What We Do
TIGA's vision is to make the UK the best place in the world to do games business. Our mission is to fight for the interests of game developers. To achieve our vision and mission we focus on the delivery of three strategic objectives: political campaigning, profile raising and helping our members commercially. This means that TIGA members are effectively represented in the corridors of power, their voice is heard in the media and they receive commercial benefits, including a reduction in costs and improved business opportunities.
3. Helping Our Members Commercially
1. Political Campaigning
TIGA campaigns to represent the video game industry's interests at the highest political levels.
TIGA instigated the creation of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Computer and Video Games Industry in the Westminster Parliament in 2009 and 2010. We are campaigning to persuade policy makers to support the video games industry through: Games Tax Relief; enhanced R&D tax credits; measures to improve access to finance; the provision of prototype funding; help for developers to attend tradeshows; action to further improve education and skills and to promote business and university collaboration; and the provision of flexible migration and employment policies.
2. Profile Raising
TIGA is delivering a positive media campaign about the UK video games industry. Today we are achieving high levels of positive coverage about the UK industry. In 2010, TIGA represented the industry on the BBC Politics Show, Sky News, ITV national news, Scottish Television news, CNBC, Radio 4, Radio 5 Live and in every broadsheet newspaper in the UK.
TIGA offer services to help our members to grow their business.
3.1 Cutting business costs
a) Trade support
TIGA works to help UK games businesses maximise their export potential. We do this in partnership with UKT&I, the government organisation that helps UK based companies succeed in the global economy. TIGA operates UKT& Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP). The scheme supports UK businesses looking to exhibit at overseas trade shows by providing eligible firms with grants.
b) Affiliate members and services
We have created a network of affiliate members who can offer exclusive bespoke services to members at reduced or competitive prices. TIGA now has access to 30 organisations offering competitive deals and benefits to TIGA members in fields such as accountancy, art, audio, insurance, law, motion capture and technology.
c) Discounts on events
TIGA negotiates discounts of 10 – 25 per cent for members to attend conferences.
3.2 Information and advice
a) Commercial Collaboration
TIGA helps our members and supporters commercially by making introductions to potential business partners. Tell TIGA about new projects you are working on and then TIGA will seek to identify potential partners.
b) Information Request Service
Businesses who lack the right contacts or who may want a different expert opinion on a range of issues can contact us to speak to someone quickly and in confidence How does it work? Through partnerships with our affiliate members, TIGA is able to offer this free service for businesses. We aim to have all introductions made within 48 hours and everything you tell us is confidential What areas of advice are available?
c) Self-Publishing Service
TIGA is committed to helping UK game developers to publish their own video games. Developers now have access to more options in terms of platforms, genres, distribution and funding. TIGA has established a Self-Publishing Committee consisting of developers who self-publish to share best practice, information and experience. We also organise seminars on self-publishing in order to highlight the key issues for developers intent on publishing their own games. TIGA aims to provide best practice information on self-publishing for our members.
d) TIGA HR Group
TIGA's HR Group consists of the heads of HR from game development studios. The Group’s purposes is to: disseminate best practice about training, recruitment, retention, performance management and compliance issues; act as a forum to discuss HR issues affecting the games industry/act as a sounding board for TIGA policy pronouncements relating to HR issues; and assist in the execution of specific HR related projects. The Group shares experiences, enabling members to learn from each other and from invited speakers. For example, experts from Osborne Clarke have provided Group members with updates on employment law and on Umbrella contracts.
e) Preferred training suppliers
The TIGA HR Group helped to identify preferred training suppliers for TIGA members. The organisations in question all have experience of working in the games industry (Liz Rivers, The Leadership Factory, Scott Eaton, Creating Interactive Narratives and Escape Studios).
f) Best Practice Guides
Our Best Practice Guides, discounted for TIGA members, contains valuable information on operating in the games industry, including model contract agreements, information on R&D tax credits and sources of finance
3.3 TIGA Networking Events
As an inclusive part of your membership package, we believe you should have access to free or very low cost events, so we work with third parties to host great networking and knowledge exchange events that will benefit your business. To get involved contact nisha@tiga.org or visit tiga.org where full details of each event will be posted.
TIGA’s events address key industry issues (e.g. self-publishing), encouraged knowledge sharing (e.g. creative collaborations), enable members to raise their own profile via keynotes (e.g. self-publishing), and interact with senior policy makers (e.g. House of Commons events).
3.4 TIGA PR Service
At TIGA one of our key objectives is to raise the profile of the UK games industry and promote the issues that matter to our membership. TIGA is constantly in touch with national specialist and mainstream media.
New members receive a new member a press release which is distributed to the trade media announcing their membership of TIGA. New members also benefit from a 30-minute telephone call with our team to discuss their company and identify any areas where TIGA can promote their work. TIGA also refers new members to journalists who are looking for comments on industry news.
Renewing members are profiled within coverage that is generated by TIGA about the UK games industry. TIGA regularly refers journalists to members to provide comment on industry news. TIGA also aims to promote any specific industry news or issues that members feel are important to their company, region or the industry as a whole.