IT contractors could find new opportunities in the game industry if the government supports it sufficiently.

Chris Deering, non-executive chairman at Codemasters, claimed that the UK's sector is at the forefront of digital entertainment and has been for some time.

He claimed that the key assets British IT contractors provide are innovation, logical thought and a practical approach to getting things done.

Despite this, he warned that it is important for the government to acknowledge how quickly the rest of the world is catching up with this and to put measures in place to safeguard against this.

Mr Deering stated: "[It] is as big as the movie industry and it is moving online faster than the music industry."

His comments were made at the Westminster eForum keynote seminar on the UK computer and video games industry, which covered topics including new revenue streams and the way that tax breaks and other policy instruments can support the sector.