Brazil Following in Venezuela’s Footsteps

Eerily mirroring my tradition of mindlessly reposting GamePolitics articles to this blog, Brazil is in the process of copying Venezuela’s decision to completely ban violent or otherwise offensive video games countrywide.

As of this posting, the measure, authored by Brazilian senator Valdir Raupp, has been approved by the Education Commission of the Senate and now needs to be voted on by the Committee on Constitution and Justice.

According to the oddly translated article that serves as an overview of Raupp’s bill, the new legislation is aimed at punishing the act of manufacturing, importing, distributing, and otherwise interacting with video games that are deemed offensive to people in any way, whether due to attacking their culture, religion, or sexuality.  The article’s justification for these measures reads, “…’the law shall punish any acts of discrimination against the rights and freedoms.’  Thus, we believe that freedom of expression in video games can not be confused with anarchy, disrespect to the image and honor of people and faiths and their scriptures.”

The effect this legislation will have on the video game market in Brazil seems questionable considering the fact that game piracy in the country is utterly out of control.  According to this Escapist article, it’s more than likely that “if you play video games in Brazil, you’re committing a crime.”  Numbers cited in the article indicate that, as of 2004, 94 percent of the nation’s games market consisted of pirated merchandise, while illegally imported titles made up 80 percent of the country’s games market overall and 94 percent of its home console market.

Officially at least, Brazil seems innately hostile to electronic entertainment, apparently to protect its own interests.  According to an Internet commentator going by the handle of Bokusatsu_Tenshi, import taxes for electronics can reach up to 70 percent of the product’s initial price, excluding shipping.  While Brazil experienced a boom in the games development industry during the 90s, a new president was elected and government funds for the industry were shut down.  Bokusatsu_Tenshi writes, “So you can imagine how hard it is to create cultural content to criticize the government.  We still do, it’s true, far more than other latin american countries… and Brazil still enjoys plenty of democracy compared to some of its neighbors.  But it’s not as good as our government makes it to be.”

Venezuela Puts Wheels On Own Ban Wagon

Courtesy of the Associated Press

According to an Associated Press article recently written by Christopher Toothaker, Venezuela will be voting on legislation that will completely prohibit violent video games and toys in order to curb the country’s incredibly high murder rate within the coming weeks.

While the legislation was proposed as far back as August 27, it only received approval in September and is expected to pass through Venezuela’s National Assembly to get a final vote soon.  According to Toothaker’s article, the new law will give the country’s “consumer protection agency” the ability to decide what toys and video games are allowed to come into and be sold in Venezuela, with fines for breaking it running as high as $128,000.  The law is depending on the idea that there is a connection between pastimes simulating violent behavior and actual violent actions in order to curtail the country’s astronomical murder rate—according to Toothaker’s article, the estimated number of homicides within the country per year numbers around 7,900, which is five times that of Texas despite Venezuela having a comparable population size.  Further, the law would implement “crime prevention classes” in public schools, force the media to report on the perceived dangers of violent video games, and have the government “promote the production, distribution, sales and use” of games that teach consumers to respect their adversaries.

There are, of course, a number of problems with this plan.  Pointed out within the article is the fact that Venezuela has a huge market for pirated video games, which many members of the country’s working class sell on street corners.  The article says they will likely remain unaffected by the law, given the fact that they have been tolerated up to this point.  Further, even if the legislation is meant to target them, the consumer protection agency mentioned above has its hands full making sure supermarkets remain capable of selling food at reasonable prices, and will probably not have the time to go after a bunch of street corner vendors.

Courtesy of the Associated Press

Second is the fact that the high murder rate likely does not have any connection to violent games.  There have been no studies that have accurately drawn links between violent video games and violent behavior, despite constant attempts to do so.  The most recent “conclusive” study, reported on by the Washington Post and conducted by Pediatrics, turns out to have been poorly conducted due problems measuring and defining “aggressive behavior” in its subjects.  Game Politics reported on both the initial study and why it turned out to be inaccurate, and have more recently covered a research project saying that there is evidence suggesting that violent behavior has its roots in peer delinquency and depression.

Lastly, Hugo Chavez may have defeated himself in his attempts to have the government teach its citizens to show respect to one’s enemies, given what he’s been saying about the Bush administration for years and refuses to let anyone forget.

The last time Venezuela made major gaming news was in 2006, when the country’s leaders spoke out against Mercenaries 2: World in Flames.  Politicians said they believed it was meant to act as a piece of anti-Chavez propaganda designed to lay the groundwork for an invasion of their country by the United States.