Computer game manufacturers are set to win tax breaks – if they include more British characters and locations.
Draft legislation designed to boost the gaming industry in the UK will grant financial relief for the developers of any game that is deemed British enough.
Games can pass the “British” test if they satisfy a number of criteria on a points system – with 16 points the top score.
Developers will get four points if at least three quarters of the game is set in the UK but only two points if half the game is set in the UK.
Points are also awarded if most of the main characters are British or the game is scripted entirely in English, including slang and regional dialect.
The plans were introduced in George Osborne’s autumn budget and will grant up to a 25 per cent tax relief on games which pass the test.
Officials say the aim is to keep successful games companies like Rockstar North, the team behind the successful Grand Theft Auto Series, in the UK.
A Treasury statement read: “Following consultation on their design, the Government will ensure that the reliefs are among the most generous in the world.”