Video gaming in Brazil

The Brazilian video game market is growing at a rapid pace. It is the 11th highest grossing country in the world in terms of game revenues - $1.3 billion, with the total number of gamers at 48.8 million.

Market

Brazil is now the largest games market in Latin America followed by Mexico.

National companies of games trying to change that with the government: in August 2006, Abragames submitted to the Ministry of Finance a plan suggesting ways of reducing the tax burden to the games. For now, the proposal is under evaluation.

"In case of changes, we believe the government will raise about $2 billion in five years", explains Marcelo Nunes de Carvalho, president of Abragames (Brazilian Association of Game Developers). For comparison purposes, on average, the government collects about $65 million annually, with taxes on games and consoles, which is almost the same for five years and almost nil when compared to the projection of Abragames.^[1]

Censorship

Counter-Strike and Everquest

Since January 2008, the marketing of Counter-Strike is prohibited in the Brazilian territory, by decision of the justice of the country . The judge argues that Counter-Strike and EverQuest games "bring immanent stimulus to the subversion of social order, attack on the democratic state and law and against public security, impose a ban and withdrawal from the market." The company claimed that the game stage that the court used as a reason to ban the sale was cs_rio and that was in fact produced by fans, not available in the original game. However, the judge Silva Costa won and the game is banned to be sold.^[2] As of 2013, only Retail sale of the game is banned.

Bully

Bully was banned in Brazil. In April 2008, the Brazilian justice prohibited the trade, import and availability of the game in the country. The decision was taken by Judge Flávio Rabelo Mendes, from the state of Rio Grande do Sul based on a study done by the psychological status of psychology, which states that the game can be potentially harmful for adolescents and adults. Anyone who is caught selling the game in Brazil will have to pay a fine of R$ 1,000

Video game development

Game developers from Brazil

Media

Print Media

• EGM Brasil, since 2002
• Nintendo World, since 1998
• Revista Xbox 360, since 2008

Brazilian video game rating

The DJCTQ (Department of Justice, Rating, Titles and Qualification) is the institute responsible for the software given for review on Brazil.

External links

• ABRAGAMES site (Brazilian Association of Game Developers) (Portuguese)
• ACIGAMES site (Commercial, Industrial and Cultural Gaming Association) (Portuguese)

References