One Xbox, PS4: an economic windfall that France should not ... - Le Nouvel Observateur

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Xbox One presented at E3 in Los Angeles June 11, 2013 (NEWSCOM / SIPA).

video game is it going to take a new direction? Public captivated by the game on smartphone and social networks will they see on consoles? Are they likely to appreciate gameplays deeper, longer scenarios? Are we witnessing a single transition or a real break? Here are the unknowns so that we meet the One Xbox and PS4 are about to leave.

A Revolution video game?

substantial decline in video game sales in the physical market in the USA and France leads us to believe that players reserve their budget for these new platforms. The PS4 has already sold well in the USA.

These new consoles are synonymous opportunities for the French video game, as is the case whenever new platforms emerge (see the Wii in 2005 and the iPhone in 2007, which contributed the democratization of the video game and the strengthening of the market).

recent years, Sony and Microsoft have made room in their blinds for independent games. This trend will increase the PS4 and Xbox One and independent developers will take this extra face to exist that are highly developed in recent years mobile ecosystems and have become a field of opportunity for natural speech Independent video game.

market has changed considerably in recent years, player profiles and changing practices diversify. New casual gamers should gradually be interested in these new platforms.

The good news lies in the ability of these new consoles to give pride of place to the original and innovative creations, so return to the DNA of our industry.

From the point of view of production professionals the arrival of these consoles is good news because it should come out a little from the usual suites success that have invaded the market in recent years.

10-15% of expected growth: France should not miss the boat

video game is a global industry whose economic issues beyond our borders. paperless distribution reinforces this competition. Every day, the French companies operate in a competition that confronts foreign companies whose regulatory, fiscal and social ecosystems are often much more favorable to the production of video games.

sector of excellence of the French economy is now facing a double challenge. Firstly, France faced a context of strong international competition, especially with the North American continent. North America and South-East Asia

Many countries, such as Singapore, Canada and especially Quebec, attracting many companies and talent thanks to substantial tax benefits.

Moreover, creation, uses, technologies and business models that cultural industries are changing due to the diversification of platforms, including required to consolidate the financial structure of new players who invested the gaming segment for internet, mobile devices (phones, tablets) and social networks.

The challenge now is to pick on the French territory, a part of the global growth sector announced between 10 to 15% for 2013 and beyond in 2014.

We must reform the tax credit

Our lack of competitiveness is a real handicap. Actions taken by France, including the tax credit video game, helped stem the loss of jobs in the industry, after a severe crisis in the early 2000s, during which France lost more than 5000 jobs and moved from fifth to seventh in the world.

However, the hexagonal video game already has many advantages: creativity and innovation internationally recognized, efficient initial training, artists and famous and dynamic companies with a strong international visibility technicians. In fact, the French industry suffers mainly from a lack of competitiveness in the face of aggressive foreign tax practices.

French

devices can now simply to stem the brain drain and the disappearance of teams, but it is essential that not only the competitiveness of our businesses is revitalized with current devices but also that investment in our industry regain strength. It is only by combining both the France again become a leading country in the production of video games.

The tax credit was designed in 2003 and implemented in 2008, it is now ten years. As it exists today, it is no longer adapted to the new productions, developing markets and therefore simply to production issues of our businesses. In 2012, the fiscal impact of the tax credit was € 2 million for just three productions approved against twenty projects in 2008 to a tax expense of € 13 million.

A device that proved

This loss of efficiency of the device is due to a change in economic paradigm and successive changes in our industry. It is therefore unthinkable that the only tax system that allows today to act on the competitiveness of our businesses is no longer suited to video game markets. It is urgent to give full effectiveness to the device, it is in this spirit that thought reform tax credit video game, currently being discussed in Parliament.

to change the eligibility criteria for the device reform aims. And known since 2010 that this mechanism is as virtuous in its report on tax credits, the CNC stated that for 1 euro of tax credit commitment (PDF), the State receives 1.80 Recipe tax and 6.70 euros are spent in the sector. The fiscal impact of the reform will be from 4 to 6 million euros only with investment returns mentioned above.

Supported by the Minister of Culture and Minister of Digital Economy and many parliamentarians, professionals will therefore mobilize now to convince Matignon and the Department of Budget of the positive impact of this reform, both for Public Finance for our economy, so that by 2014 the productions made by French companies to benefit from new positive effects of the measure.

Reforming the tax credit has become imperative and will also welcome foreign companies on the French territory. We need the next studio Rockstar settled in France.