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Those damn laws!

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Nintendo will no longer distribute games and consoles in Brazil, the company has announced, citing Brazil’s infamously high videogame console tariffs as the reason behind the about-face. In an interview with UOL Games, Bill van Zyll, Nintendo of America’s director and general manager for Latin America, said the company’s exodus is “temporary.” At press time, Nintendo has not set any plans for a return.

“Brazil is an important market for Nintendo and home to many passionate fans, but unfortunately challenges in the local business environment have made our current distribution model unsustainable in the country,” said Van Zyll. The challenges include “high tariffs on imports” and Nintendo’s lack of a Brazilian manufacturing plant.

Nintendo’s plans for the future don’t seem any more concrete than just keeping an eye on things, according to Van Zyll. “Working together with the Juegos de Video Latinoamérica [Nintendo’s distributors for Latin America], we will monitor the evolution of the business environment and evaluate the best way to serve our Brazilian fans in the future.”

Manufacturing consoles and games in Brazil would circumvent the country’s high taxes, as Microsoft learned when the company began making Xbox Ones in Brazil, giving it a significant price advantage. Brazilian Xbox Ones cost 800 Brazilian reals — around $300 USD — less than imported PS4s.

Blaming high taxes, Nintendo closes operations in Brazil [UOL Games]

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