LANSING – The Michigan Film Office announced today that Ghost Game has been approved for a digital media incentive from the state.
Ghost Game is the second video game to be approved for that state’s digital media incentives. The video game will be produced for Xbox360 and Playstation 3.
“Growing our state’s video game industry presents an incredible opportunity to create the high-skilled, good-paying jobs that attract and retain young talent in our state,” said Carrie Jones, director of the Michigan Film Office. “Ghost Game is not only hiring Michigan programmers and engineers; it also makes Detroit an integral part of the narrative, putting our state in front of millions of gamers across the country.”
Ghost Game was awarded an incentive of $411,650 on $1,029,125 of projected in-state expenditures. The project is expected to hire 25 Michigan workers with a full time equivalent of 15 jobs.
The game’s storyline builds off the popular “Ghost Hunting” genre and is set at the fictional apartment building, the The Garrick Arms, in Detroit. In the game, the building, originally open in 1939 as a hotel for visitors to the North American International Auto Show, has seen a number of tragic events within its walls over the years. Players must investigate paranormal activity in the building and try to solve the disappearance of Margaret Reynolds – a tenant who vanished under mysterious circumstances in 1954.
Other video games Scientifically Proven Entertainment has produced include Man vs. Wild, Rock of the Dead and Real Heroes: Firefighter.
In 2011, 15 projects have been approved with $23,160,025 in incentives being awarded on $55,673,677 of approved production expenditures for the year. These projects are expected to create 1,703 Michigan hires with a full time equivalent of 370 jobs.
All applications for film incentives receive a thorough review by a Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) committee comprised of the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications, the Senior Vice President of Policy, the Vice President of Business Development and the Director of the Michigan Film Office.
The current statute is used to guide approval decisions. Preference is given to projects that best meet the following criteria:
- The production is financially viable.
- Utilization of existing infrastructure (studios, post-production facilities, film labs, etc.).
- The number and wage levels of direct jobs for Michigan residents created by a production.
- Ability to show Michigan in a positive light and promote the state as a tourist destination.
- Magnitude of estimated expenditures in Michigan.
The film incentive program will continue to be jointly administered by the Michigan Film Office and the Department of Treasury and all projects must be approved in concurrence with the state treasurer. Since the incentives took effect in April 2008, the Film Office and the Department of Treasury have approved a total of $384,225,839 in film incentives on $977,046,781 in total qualified expenditures by productions in Michigan. This represents 220 projects that have been approved to date, including 153 projects that have actually wrapped in the state.
