In short:
- Scheduled customs tariffs can increase consoles, games and accessories prices by hitting players' wallets.
- Experts foretell a simplification in the number of physical releases of games. This will limit their availability.
- Digital versions of the games can besides get better due to the fact that prices are frequently adapted to physical releases.
Customs can change everything.
The offer of 25% tariff for goods from Mexico and Canada, which Donald Trump plans to introduce on 1 February, could seriously affect the video game industry. Mexico and Canada account for 30% of imports to the US, and the production of many consoles, accessories and physical copies of games is based on these regions. Experts inform that fresh regulations can drastically increase product prices, especially specified as the upcoming Nintendo control 2, whose production cost mostly depends on materials imported from Mexico.
This would affect players who would not only gotta pay more, but would besides have limited access to physical versions of games.
Industry in search of solutions
Some companies are already trying to respond to possible changes. The strategies include the retention of products prior to the introduction of duties and the relocation of production outside the tariff regions. However, these actions have their limitations. Production requiring advanced infrastructure, specified as consoles or physical media, cannot be easy transferred to another countries. This makes possible tariffs can have long-term effects on the US video gaming marketplace – expanding costs and reducing availability.
Trump will hold GTA 6 premiere
Experts besides foresee that Trump's trade policy can affect delays in the long-awaited Premieres of games specified as GTA 6. The task supported by the Heritage Foundation raises controversy over the possible introduction of restrictions on media, which present force and adult content. Although Trump has officially distanced himself from this project, its assumptions propose games like GTA 6 may be influenced by fresh regulations.
Did you know that...
According to manufacture reports, about 60% of the physical copies of games sold in the US come from a production located in Mexico. The introduction of 25% of tariffs can not only rise gaming prices, but besides force manufacturers to look for fresh locations. We must prepare for possible delays by the Prime Minister of more or little popular titles scheduled for this year.
