The film industry of Texas wants the video games industry to get its own tax credits, according to a report in the Texas Tribune. Currently both the video games and film industries in the state share funds from the same pool – a fact that advocates for the film industry want to change. Advocates from the film industry in the state are asking the state legislature to create a separate fund for the video games industry as part of this year’s budget.

Since 2008, both industries get funding from the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program, commonly referred to as the film incentives program. It provides grants to companies that hire Texas workers to develop film, television, commercial or video game projects within its borders. The program received around $95 million in the last budget and has give out an estimated $52 million in grants since 2013.

The Texas Association of Business and the Texas Hotel and Lodging Association are behind the efforts to get the incentives separated in the state. The video game industry’s biggest lobbying group, the Entertainment Software Association, says that it is not opposed to splitting up incentives but thinks that there is not enough to put together a feasible plan to do it in this year’s budget and that the program is working very well in its present state.

In the last two years, video game companies received more than $16 million in grants and spent nearly $96 million on projects in Texas. There are an estimated 180 video games companies in Texas. Television, commercial and film companies were granted about $36 million and spent $200 million in the state. There are more than 210 film and television production companies in Texas.

http://www.gamepolitics.com/2015/03/09/texas-film-industry-doesnt-want-share-tax-incentives-video-game-makers#.VP5sFUL_ShY