Quote :

"North Carolina Signs Game Dev Tax Break Into Law 22 July 2010 4:08 pm North Carolina joined the ranks of regions like Canada today when its governor signed into law a games-industry-friendly bill that would offer a tax credit to all companies involved in the production of "digital media." In the midst of the worldwide economic downturn, taxes are a big deal - particularly in our industry, and there especially in the light of the Canada vs. UK kerfuffle. Today brings good news to game developers in North Carolina, however, as Governor Beverly Perdue signed a bill into law that would provide economic incentives for all companies in the state involved in "interactive digital media productions." When the bill goes into effect on January 1, 2011, NC-based companies "will receive a 15 percent tax credit on compensation and wages for employees" who are involved with making interactive digital media (read: videogames) or the engines and platforms that run such digital media (read: game engines). Governor Perdue signed House Bill 1973 into law today at the Cary, NC headquarters of Epic Games, creators of Gears of War and the popular Unreal middleware engine - a developer that fits both criteria. Epic isn't the only developer in or around North Carolina's Research Triangle, either. The Triangle is home to companies like Tom Clancy developers Red Storm, a branch of Ratchet & Clank creator Insomniac, Matt Hazard makers Vicious Cycle and Atomic Games, the developers of the ill-fated Six Days in Fallujah and the anticipated downloadable title Breach. It's also the home base of The Escapist, so represent, guys. Represent."

Full article here:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.217227-North-Carolina-Signs-Game-Dev-Tax-Break-Into-Law

7/23/2010 11:12:54 AM

So what exactly is the justification here?

7/23/2010 12:52:47 PM

Why is the TSB material?

Quote :

"So what exactly is the justification here?"

To encourage Game Developers to come to NC. To encourage existing Game Developers in NC to hire more people. Etc. It's a giant fucking industry and thanks to Epic (sorry Red Storm) we have a name for being an area that's good for it.

7/23/2010 12:54:04 PM

Quote :

"Why is the TSB material?"

The Soap Box
politics, social issues, financials

Maybe its not. But I figured the governor signing something into law counts as gov/politics, and economic development incentives from the gov counts as financials.

Mostly though I've been trying to help broaden the soap box participation. Specifically I recently said in one of my threads:

Quote :

"Easier ways to participate, non-combative, lighter fare. The Soap Box will never be chit chat, but no reason it can't have a greater variety of thread types that are still in the realm politics & news."

I created a polling thread where you can simply post a poll & done, created the political symbols images thread, the Your Voting History thread where you can look up your own or anyone's voting record & party affiliation, created the Soap Box Subject Game thread, bumped the Where do you get your news/information thread after nearly 4 months of inactivity, and have participated a lot in the Find common Ground with the person above you thread. And I have long been a proponent of shorter, more frequent threads to keep the soap box from stagnating. In fact the voter look up thread was copied and posted in Chit Chat, with credit to TSB, and got nearly twice as many posts there.

I thought a topic on the over lap of politics & video games could help continue that trend.

[Edited on July 23, 2010 at 1:27 PM. Reason : .]

7/23/2010 1:24:54 PM