MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
In 2015, the Brazilian video games market’s revenue reached $1.5bn (1.02bn), with a 23 per cent growth compared to the previous year.
Sony Brazil is currently the market leader, according to data firm Euromonitor, which states the company’s value sales grew by 18 per cent within video games in 2014. Surprisingly, Sony’s PS2 remains one of the best selling consoles in Brazil because of its affordable price.
Currently the 11th largest games market worldwide (and no. 1 in Latin America) according to the research firm Newzoo, the Brazilian video games sector has been influenced by the prohibition of imports until the 1990s.
Video games have been labelled as ‘non-essential products’, leading to high taxation that prevented manufacturers entering Brazil’s market. A 2011 law introduced an exemption on certain taxes, allowing the Brazilian games market to blossom.
Still, prices for video games in the country remain high, leaving the door open to piracy. The average annual spend per player is 29.68, according to Newzoo.
In 2015, Nintendo pulled out of the market, as a consequence of the high prices on electronics: the Wii U launched in the country in 2013 for about R$1,899 (560). The PS4 still costs nearly 1,000 but Sony will shortly begin to manufacture it in Brazil, which should reduce its local price.
Around 82 per cent of the nearly 34 million Brazilian gamers play on smartphones. 32 per cent of them even consider smartphones as their favourite platform for gaming, according to an analysis by developer Sioux and research company Blend.
Population: 207,848,000
Capital City: Braslia
Currency: Real
GDP (Per Capita): $11,208
KEY RETAILERS
Abrao Games, Action Game, Game Mania, World Game, GameStore, Big Shop, Submarino
TOP DISTRIBUTORS
Alcateia, Incomp, NC Games, Rcell, Zap Games
TOP DEVELOPERS
8D Games, GameBlox, Hive Digital, Uplay Mobile, Braza Games
NOTABLE GAMES FIRMS WITH A LOCAL OFFICE
Ubisoft, Microsoft, Sony, Disney, GameMaxx
