Geeze, that's crazy. You'd think it would just be easier and cheaper to import them from the U.S. or Europe.

There's going to be Brazilians of upset people if they find out.

If I lived in Brazil, video games would be very low priority for me...

My top priorities:
1) Brazilian Women
2) Avoiding Malaria

I knew a U.S. researcher who once smuggled CPU chips in his pants to help out colleagues in Brazil. They used to have a rule that electronics sold in Brazil had to be manufactured in Brazil, iirc. And Brazil had no modern CPU manufacturing facilities.

He also never registered as being in the country for work-related reasons, because the bureaucracy for that was a lot more complicated than if you were just visiting for personal travel.

He told me "there's a good reason that Terry Gilliam chose 'Brazil' as the title of a movie about bureaucracy gone mad."

Legal console gaming here in Brazil is WAY too expensive so most people stick to older consoles with pirated games. The chipped PS1 is still very popular (around $100) and the games (pirated) are a $5 for 3 titles, the chipped Wii goes for around $750 and the games for $10 for 3 titles, pirated of course.

An unchipped, original Xbox 360 is around $1200 and each original game is around $150 (more probably).

I've been desperate to get into console gaming for two years (I don't want a chipped/modded Xbox nor pirated games) but the pricing here is so prohibitive and the risk of getting a RROD and having to jump through a thousand bureaucratic hoops to get it fixed have kept me in PC gaming.

For comparison, for around $1000 you can get a very nice gaming PC and legal PC games go at around $60 - still not cheap but cheap enough for me.

I'm kind of surprised a country with that much border can charge that much for ANYTHING able to be efficiently smuggled.

That's like a Brazilian dollars

When can the 'brazilian' meme die? It's as worn out at the "still no cure for cancer" meme. Is it just too damn difficult for the average farker be witty on their own, or are they just too lazy?

Other memes that need to die now:

"I accidentally the whole ____"
*Adjective* *Noun* is *Adjective*
Kayne West "Yo, Imma let you finish..."

SphericalTime: Geeze, that's crazy. You'd think it would just be easier and cheaper to import them from the U.S. or Europe.

If you were to do that, Sony would sue you into oblivion.

/One of very few companies I'm boycotting for eternity

It's priced at R$799, which works out to be around USD$465. So, yes, it's expensive to buy video games in Brazil. Our man Pedro tells us that with a nine year-old console only just launching, there obviously isn't an official PS3 presence, though he says Sony do sell some older PS3 games. For R$199 (USD$115).


What the hell does Sony think they're selling? The Neo-Geo?

bemis23: When can the 'brazilian' meme die? It's as worn out at the "still no cure for cancer" meme. Is it just too damn difficult for the average farker be witty on their own, or are they just too lazy?

Other memes that need to die now:

"I accidentally the whole ____"
*Adjective* *Noun* is *Adjective*
Kayne West "Yo, Imma let you finish..."

uh... i'm... uh need help, soonish.

bemis23: When can the 'brazilian' meme die? It's as worn out at the "still no cure for cancer" meme. Is it just too damn difficult for the average farker be witty on their own, or are they just too lazy?

Other memes that need to die now:

"I accidentally the whole ____"
*Adjective* *Noun* is *Adjective*
Kayne West "Yo, Imma let you finish..."

You sound fat.

thunderbird8804: SphericalTime: Geeze, that's crazy. You'd think it would just be easier and cheaper to import them from the U.S. or Europe.

If you were to do that, Sony would sue you into oblivion.

/One of very few companies I'm boycotting for eternity

They'll sue you into buying a game for the PS3?


/hot like Dragonfires

SphericalTime: You'd think it would just be easier and cheaper to import them from the U.S. or Europe.

Europe, not America. European residential power is 230V, Brazil's is 220V. America's is 120V. Bad things happen when you plug in a system designed for 120V into a 220V socket.

It's all moving towards Universal Input (power supplies which can take any worldwide residential AC), but considering the age of the PS2 and their paranoia with piracy, I wouldn't bet a PS2 sold in America has Universal Input.

bemis23: When can the 'brazilian' meme die?

Complaining about a meme breathes new life into it.

Ninja_Pancakes: Legal console gaming here in Brazil is WAY too expensive so most people stick to older consoles with pirated games. The chipped PS1 is still very popular (around $100) and the games (pirated) are a $5 for 3 titles, the chipped Wii goes for around $750 and the games for $10 for 3 titles, pirated of course.

An unchipped, original Xbox 360 is around $1200 and each original game is around $150 (more probably).

I've been desperate to get into console gaming for two years (I don't want a chipped/modded Xbox nor pirated games) but the pricing here is so prohibitive and the risk of getting a RROD and having to jump through a thousand bureaucratic hoops to get it fixed have kept me in PC gaming.

For comparison, for around $1000 you can get a very nice gaming PC and legal PC games go at around $60 - still not cheap but cheap enough for me.

They deserve it for being one of the few markets that sided with the Master System over the NES.

Oekss: bemis23: When can the 'brazilian' meme die? It's as worn out at the "still no cure for cancer" meme. Is it just too damn difficult for the average farker be witty on their own, or are they just too lazy?

Other memes that need to die now:

"I accidentally the whole ____"
*Adjective* *Noun* is *Adjective*
Kayne West "Yo, Imma let you finish..."

You sound fat.

Probably because I am a little fat?

/Not super fat though
//5'10" - 190lbs

bemis23: Oekss: bemis23: When can the 'brazilian' meme die? It's as worn out at the "still no cure for cancer" meme. Is it just too damn difficult for the average farker be witty on their own, or are they just too lazy?

Other memes that need to die now:

"I accidentally the whole ____"
*Adjective* *Noun* is *Adjective*
Kayne West "Yo, Imma let you finish..."

You sound fat.

Probably because I am a little fat?

/Not super fat though
//5'10" - 190lbs

Sounds like you did alright in the marine core.

bemis23: Is it just too damn difficult for the average farker be witty on their own, or are they just too lazy?

Bold words coming from 2 approved ;)

bemis23: Oekss: bemis23: When can the 'brazilian' meme die? It's as worn out at the "still no cure for cancer" meme. Is it just too damn difficult for the average farker be witty on their own, or are they just too lazy?

Other memes that need to die now:

"I accidentally the whole ____"
*Adjective* *Noun* is *Adjective*
Kayne West "Yo, Imma let you finish..."

You sound fat.

Probably because I am a little fat?

/Not super fat though
//5'10" - 190lbs

Fano: bemis23: Oekss: bemis23: When can the 'brazilian' meme die? It's as worn out at the "still no cure for cancer" meme. Is it just too damn difficult for the average farker be witty on their own, or are they just too lazy?

Other memes that need to die now:

"I accidentally the whole ____"
*Adjective* *Noun* is *Adjective*
Kayne West "Yo, Imma let you finish..."

You sound fat.

Probably because I am a little fat?

/Not super fat though
//5'10" - 190lbs

Sounds like you did alright in the marine core.

I'm sorry, I can't hear what you're saying over the sound of awesome I am. WOh crap, I think I have an appointment with my kickboxing instructor in 26 minutes. Dinner and sex with my supermodel girlfriend afterwards.

Just in case you're curious, here's a pic:

Krymson Tyde: bemis23: Oekss: bemis23: When can the 'brazilian' meme die? It's as worn out at the "still no cure for cancer" meme. Is it just too damn difficult for the average farker be witty on their own, or are they just too lazy?

Other memes that need to die now:

"I accidentally the whole ____"
*Adjective* *Noun* is *Adjective*
Kayne West "Yo, Imma let you finish..."

You sound fat.

Probably because I am a little fat?

/Not super fat though
//5'10" - 190lbs

I think your sarcasm meter might need to be checked.

bemis23: Fano: bemis23: Oekss: bemis23: When can the 'brazilian' meme die? It's as worn out at the "still no cure for cancer" meme. Is it just too damn difficult for the average farker be witty on their own, or are they just too lazy?

Other memes that need to die now:

"I accidentally the whole ____"
*Adjective* *Noun* is *Adjective*
Kayne West "Yo, Imma let you finish..."

You sound fat.

Probably because I am a little fat?

/Not super fat though
//5'10" - 190lbs

Sounds like you did alright in the marine core.

I'm sorry, I can't hear what you're saying over the sound of awesome I am. WOh crap, I think I have an appointment with my kickboxing instructor in 26 minutes. Dinner and sex with my supermodel girlfriend afterwards.

Just in case you're curious, here's a pic:

/Meme are teh funny!!
//Not really
///Well, not these anyway

bemis23: Just in case you're curious, here's a pic:

Mr. Cool Ice sadly died a while ago.

SeamusFerrell: bemis23: Just in case you're curious, here's a pic:

Mr. Cool Ice sadly died a while ago.

Was going for meme density :(

Oh well, XKCD did it better than me anyway.

Ninja_Pancakes: I've been desperate to get into console gaming for two years (I don't want a chipped/modded Xbox nor pirated games) but the pricing here is so prohibitive and the risk of getting a RROD and having to jump through a thousand bureaucratic hoops to get it fixed have kept me in PC gaming.

So what stops you from going onto ebay and buying one cheaper?

schattenteufel: If I lived in Brazil, video games would be very low priority for me...

My top priorities:
1) Brazilian Women
2) Avoiding MalariaSurprise Shemales
3) Avoiding AIDS

ftfy

bemis23: Fano: bemis23: Oekss: bemis23: When can the 'brazilian' meme die? It's as worn out at the "still no cure for cancer" meme. Is it just too damn difficult for the average farker be witty on their own, or are they just too lazy?

Other memes that need to die now:

"I accidentally the whole ____"
*Adjective* *Noun* is *Adjective*
Kayne West "Yo, Imma let you finish..."

You sound fat.

Probably because I am a little fat?

/Not super fat though
//5'10" - 190lbs

Sounds like you did alright in the marine core.

I'm sorry, I can't hear what you're saying over the sound of awesome I am. WOh crap, I think I have an appointment with my kickboxing instructor in 26 minutes. Dinner and sex with my supermodel girlfriend afterwards.

Just in case you're curious, here's a pic:

Looks like you definitely unloaded your quad. But was the hedgehog killed?

dragonchild: Europe, not America. European residential power is 230V, Brazil's is 220V. America's is 120V. Bad things happen when you plug in a system designed for 120V into a 220V socket.

Easily overcome by buying a step-up/step-down transformer. (new window)
This plus finding a buyer on US ebay willing to ship to Brazil.

Is no one going to comment that the PS2 is still pretty well the best system? No RROD, not stupid expensive like the ps3. There are still games coming out for the PS2, not just sports titles either. Older games are plentiful, good, and cheap.

Gordon Bennett: It isn't that difficult. I've used an American PS2. All you need is a step-down voltage converter and an adapter to convert the video output to SCART. Works perfectly.

ReverendJasen: Easily overcome by buying a step-up/step-down transformer.

Yeah, I know. I do this for a living. But not everyone realizes that.

TheEyeInTheSky: Is no one going to comment that the PS2 is still pretty well the best system? No RROD, not stupid expensive like the ps3. There are still games coming out for the PS2, not just sports titles either. Older games are plentiful, good, and cheap.

Cheapest != best

TheEyeInTheSky: Is no one going to comment that the PS2 is still pretty well the best system? No RROD, not stupid expensive like the ps3. There are still games coming out for the PS2, not just sports titles either. Older games are plentiful, good, and cheap.

The PS3 is now $300 and is quite a bit more than just a game console. However, if all you want is a game console, the PS2 is probably the best overall value considering the huge number of readily available games.

TheEyeInTheSky: Is no one going to comment that the PS2 is still pretty well the best system? No RROD, not stupid expensive like the ps3. There are still games coming out for the PS2, not just sports titles either. Older games are plentiful, good, and cheap.

Do people really think the PS3 is still expensive? Next you'll trot out that old tired theme that there are no games for it.

Anyway, you must not have played or seen games like Uncharted 2, Halo 3, Modern Warfare 1 & 2, Dragons Age, Dead Space, Left 4 Dead 1 & 2, Killzone 2, etc., etc. This generation has some unbelievable gaming experiences.

I love some of those old PS2 games but it's time to move on.

Hell, I'm going to play God of War 1 & 2 again. Remastered in HD of course.

ps2 best console EVAR!!!111ELEVENTY!!!
no seriously it was pretty farking awesome

/start flame war

Finally, Brazil has a console with the potential to challenge the market dominance of the Sega Master System.

bemis23: bemis23: Fano: bemis23: Oekss: bemis23: When can the 'brazilian' meme die? It's as worn out at the "still no cure for cancer" meme. Is it just too damn difficult for the average farker be witty on their own, or are they just too lazy?

Other memes that need to die now:

"I accidentally the whole ____"
*Adjective* *Noun* is *Adjective*
Kayne West "Yo, Imma let you finish..."

You sound fat.

Probably because I am a little fat?

/Not super fat though
//5'10" - 190lbs

Sounds like you did alright in the marine core.

I'm sorry, I can't hear what you're saying over the sound of awesome I am. WOh crap, I think I have an appointment with my kickboxing instructor in 26 minutes. Dinner and sex with my supermodel girlfriend afterwards.

Just in case you're curious, here's a pic:

/Meme are teh funny!!
//Not really
///Well, not these anyway

teh is funny

WalkingCarpet: TheEyeInTheSky: Is no one going to comment that the PS2 is still pretty well the best system? No RROD, not stupid expensive like the ps3. There are still games coming out for the PS2, not just sports titles either. Older games are plentiful, good, and cheap.

Do people really think the PS3 is still expensive? Next you'll trot out that old tired theme that there are no games for it.

Anyway, you must not have played or seen games like Uncharted 2, Halo 3, Modern Warfare 1 & 2, Dragons Age, Dead Space, Left 4 Dead 1 & 2, Killzone 2, etc., etc. This generation has some unbelievable gaming experiences.

I love some of those old PS2 games but it's time to move on.

Hell, I'm going to play God of War 1 & 2 again. Remastered in HD of course.

Almost all of which are first person shooters. I miss the golden age of RPGs.

Zimmy: Almost all of which are first person shooters. I miss the golden age of RPGs.

If four out of eleven of what I listed is "almost all", I guess so.

You don't like any of the RPG offerings this generation? I stopped playing RPGs a long time ago but from what I understand games like Mass Effect, Dragons Age, Oblivion and Demon's Souls are quite awesome.

thunderbird8804: SphericalTime: Geeze, that's crazy. You'd think it would just be easier and cheaper to import them from the U.S. or Europe.

If you were to do that, Sony would sue you into oblivion. Bolivian.

FTFM

Speaking of Brazilian gamers...

WalkingCarpet: TheEyeInTheSky: Is no one going to comment that the PS2 is still pretty well the best system? No RROD, not stupid expensive like the ps3. There are still games coming out for the PS2, not just sports titles either. Older games are plentiful, good, and cheap.

Do people really think the PS3 is still expensive? Next you'll trot out that old tired theme that there are no games for it.



I dont give a fark about the games. Im getting one for a front end to a network media server that I can play NHL or FIFA10 on

I never had a PS2. But now I can play all those ps2 games on my PS3. And netflix, and music/video streaming from my PC, DVD/BD, etc. It has virtually replaced every other box I used to need to do things on the TV. It's now the only device I have plugged into my receiver.
Worth $300? You betcha. You can't even call the PS2 the best value for the money now, unless you *only* want to play old games.

GoteamVenture: ps2 best console EVAR!!!111ELEVENTY!!!
no seriously it was pretty farking awesome

/start flame war

It and the SNES are the best ever. PS1 was no slouch, though I put it as on tier below the before mentioned along with the NES and Genesis.

SphericalTime: Geeze, that's crazy. You'd think it would just be easier and cheaper to import them from the U.S. or Europe.

That's probably what most Brazilians have been doing for the past 9 years or so.

HeartBurnKid: SphericalTime: Geeze, that's crazy. You'd think it would just be easier and cheaper to import them from the U.S. or Europe.

That's probably what most Brazilians have been doing for the past 9 years or so.

the last brazilian years....

ReverendJasen: I never had a PS2. But now I can play all those ps2 games on my PS3. And netflix, and music/video streaming from my PC, DVD/BD, etc. It has virtually replaced every other box I used to need to do things on the TV. It's now the only device I have plugged into my receiver.
Worth $300? You betcha. You can't even call the PS2 the best value for the money now, unless you *only* want to play old games.

You can no longer buy new a PS3 that will play PS2 games and the ones that did have backwards compatibility for PS2 games cost more than $300 when they were available.

Jeng: You can no longer buy new a PS3 that will play PS2 games and the ones that did have backwards compatibility for PS2 games cost more than $300 when they were available.

I bought mine new on ebay for $299. Probably about a year ago.

Jesus. Reading the comments there, Brazil charges up to 70% of the original price as an import tax on electronics. That's absolutely ludicrous. Even so, that'd make the price around $224 according to another comment. Wow. Something is seriously screwed up here.

Ninja_Pancakes: Legal console gaming here in Brazil is WAY too expensive so most people stick to older consoles with pirated games. The chipped PS1 is still very popular (around $100) and the games (pirated) are a $5 for 3 titles, the chipped Wii goes for around $750 and the games for $10 for 3 titles, pirated of course.

An unchipped, original Xbox 360 is around $1200 and each original game is around $150 (more probably).

I've been desperate to get into console gaming for two years (I don't want a chipped/modded Xbox nor pirated games) but the pricing here is so prohibitive and the risk of getting a RROD and having to jump through a thousand bureaucratic hoops to get it fixed have kept me in PC gaming.

For comparison, for around $1000 you can get a very nice gaming PC and legal PC games go at around $60 - still not cheap but cheap enough for me.

Does Brazil have a strict import ban or anything? You could have someone in America (or somewhere else) ship you one for the "normal" price. (still have to pay that insane tax)
Although, would you be able to connect to X-Box Live you think? You'd be able to buy and download the games with it, but maybe someone in America would have to purchase the points for you and give them to you as a gift.

God-is-a-Taco: Although, would you be able to connect to X-Box Live you think?

Good question. I bet they have a region-check on the IP you're coming from. It's not hard to do.

God-is-a-Taco: Does Brazil have a strict import ban or anything? You could have someone in America (or somewhere else) ship you one for the "normal" price. (still have to pay that insane tax)

This is what I want to know now.
Does customs in Brazil check for electronics and confiscate them?
I mean hell, if I can find a partner down there, I can put together a kit (console+stepdown transformer+video converter) and sell them for half the price these guys are quoting, and still make profit.