Games industry must "come together" to deal with riot fallout

With more violence and looting likely to come, one leading UK industry figure has called for the industry to unite in the face of unprecedented High Street disruption.

I think all of us who live in Britain have been saddened, devastated and disgusted in equal measure with the events of the last three days,” prominent UK industry figure Andy Payne told MCV.

We have seen our shops looted and our citizens under attack. With branches of HMV, Game, Curry’s being trashed and games amongst other swag being brazenly displayed on the internet, the whole episode has taken another dark twist with the arson attack on Sony DADC’s distribution centre in Enfield last night.

Whatever the underlying reasons behind this thuggery, some working people in our industry will not be returning to work anytime soon. That is simply not acceptable and we must come together as an industry to help one another in anyway we can.

I was heartened to take calls from competitors of Sony DADC offering help this morning.”

Payne also credited MCV for the part it played in the London Evening Standard’s decision yesterday to alter a front page a story that had accused Rockstar title Grand Theft Auto of inspiring the riots.

I would also like to thank the members of the trade press who managed to convince a major London newspaper to change it’s headline last night which sought to blame our industry for this thuggery,” he added. That newspaper publisher did the right thing. We should all do the right things not just now, but in the future.

There will be a political debate no doubt and now is not the time to make any political points. We should stand together as an industry and help our fellow colleagues. We should salute our public servants, the police, firemen, ambulance teams and above all come together to do our part give hope and try and help solve the deep rooted problems facing some of our young people today.

If you have any ideas on how we can help rebuild our future, please contact me Andy.Payne@Mastertronic.com. Right now we need ideas, innovation, and solutions not the tired old clichs that get trotted out.”