Legal Framework for Games defines the foundations for a promising future – 10/13/2023 – Opinion

PL 2796/2021, known as the Games Legal Framework, is ready to be voted on in the Senate and seeks to regulate the development of electronic games in Brazil. It covers games for different platforms, such as browsers, PCs, consoles and mobile devices (smartphones) and fantasy games. The text covers the industry as a whole, with wording that is very clear in this sense, without any room for doubt.

With the potential to boost the games market in Brazil, the aim is to professionalize the sector, stimulate the economy, generate jobs and provide incentives for the production of new games. The text will reduce game import bureaucracy, facilitating internationalization. It will bring greater security and transparency to operators, investors and consumers, promoting the market and boosting the national GDP.

According to Newzoo, the global games market is worth more than US$200 billion/year, with an expectation of reaching revenues of US$321 billion by 2026. Brazil, one of the main global players, is the leader in Latin America and 13th in the world in terms of revenue. We move US$ 12 billion/year.

In this decade alone, more than US$20 billion was invested in startups in this sector. This all attracts the interest of large companies. An example of this was the acquisition of Kabum, a games e-commerce, by Magalu, at a valuation of around R$3.8 billion. According to the 2022 Game Brasil Survey, around 65% of people in Brazil say they are fans of electronic games, which represents more than 139 million people. The main target audience is young people, aged 25 to 34 (25.5%) and aged 16 to 24 (17.7%).

The growth of the market is also due to the influence of gamers, responsible for promoting games and exposing their skills through social networks. On YouTube, the seven main channels of streamers who play and give tips on live broadcasts have more than 97 million subscribers. This corresponds to five times the number of subscribers in all 20 clubs in Série A of the Brasileirão combined (19.18 million).

This influence of gamers proves to be extremely effective. But dizzying market growth will only occur with regulation.

The legal framework represents a unique opportunity. It offers legal security, stimulates the internal market, supports education, and defines the necessary foundations for a promising future. Regular regulation is essential for Brazil to fully enjoy the economic and social benefits that the gaming industry has to offer.

Approving the text as it came from the Chamber is essential. There is no room for preciousness, otherwise the project will return to the Chamber, be forgotten and the market will continue to lack regulation. It is necessary to move forward.

Nor is it appropriate to propose that games can have access to funds allocated by the Paulo Gustavo Law to cultural sectors, severely impacted by the pandemic. While cinema, theater and music remained empty with people’s confinement, games experienced an incredible rise. Diverting resources from these sectors to games, in addition to being improper, is immoral.

Denying the milestone is ignoring the economic and social development of technological ventures in Brazil. It is closing your eyes to the present and wasting an opportunity for the future for young Brazilians. There is no reason for that. We must encourage the professionalization and training of the sector to create new opportunities.

TRENDS / DEBATES
Articles published with a byline do not reflect the newspaper’s opinion. Its publication has the purpose of stimulating debate on Brazilian and global problems and reflecting the different trends in contemporary thought.