source projects (pretty much all Linux games) have appaling graphics and interfaces compared to today's mainstream standards.

[Senethro]

Jamski, who is that in your avatar in front of the sheep?
It looks remarkably like a painting in my grandfathers house.

[GeoModder]

It is Basileus Naviwinat, the last True Emperor!

[Jamski]

Originally posted by Senethro
Jamski, who is that in your avatar in front of the sheep?
It looks remarkably like a painting in my grandfathers house.

Its Gustav Mahler

[child of Thor]

I think it would be more interesting an experiment in more extreme countries, like the USA(as mentioned it does have that Army FPS), Russia or China.

The UK is pretty middle of the road boring in its propagnada imho. In fact if you look at all the war based FPS games floating around, with titles like 'Americas most wanted'(i think its called that) and all the 'america freedom vs terrorists' type FPS games ; i'd say that you already have a political(state?) agenda in much of what is currently getting produced by usa companies?

You could have a sim-city type game sponsored by the Russian government, where you take control of the country after the revolution and have to use its resources to become the world super power while dealing with all the problems inherant in communism

Or a North Korean one where you have to try to feed your people to avoid mass starvations because of 'evil' economic sanctions of the UN

[RGBVideo]

What I find amazing is that some of you seem to think that this company would produce good games. Every single cultural product which has been hijacked into state control has started very quickly to suck.

America's Army

[Qilue]

Originally posted by Jamski


Its Gustav Mahler

You should use a photo that doesn't make him look like a sheep farmer.

[Sandman]

Planeshift looks moderately interesting. A world encased inside a giant stalactite is pretty cool.

I mean there once was a larger commercial market for opera, but there really isn't as much anymore, so the government wants to preserve it and they step in.

Opera's really the flagship of state-subsidised culture. It's pretty difficult to justify the help it gets... which is why I'm not proposing such a thing for games. Just a gentle prod.

Not quite. State owned companies would have money to begin with. It's very different from non-sponsored ventures, which are often underground and have insufficient finances to create a product that appeals to more than a niche of geeks. In particular, open-source projects (pretty much all Linux games) have appaling graphics and interfaces compared to today's mainstream standards.

Good points .

Has France made any moves in this area?

I think it would be more interesting an experiment in more extreme countries, like the USA(as mentioned it does have that Army FPS), Russia or China.

The UK is pretty middle of the road boring in its propagnada imho.

It's not propaganda! OK, there's a small aspect of 'selling' the UK - but that's no more 'propaganda' than having LOTR filmed in NZ was 'propaganda' for them, even though it sent their tourism skyrocketing. It's also about making creative and original games for the sake of it, and about taking games where the market is afraid to tread.

What I find amazing is that some of you seem to think that this company would produce good games. Every single cultural product which has been hijacked into state control has started very quickly to suck.

America's Army

Do you think the Library of Congress, the British Museum and the Louvre all 'suck'? And well done for contradicting yourself by approving of the world's only state-funded game.

[Standup]

As part of it's Charter renewal the BBC was talking about making games or whether it should be involved in them. This was more for the Freeview/Interactive type services rather than a traditional PC type game. The thinking was that it needs to adapt to changing audience demands and how peope consume media.