UKIE 'convinced' of TIGA merger

When the Electronic Leisure Software Publishers Association rebranded itself as UKIE--the Association for UK Interactive Entertainment--it presented itself as "a new champion for the entire video games and interactive entertainment industry." This was to the chagrin of TIGA, the developer trade body that had championed games tax relief and raising the profile and understanding of games in parliament.

Informal merger talks, which GameSpot UK understands had been ongoing since before ELSPA rebranded itself as UKIE, broke down last week. UKIE issued a statement saying that it hoped it and Tiga could continue to "work together on the key issues that the industry faces," while accepting a merger was off the table. When its board unanimously rejected any deal, TIGA made it clear that if UKIE shared its "aims and supported our mission," it would accept the other trade body as a member.

Speaking to GameSpot UK, UKIE's chairman Andy Payne said that he was "convinced there will be unity." The reason no progress had been made so far was "down to people," Payne said. Referring to the famously intractable personalities involved in the Northern Ireland peace process, he said it was just a matter of getting "Adams and Paisley to talk."

TIGA's chief executive Richard Wilson was not of this view. "A merger would be a major distraction for the business and would be against the interests of the wider UK games industry," he said. "TIGA has led the campaign for games tax relief," Wilson continued, "and TIGA has consistently supported this proposal; UKIE has not."

Support for some sort of merger has come from other quarters too. Speaking at the launch of the Livingstone-Hope skills review in London last month, Eidos life president Ian Livingstone said he felt unity was essential for the industry to move forward. More recently, Miles Jacobson, head of leading UK studio Sports Interactive, said of the two groups that "they both need to put their egos away and do what is right."

These calls have been echoed by members of parliament as well. Ed Vaizey, minister for culture, has long been an advocate of the two bodies joining forces to speak with a single voice, making the point once again at an event in London last month. John Whittingdale, chair of the culture, media, and sport select committee and cochair of the all-party group for video games, recently told GameSpot UK, "If you get different views from within the same industry, the immediate reaction from within government is 'go and sort it out between yourselves what you actually want before you come to us."