EA's Jeff Brown confirmed to the Atlanta Business Chronicle that the publisher is considering the Peach State for a multimillion-dollar investment, but didn't go into details why. It's likely that the labor and operating expenses in the South would be less than in California, but the proximity to a well trained workforce in a large city like Atlanta doesn't hurt, either. Savannah also is home to the respected Savannah College of Art and Design.

Also helping is the legislation Georgia passed last year that upped tax credits for game makers to 30 percent. EA's Brown cited that figure as a definite encouragement to the publisher.

Atlanta is already home to about 70 game makers. And Fahey.

Electronic Arts Eyes Atlanta [Atlanta Business Chronicle]

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The cleverly-titled ARhrrrr is a concept demonstration for an augmented reality mobile phone game that pits players armed with guns and Skittles bombs against an invading army of zombies, all superimposed over a real-world map. Through the magic of the NVIDIA Tegra GPU, the map springs to full 3D life when viewed through the phone's camera, allowing the player to circle the map in his helicopter, shooting zombies, saving humans, and using different colored Skittles as explosives.

It's yet another intriguing example of augmented reality gaming at work, though we must ask...who wants to play a game associated with Skittles?

ARhrrrr! [Georgia Tech's Augmented Reality Lab - Thanks Tiago!]

The game in question is "Border Patrol" (sample its tastefulness above), a 2006 release that sees you trying to stop Mexicans from crossing the US border. The game tasks you with stopping three kinds of Mexican immigrants: Mexican Nationalists, Drug Dealers & "Breeders". Classy.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the game Dowdy, in his infinite wisdom, thought he'd pass it along to his office colleagues, along with the following recommendation:

THIS IS WAY TOO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!!!!!! Makes you feel better anyway, I did my part today, I kept a few from coming over!!! GET READY —- THEY ARE FAAAST! ! !

It will not surprise you to learn, then, that once this came to light (and he was sued), Dowdy resigned from his post.

Georgia City Councilman Resigns, Is Sued After e-mailing Racist Game [Game Politics]

So what is Global Agenda? Let's quote the official press information: "GLOBAL AGENDA is a fast-paced action MMO using Unreal® Engine 3 set in Earth’s near future, a spy-fi world of advanced technology and player-driven conflict." The game is set in the 22nd century following a severe global disaster. Players created factions fight and scheme against each other while going up against totalitarian world government hell-bent on completely dominating the populace. Full scale wars have been replaced with covert operations taking place all over the planet between rival factions.

As I get into the gameplay of Global Domination, it's important to note that the game is at an extremely early state. Hi-Rez has been focusing completely on nailing the combat portion of the game above all else, and through the use of both random focus groups and a regular team of weekly testers are continuing to hone the experience. Factors such as world economy, social gathering spots, and the more persistent side of a persistent world game are still in the works. This hands on was character creation and combat alone.

So, after taking a tour of the offices and spending way too much time talking to the guy working on rendering a new cinematic about his Transformers collection, I was led into the room where the regular weekly testing group was playing. Comments and taunts were flying as a wide variety of people took up arms against each other in what looked like a rather intense multiplayer match. Being slightly terrified of jumping right into a match with experienced players playing a game I've never touched, I was relieved when I was told I would be guided through a solo mission with bots first.

Character creation at this point was pretty straightforward. You select a head, some hair, your sex (though only males were currently available), and then pick a class from one of the four available - soldier, scout, medic, and robotic-technician. After picking a soldier for the sake of simplicity and making him suitably handsome and rugged (live the dream!), I logged into the game, where I was given a chance to outfit my character with various weapons, pieces of armor, and technical devices. Each piece of equipment came in variable strengths, each taking up an increasing number of skill slots. Having only a certain number of slots available (20 in this case), I assigned my character a powerful rocket launcher and mini-gun, a melee weapon, some EMP grenades to deal with machine foes, and a few other odds and ends to make things difficult for my enemies to take me down. Once I finished overflowing my skill slots and then paring my load out down to something a bit more realistic, I was launched into a solo match, with bots filling out the enemy roster.

Fighting takes place in third-person view, with your mouse controlling a targeting reticule. According to the devs, they had experimented with a variety of targeting techniques including assisted targeting (boo!), eventually settling on a system much like your traditional online shooter, only a bit more forgiving when it comes to precision. Weapons and equipment are loaded into a hotbar across the top of the screen, making it easy to toss aside your rocket launcher and pull out your mini-gun when the situation calls for it.

The mission, which took place on in an icy environment, consisted of three separate goals. First my bot companions and I had to take over a control point, which we achieved relative quickly thanks to my missile launcher. Unfortunately, blowing up large amounts of enemies in one shot tends to attract attention, and I died and respawned several times.

Once the point was captured, our next goal was to push a container through a narrow canyon as the enemy tried to push it back. This took a bit longer, but eventually I found some high ground on the canyon edge and helped my AI buddies save the day.

The final task was a battle against a gigantic spider-like mech, and I helped out the team by dying over and over again. I am not sure, but I feel they appreciated it, in bot sort of way. Unfortunately the timer for the mission expired and we failed, but I feel like I made a few friends.

The combat itself was fast and responsive, and rather enjoyable, especially when fighting against bots with bots. The AI they had in place actually had me getting healed now and again, which was pleasant. If I had to compare it to anything, I'd say Unreal Tournament III is a close comparison, which makes sense given that they're using the Unreal Engine 3 to build the thing.

Once my mission was over, it was time to fight against the real players. I created a new character, this time opting for the scout, which might have been a mistake, considering my usual shooter play style of running at the enemy screaming until they die. I am not good at stealth. The results of the round showed this.

The match was a basic multiplayer affair, with our team defending a control point from the enemy team. It became clear from the get-go that Global Agenda is going to be a game where communication and strategy is key. If fact, from the brief time I had, I would say that this will be the sort of MMO that traditional shooter clans could do very well at indeed. As it stood, the two teams were communicating throughout the match, in between my apologies for dying as quickly as I did.

My scout carried a rifle that could only be fired in scope mode, which enabled me to actually get a few kills before my normal run-and-gun instincts took over. My sword took out a couple more of the opposing team, though more often than not I was the one on the end of the blade. For powers I somehow missed out on taking stealth (stupid) and instead chose bionics, which allowed me to run faster and jump higher for a period of time, but sadly didn't help my dying situation much.

Still, despite my ineptitude I did manage to have a great deal of fun. The best thing I can say about Global Agenda is that by the time my play session ended, I wanted to play more, which happens with far less frequency than you would think.

I think focusing on the core combat systems was a good strategy for Hi-Rez to adapt. Too many times the more froo-froo bits of an MMO can detract both programmers and players from flaws in the gameplay until it's too late. Global Agenda's combat, even at this early state, has a great deal of potential. It's definitely a game I'll be keeping track of as they flesh out the world these entertaining battles take place in.

Currently, a bill still in its early stages geared to provide subsidies for film studios that set up shop in the state includes similar support for game development. Game developers in Massachusetts would be able to claim tax credits for 20 percent of the cost of establishing a facility, if they invest at least $500,000 of their own money - the same initiative recently signed into law in Georgia.

With 1,000 video game industry employees, Massachusetts ranks fifth in the country behind California, Washington, Texas and New York as far as how many developers are employed in the industry there, according to the ESA. Turbine, Blue Fang Games and Harmonix are all headquartered in the state.

It remains unclear whether the bill will achieve final approval, but a legislative committee recently passed it by a narrow 5-4 margin.

Turbine CFO Peter Faubert talked to the Globe about how the tax credit might help the company expand:

Peter Faubert, Turbine's chief financial officer, said film-style tax credits could be a boon for video game companies. He said Turbine, which has been growing rapidly and recently raised $40 million in venture capital, is searching for a larger headquarters in the Boston area. The company has 300 employees, but plans to hire as many as 100 more by the end of 2009 and requires additional space.

Faubert said some towns have already mentioned the possibility of offering Turbine property tax incentives, though they probably won't be large enough to affect the company's decision on where to site its headquarters.

"We're trying to make our plans based on our business today, rather than a tax incentive," he said. But Faubert said tax credits could help the business expand further.

Game makers may get a break [Boston Globe via Develop]

Qualifying productions spending at least $500,000 in the state will qualify for a 20% tax credit, with an additional 10% granted if said productions included an animated Georgia logo in the finished product.

As a member of the gaming press residing just minutes away from beautiful downtown Atlanta, I welcome any and all game developers to our lovely state. If you need crash space, give me a call.

Hit the jump for the full press release.

Georgia Boosts Incentives for Entertainment Industry

Monday, May 12, 2008

ATLANTA- Governor Sonny Perdue today signed into law the 2008 Entertainment Industry Investment Act (HB 1100), new legislation designed to encourage entertainment industry productions in Georgia. The signing ceremony took place at the studios of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), where the Governor was joined by Phil Kent, chairman and CEO of TBS, Inc., and over 100 attendees including legislators, industry leaders and members of the entertainment industry.

"We know that our excellent talent base and outstanding locations make Georgia a very desirable place to film," said Governor Sonny Perdue. "This legislation puts in place the economic cornerstone that will encourage producers to convert that desire into action."

The 2008 Entertainment Industry Investment Act reinforces and strengthens Georgia's position within the entertainment industry. The new, more competitive incentives replace those currently in use by offering a 20 percent tax credit for qualified productions, which are then eligible for an additional 10 percent tax credit if they include an animated Georgia promotional logo within the finished product.

The incentives apply not only to qualified films, TV series, commercials and music videos, but also to video game productions. The economic impact of all these entertainment segments in Georgia was $413 million in 2007.

"We're proud of this legislation; alot of the credit goes to Governor Perdue for setting up the film commission," said Rep. Butch Parrish, a sponsor of the legislation. "I think this bill will jump start the Georgia film industry."

"This new incentive allows Georgia to once again compete for an industry we used to be famous for," said Sen. Mitch Seabaugh. "It will be a catalyst that will spur immediate economic investment and create jobs. Georgia will once again be on center stage where it belongs."

"The new incentives will put Georgia among the top five states in the U.S. in terms of financial competitiveness for entertainment projects," said Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). "We expect to see an increase in the number of industry jobs and overall economic impact for the state in the coming years."

The state has seen success in the past with competitive incentives. The 2005 Entertainment Industry Investment Act (HB 539), signed by Governor Perdue in 2005, led to a record-setting economic impact in 2006 when film, television and video game companies contributed $475 million to Georgia's economy, up from $124 million in 2004. The total economic impact of entertainment productions from 2005 through 2007 has been over $1.17 billion, due in large part to Georgia's entertainment incentives. Since then, however, film activity in the state has decreased as other states, regions and nations boosted their competitive packages.

"The 2008 Entertainment Industry Investment Act (HB 1100) will return Georgia to its rightful place of prominence in all major entertainment industry segments," stated Bill Thompson, deputy commissioner of the Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Office, a division of GDEcD. "We expect a significant increase in film and television projects, and Georgia will be the most competitive state in the country for video game productions.

Georgiais one of the few states whose entertainment incentives support the video game industry."

Governor Perdue was joined at the event by Sen.Greg Goggans, who carried the legislation in the Senate, Rep. Ron Stephens, and Rep. Rich Golick.

"House Bill 1100 is a key piece to the puzzle in sustaining Georgia's entertainment industry for the long haul," said Ric Reitz, an actor and producer from Atlanta. "It will provide many new jobs for Georgians, improve the state's entertainment infrastructure, and grow Georgia's indigenous companies."

The Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Office, formerly known as the Film, Video and Music Office, conducts extensive business development, sales, marketing and promotional activities in order to attract entertainment projects and businesses to the state. The office also assists the local, national and international entertainment industries with information, expertise and resources. The staff points movie production companies to Georgia's highly-trained crews, state-of-the-art facilities, and diverse locations. Georgia's temperate climate and easy access afforded by Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport are also factors that attract the industry's interest.

Georgiahas been investing in the entertainment industry for over 35 years. Since the inception of the Georgia Film Commission in 1973, more than 575 major motion pictures, independent films, television series and pilots, and TV movies have filmed on location in the state. As a result, over $5 billion has been generated for the state's economy. Georgia's music industry continues to thrive with an economic impact of $1.97 billion in 2007. Movies were first produced in Georgia as early as 1912, and have continued without interruption during every decade since then.

I received an interesting package from the State of Georgia over the weekend. It was from the Digital Entertainment Liaison for the Georgia Department of Economic Development's Film, Music and Video office.

Inside was a copy of the "Videogame Style Guide and Reference Manual" and little pack of press releases singing the praises of Georgia and pointing out that the state has become "a hotbed for video game industry development."

Hotbed you say? Read on.

According to the press release there are more than 50 game developers and publishers in the state employing more than 2,000 people. And Georgia is ranked number four in terms of compensation levels for game developers.

But all that's sort of icing on the cake, the meat of the pack was about how the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act offers a sizable incentive to video game companies for producing games there. Devs and publishers get as much as a 12 percent tax break.

Why should you care about this? Because it means that state's are starting to woo game developers they way they woo other businesses in other industries and if they're willing to spend cold hard cash, in the form of tax breaks, then more than likely they will also be sure to protect their investment from idiotic laws that attack the product of these companies. In other words: State governments are finally starting to open their eyes to the value of the video game industry.