Sony warns of UK dev investment slowdown

With the UK’s potential games industry tax break off the political agenda, Sony has warned that it might have to cut back on funding British games projects.

In piece by the Financial Times looking at publisher reactions to last week’s decision to drop the promised tax relief, SCE UK MD Ray Maguire said that while established Sony studios are safe, their growth will slow without subsidies.

Sony owns a number of studios in the UK – SCE London Studio, Media Molecule, SCE Liverpool, SCE Cambridge, Evolution and BigBig.

“The existing plans will continue but any further new developments would have to be looked at," said Maguire.

"Maybe something that was planned for the UK would go abroad now."

Sony owns a number of studios in the USA and Japan, plus Guerrilla Games in Amsterdam, Holland.

Magurie’s comments come in unison with those of Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, who also told the FT that no tax breaks means lower investment in the UK games sector.