Video games-The difference (Economic, Political, Legal, Social)

 There are a couple of things bothering me a lot lately regarding our wonderful world of digital entertainment, the vast differences in laws, morals, politics and common sense in different parts of the world.

I’ve read the whole proceeding in the Schwarzenegger v. EMA case and some of the backlash, comments and reactions.  

So, I’ve taken my time to tell you a story and open your eyes to a whoooole other angle and view of a world we’re all a part of and love.

Prologue

There’s a set up to this story.

I live in Croatia (you might know it as the land of Croteam, Serious Sam, Nikola Tesla, Mirko Cro Cop and Dirt 2 tracks just to name a few).   A little country in southern Europe, total population of 4,5 million people (roughly a half of New York City).

I’m going to try and paint you all a picture how it is to live, earn, spend, purchase and enjoy the endless joy that is videogames; the difference in political, social and moral norms as well.

Shall we?

Just follow the yellow brick road…

Economy

Not to go into specific exchange rates and currencies, I’ll talk in numbers only.

Imagine you earn 4,500 every month (54.000 a year) - average Croatian salary.

Prices are as follows:

• A loaf of bread≈ 7-10
• A carton of milk≈ 7 (1 liter≈ 34 ounces)
• Stella Artois beer≈ 8 (0.5 liter≈ 17 ounces)
• Regular normal size pizza≈ 35
• Pack of baby diapers≈ 100 (around 30 diapers I think)  
• Male haircut≈ 50
• Year of collage≈ 3,500-5,000
• PS3, Xbox 360≈ 3,500

Can you draw a comparison to your living standard yet? Ok, ok, a few more…

• Regular ass Jeans≈ 200
• Regular ass hoody≈ 150
• Monthly rent for a flat+ bills≈ 1,800- 2,500 (50 m≈ 540 ft) smaller towns in the outskirts of the capital Zagreb

With this information, I think you can easily eyeball the difference in your countries prices and ours.

If not, this was a complete waste of time, I could’ve just calculated the major currencies and post that ($, euro, etc.). But I thought it’s much more vivid this way, all over the globe, no matter where you are and what your currency is.

(Tip: if you want your currency   for  the above prices, just google the exchange rate of your currency and Croatian kuna* and divide the numbers ; ))

 Finally, a price of: 

• a newerretail console game: 550
• a newer retail PC game: 350

Ask yourself this: do games cost 1/8 of your average monthly salary?

Which brings me to my next point….

*fun fact: kuna is an animal which is basically an endemic type of weasel. Yup’!   And that’s our currency. That just shows how serious this country is about its money haha. =)

Politics

Of course, there are laws in Croatia. Some are enforced better, some aren’t. Ones of the “not so enforced” ones are piracy laws.

We have copyright protection laws mostly for music and record companies. So, occasionally there’s an action of patrolling bars, night clubs and small coffee bar- like establishments and checking if they play pirated music. If so, the owner is charged a fine. There. Open and shut case Watson!

Same goes for catching pirates. Our “cyber cops” patrol the forums for some poor kid who’s gonna post about selling burned games. They track the kid down and confiscate his PC and the kids track record is scared for life. They do that –times 20- and the action is a riveting success. They had about 2 actions like that as far as I can remember, probably when someone publically asked enough times:”HEY, what the hell does that part of the legal department do again (which we finance with our taxpayers money!)?”

They actually captured a chain of some child pornography gang recently so KUDOS, but piracy is a lost case here.

Stay with me now!

Piracy

 I’ve worked as a mechanical engineer, draftsman and a whole bunch of other stuff. Worked in a few companies, used a bunch of software. Lots of versions of AutoCAD, Catia, Solidworks, AutoCAD plugins for designing installations etc. And you know what, they were ALL PIRATED!   

Even Windows, Office… everything was and is ripped off. Companies I worked for (and I talk about them, but that’s really nothing strange here, there are far less companies that use legal software then the ones that don’t- I can guarantee you that) made millions of using illegal, pirated software for their own profit.

This thread is probably going to get locked, pulled or something for writing this but that’s how it is here.

You can buy modded 360s in an official store with a 2 year guarantee. Buy burned new console and PC releases in a local web café for 30 (5.5 $). 

 I remember a teacher in my “technical high school” handing us a burned copy of ACAD to use at home and practice.

A lot of my older colleagues didn’t even grasp the logic and concept of software licenses, ones for personal use or ones for companies. Especially when you googled company licenses and told them those “insane, astronomical” prices.

That all leads to another issue,

 Social norms

Imagine yourself as a kid or parent of a kid, in a world with no limits when it comes to videogames.

Money isn’t the issue; you can buy an empty double layer disc for your 360 for pocket change.

Law isn’t the issue, no one’s enforcing it. Just ink on a paper somewhere.

And it’s socially expectable to pirate.

I’m 23, and parents of and around our generation didn’t know jack about those damn computers and those damn videogames *cough* *cough* that those damn kids play in front of the TV all damn day. Most of them didn’t anyway. And most of them still don’t.

ESRB ratings are an unknown term here; because you can rarely see an original box around playing stations (see what I did there?). Same goes for parental locks.

And you know what? The kids over here are fine and dandy! No increased violence because of violent and deviant videogames, and there’s virtually nothing stopping every 12 year-old to get himself a copy of Rapelay if he wants to.

Kids probably did grow up on Manhunts and GTAs and Postals and even Thrill Kills, but they got a whole lot of parenting too. Not educated, technically knowledgeable and understanding parenting regarding video games…

Just good old-fashioned parenting.

You know, when you spend time, hug, pet, and take interest in the little fucker. When he/she gets yelled at and grounded if he/she brakes the curfew, things like that. Even bitch-slapped or more if necessary. At least, that’s how my generation grew up. The generation that was holding C64 joysticks as toddlers, played SNES, NES and gameboys in kindergarten, play stations although school and so on. (felt like Carlin writing this part =) )

O yeah, and we don’t have guns which probably helps a lot. =)

So nobody was going Tommy Vercetti on our asses. (usually)

When you see the whole picture, can you actually expect it to be any different? …

 Moral/Epilogue

I ask you, what would you do in a world I described?

I can say for myself, by my observations and beliefs, that most of the people in Croatia who pirate videogames (and other software for that matter) wouldn’t touch them with a 10 ft pole if they had to pay full price for them.

Is that so bad then? If you don’t damage the overall sales numbers because, unless pirated, you wouldn’t buy it in the first place?  

It’s a vicious circle I know. More piracy, higher videogame prices to cover the loss. I get that. There just isn’t an intelligent solution on the way, and won’t be for a long, long time. And if you stuck with me so far, you can see why.

 And your troubles with the First amendment, Schwarzenegger, EMA and all that jazz?

The state shouldn’t care for the kids when parents are away. The state should provide better conditions and education for parents so they can be better parents when they are with their kids. Better parenting, less problematic, violent, misbehaving children- simple as that.

But, think about it. This is a “problem” for, maybe, how long - 5- 10 years? In 5- 10 years, those little toddlers with C64 joysticks in their hands? They’ll be making babies. And all this will gradually despair and fade away, because gamers are gonna know how to raise responsible, smart little WoW 3, Call of Duty: Medieval Warfare, Grand Theft Aerial Vehicle 2: Infinite and Gran Turismo 5 players. 

Gamers raising gamers. It's already happening folks. What a great gaming scene it’ll be.

So, everyone? What do you think of our little world? How different it is from yours? What are the differences in prices? Salaries? Piracy laws? Do you have a solution to the piracy concern?

Thanks for reading... Peace!

The whole restriction of games thing is probably just the US movie industry trying to put the screw down on the gaming industry, anyways.  It's business warfare, I don't think there's much outcry from the public wanting the sales of violent games to minors controlled by the government here.  God knows there are some people, but it's not a majority anyways.
 
Obviously there's not much to say about the piracy discussion, but I am interested to see what happens to the video game industry as the US's middle class is dissolved in the coming decades.

I lived in Qatar for a couple years, the situations is similar there (not quite to the same extent). I actually hold a very similar viewpoint to yours...and I want to work in the games industry, so you know I'm not messing around.
 
That said, people CAN afford games should just buy them. Jerks.

Oh oh, you don't mind a big response do you?  Because you did ask at the end for comparisons, thoughts, etc.  So lets see. 
 
First, the salary thing.  I make 2500 twice a month (60,000 per year).  Unfortunately, before I see that, the government gets their cut so I actually see 1700 twice a month.  So 3400 a month (40,8000 per year). 
  
 Prices are as follows:

• A loaf of bread≈ 1-3
• A carton of milk≈ 3 (1 gallon≈ 128 ounces)
• Regular normal size pizza≈ 10-20
• Pack of baby diapers≈ 20-40 (number in pack depends on size of diaper)  
• Male haircut≈ 20
• Year of college≈ 10,000-20,000
• PS3, Xbox 360≈ 300

Can you draw a comparison to your living standard yet? Ok, ok, a few more…

• Regular ass Jeans≈ 20-40
• Regular ass hoody≈ 15-25
• Monthly mortgage for home = 1000-1500    in smaller towns on the outskirts of Seattle, WA
• Monthly Bills for a 4 person household = 1000-2000
• Finally, a price of: 

• a newer retail console game: 60
• a newer retail PC game: 50

So yes, video games and consoles are relatively cheap in our country, especially compared to how they are there in your country.  One thing I find interesting is that you didn't mention anything about taxes.  As you can see from my numbers, taxes are already a HUGE part of how things go here.  And I didn't include that there's a 10% sales tax on non-food items in my state either, so the diapers, the console, the clothes, the video games - add another 10% on top of that. 

Politics/Social Norms, Etc. 

Parenting

Video Games & Our Kids

Piracy 

 @Choi said:

@nintendoeats: If it's a choice between a few legit purchases a month and unlimited access with no recuperations, we both know what people are going to chose. "

One thing I find interesting is that you didn't mention anything about taxes.  As you can see from my numbers, taxes are already a HUGE part of how things go here.  And I didn't include that there's a 10% sales tax on non-food items in my state either, so the diapers, the console, the clothes, the video games - add another 10% on top of that. 

Of course there is a flip side to that.  On the flip side there are parents who push their children to strive for the best they can do in life.  They are involved in their childrens' lives.  And often ridiculed for it.  They're called "soccer mom" or "hockey dad."  They know who their children's friends are, not because they are trying to hang out and be part of that crowd, but because they want to know who their children associate with. 

The whole  victimization thing...   

It's so bad that kids are expelled from schools for bringing in tiny little toy guns.  Not the kind that fit in your hand, but the kind that go to an action figure.     

You guys are pretty close to joining the EU; negotiations on most of the chapters of membership are closed. Your standard of living will go up in time and access to games will probably become easier. More to the topic, I do feel as though piracy is stealing and always wrong. 

Great post, it's very interesting to hear from people in your area of the world.
 
I don't know how to give a reasonable answer to your question.  I'm surprised with region codes and artificial trade restrictions in place by the publishers that the prices aren't lower in your country.  1/8th of your monthly salary for a video game is certainly not a reasonable price for the product.  I wouldn't ever pay that for a video game either.
 
Anyway, don't worry.  As Diamond pointed out the entertainment industry is about to go through a major overhaul as their core customer's wealth is transferred to the top 1%.  The ex-middle class in America will soon be asking about the exact situation you are.

Yeah dude, Europe and Australia get boned hard when it comes to games.  Sucks.
 
Move to Canada.  We're like real nice and stuff.

Jeff Vogel (guy behind indie CRPG series such as Geneforge, Avernum, etc.) has blogged that he would rather that someone who couldn't afford to buy his games pirate them rather than not play them at all (link).  
Given that his games are his livelihood, quite a generous treatment of thie issue, although he does in general condemn piracy of course. Game devs seem much less bothered by this than publishers, as they see very little of the profit, if any at all past a certain point. If I bought a game for its full price, it would be 1/25 of my monthly salary (despite horribly inflated Australian prices), and it's not hard to find a game for half that on the day of release thanks to importing.

Move to Canada.  We're like real nice and stuff. "  

Wow, pretty interesting post. I like the idea of giving parents education on being parents to make them better parents...OK that was quite the mouthful!