In a statement of support for the recent decision to include computing in the UK national curriculum, Microsoft UK has made a video blog highlighting the importance of teaching children how to code.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25EFd_z9DcY#t=58
“We have already in the UK real talent in this area,” states Hugh Milward, of Microsoft UK, “We need to make sure that we continue to invest and to nurture both the talent and the conditions for start-ups and other industries to invest here in the UK. Or we will see it growing elsewhere.”
The UK games industry sector has had a recent spate of good luck, with the European Commission approving tax relief credit totaling 188million pounds and a governmental endorsement which more or less acknowledged that computing and development have a positive impact on the local economy. This endorsement came in the form of an allocated £500,000 to train teachers in software coding, with parallel contributions from Google, Microsoft, the Royal Society for Engineering and other local industry leaders.
This is good news for all aspiring developers, regardless of whether they want to work with Xbox, PC, Playstation or other formats.
The UK Coalition government has a strong interest in making the UK the place for future tech innovation, which covers a broad spectrum of development that includes games as well as software and hardware.
(Title quote: Chris Charla, Director ID@Xbox)