We Hoped You’d Never Ask
hi retro gamer, i know politics is a dirty word, but will the uncertainty of Brexit have an effect on the gaming industry? Will we see a shift in customer numbers, as those whose jobs are under uncertainty over low wages and no pay rises look for something more fun and affordable, in terms of new retro gaming in game or book formats?
it’s hardly a bad start to the year when people (like me) have had our new Crash annuals delivered into our sweaty paws, whilst we have the C64 mini and ZX Spectrum next to look forward to, despite the uncertainty over the leave vote. a light at the end of the tunnel maybe?
Cisko kidd
we’ve already had some economic impact from Brexit in terms of a weakened currency driving up inflation, but this pressure hasn’t driven people towards retro gaming yet. even if there’s more harm, we don’t foresee a major leap towards retro happening simply because retro gaming is an expensive hobby. what you’re more likely to see is people stocking up on cheap last-gen games and doubling down on free-to-play games.
we don’t know what form Brexit will take yet. However, the main difference will be that if the uk leaves the single market and customs union – the so-called ‘hard Brexit’ – it will be more expensive to buy goods made in europe or imported from within europe, and that includes retro games. In that case, they’d become subject to the same import charges you pay on items from the usa, Japan and elsewhere. If you sell games you’d also have to start filling out customs declarations to send games into the eu, and customers there would have to pay import charges. this hit to your wallet might be offset if the uk can agree improved trade deals with non-eu nations, but no new trade deals can be signed until the uk has already left the eu.