Switch Lights

The lights are on

What's Happening
Home News
Recent News
Related Posts

Heavy Rain Developer Threatening To Move Over Tax Issue

News
by Matthew Kato on February 08, 2012 at 09:32 AM
4,324 Views
20

Paris-based Heavy Rain developer Quantic Dream is vocal in its demand that French tax breaks are reinstated for the benefit of it and other video game developers in the country.

In January, French tax breaks to game developers expired, and getting them back might not be easy. The tax breaks were authorized by a special European commission as an exception to a general rule that countries were not to authorize game tax breaks. That commission now feels that reinstating the exception will hurt competition in other countries in the European Union. If it is not reinstated, that would mean no tax breaks in France, the U.K., or anywhere else in the EU.

Quantic Dream co-CEO Guillaume de Fondaumiere (who is also the chairman of the European Games Developer Foundation) thinks the loss of the tax breaks would be a "historic mistake," and says the studio will move some or all of its resources to Canada – where they have tax initiatives in place – if they do not return.

Develop cites some figures that indicate that the loss of similar tax breaks in the U.K. has resulted in a shrinkage of that market, as well as job losses overseas.

[via Develop]

Email the author , or follow on , and .

Filed under: , , ,
Comments
sort by date:
  • by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 10:04 AM
    Sounds like some pretty bad news. I have alwasy been interested in how game developers seem to flock to the Montreal in France and the Montreal in Canada. Seems like the Frenchies like their games.
  •
    by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 10:22 AM
    Damn you Canada!!!
  •
    by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 10:26 AM
    I don't really care where they go as long as no one loses their job and they keep making games. Heavy Rain was fantastic and I would love to see more from the studio, although I guess I could always play indigo prophecy.
  • by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 10:56 AM

    As long as the studio doesn't lose jobs or shut down over this, by all means do what you have to do to keep going. I'm not sure how the french tax breaks work, but I would think if it has been going on already that it wouldn't be a big hinder to other countries. If the tax breaks are that important to the companies, I would hope they would be reinstated.

  • by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 11:29 AM
    They should just move to America, where big business pays about 20% of the taxes us poor ol' regular folk do!
  •
    by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 11:29 AM
    I hope they know what theyre doing. theyre risking a lot for some tax breaks.
  •
    by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 11:31 AM

    I'm playing Heavy Rain now and would hate to see their incredible talent go to waste.

  •
    by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 11:35 AM

    and yet once again Quantic Dream is in the news about B.S than really what matters.. as in.. are you making games anymore.. they only dropped Heavy Rain.. and its awesome since then upgraded their studio.. bash LA NOIRE.. and still cant even provide a screenshot of what they've been up for the past 3 years!

    enough already .. you guys are history

  •
    by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 12:27 PM

    Bring them over.  Then they can get some voice actors that sound natural.  Instead of some European imitation of a New York accent. It's odd because a lot of British actors say that doing an American accent isn't that hard.

  •
    by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 12:48 PM

    The companies may want to move, but not all the employees will. The almighty dollar.. or euro, in his case (for now)

  •
    by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 02:02 PM

    Guillaume de Fondaumiere. Oh, this greedy *** again? Who threw a temper tantrum because he "lost money to used game sales" on his *** game? Jesus Christ. -_-

  •
    by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 02:07 PM

    Just another corparation threatning th society that made there company possible.

  •
    by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 02:10 PM

    Come to North Carolina! We Have great tax benefits and I could really use a job, i mean You'd have a great asset to the company!

  •
    by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 04:47 PM

    I loved heavy rain and other french based games, and i hate to see them threaten to move but in all reality we would just see a few month delay on watever they are doing currently.

  •
    by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 05:03 PM

    I think this is one of the best Ps3 games because it uses the Ps3 controller to its fullest potential.

  • by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 05:24 PM

    No wonder canadians make better games!

  •
    by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 08:15 PM

    Socialism is expensive.

  •
    by Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 11:09 PM

    I welcome them with open arms to North America.  Screw Europe.

  •
    by Thursday, February 09, 2012 at 11:51 AM

    All Hail Canadia in all its Moosey Glory!!