Fair Game Project

Taxes in Brazil for eletronics are huge and games are no exception. Here a new released game is often sold for R$250 (app. 150US$) because of importing tax burdens. I know, I know, it's abusing! However, in the past year a new idea took form, and it's getting increadible force: it's the Fair Game Project ("Jogo Justo" in Portuguese).

Here is a description of this project as adapted from its official website (in Portuguese, but with google translation resource):

The Fair Game Project, conceived by Moacyr Alves Júnior, seeks to reduce the tax burden in imported games sold here in Brazil. The intention is to show through a report based on business information from developers and retailers that the national game market has a huge potential. The Fair Game Project aims to reduce the price of games, video game equipment and its peripherals, ensuring that the final consumer has an increasing contact with games, a form of culture spreading through the world. As a result, the domestic market will develop, in addition to the possibility of producers setting up in Brazil, generating more jobs in the industry. The Fair Game Project is independent of political, business and generating profits.

This project began in the second semester of 2010 and in this November it will be presented the benefits of reducing the tax burden of games sold in Brazil, where the games would be sold from R$250.00 (app. 150US$) for R$99.00 (app. 58US$). If approved, the plan could start at the beginning of 2011.

Since the beginning of the project, they were able to gain support of several retailers, producers, game related press, etc. like Konami, Activision, Blizzard, EA, THQ, Hudson, Nintendo World, etc.

Let's hope this project is put into practice, so that not only brazilian gamers are able to purchase games on fairer rates, increasing the game market and maybe even attracting game companies to Brazil like Ubisoft, some years ago.... :)