News Sony hiring for British Project Morpheus studio

I'm surprised any company would consider setting up UK based arms what with recent announcements about how the government are going to use metadata to fight tax evasion, and that it's now legal for the SS to break into 'suspected criminals' devices without a warrant.

 

Going by the Rift minimum specs, how Sony platting to power this boggles my mind!

 

If the rumours are correct about using staff from the Evolution studio (which was based in Wavertree Technology Park, Liverpool) then I am not sure it really is 'setting up' anything. I just hope that they don't pull the plug on it after a year or so.

 

If they say its an R+D studio they will get some good tax breaks anyway.

 

With a PS4, same as the current Morpheus demos.

Powering VR at 120Hz (actual, not interpolated, through Sony have an interpolator - AKA TimeWarp - system too) is easily possible with a PS4. You won't get as much graphical bling as with a GTX970 or R9 290X, but in terms of pushing out the required number of pixels at low enough latencies it's a non-issue.

 

The UK Gov actively tries to attract Video Gaming companies to the UK and gives tax credits worth 25% of qualifying production costs to do this.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/video-games-companies-to-begin-claiming-tax-relief

It's the same Tax Relief model that attracts film companies to the UK. The high-tech and creative industry is seen as a big part of the UK's future.

 

So the government is saying come to the UK and we will give you tax credits and other benefits, but we may hack your systems to find out if your being honest on those tax returns?

That's a bit like renting a house only to find out the landlord has a right to riffle through your stuff without your knowledge if they suspect you've done anything illegal.

 

I've worked in that sector and can honestly tell you that GCHQ don't give two hoots about dodgy tax returns!

 

GCHQ may not care about dodgy tax returns but the government does, ministers have said that the costs involved in the Draft Communications Data Bill would be recouped via preventing revenue loss through tax fraud and facilitating the seizure of criminal assets.

GCHQ may have the countries best interests at heart, people working there may only wish to keep us safe like most police officers have good intentions and only wish to keep the good people safe, to lock away the baduns, sadly GCHQ and the police are not separate from the state and they both have to dance to the tune the state plays.