None
Wisconsin’s new 25 percent tax credits for the film and television industry contains an innovative component not found in most state’s incentives packages – incentives for the video gaming industry. Qualifying game developers can also take advantage of the 25 percent incentives. The incentive includes a 25 percent rebate on qualified production related expenditures plus a 15 percent credit for infrastructure development. With the increased activity in film production in the state the interest in developing infrastructure is growing rapidly with several projects underway. Mike Crowns, director of product development at Madison, Wisconsin’s Raven Software, a division of Activision creator of such titles as “Marvel Ultimate Alliance”, “Soldier of Fortune I & II”, and “Quake IV” said “I truly believe that the tax incentive will greatly assist the growth of game development in the State of Wisconsin” says Mike. Raven Software’s success has lead to several “spin-off” companies including Human Head Studios (“Prey”) and then from Human Head another spin-off Big Rooster (currently developing titles for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, & Nintendo DS) increasing the presence of game developers in the state. Additionally several Wisconsin schools have recently increased their offerings to include more animation classes and game development degree tracks. This includes a planned motion capture studio at the Milwaukee Area Technical College, which feeds both the Milwaukee and Madison workforces. Add to that an excellent quality of life with Madison’s suburb, Middleton, recently recognized as the top city to live in by Fortune 500 magazine. The centralized Midwestern location makes Wisconsin convenient to each of the coasts. Plus with high quality, affordable housing and office stock and you’ve got a recipe for a new Mecca for game development!
|
