Legal Framework for Games: understand the changes – 12/20/2023 – Tech

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Senator Leila Barros (PDT-DF) presented on the 11th at the Senate Education Committee a new version of the project that creates the Legal Framework for Games. The new text removes “fantasy sports” from the scope of the framework, meets demands from representatives of the national electronic games industry and creates mechanisms to make games a safer environment for minors.

Rewinding

Authored by deputy Kim Kataguiri (União Brasil-SP), the original project aimed to separate video games from gambling.

During processing in the Chamber, however, it was replaced by a text reported by then deputy Darci de Matos (PSD-SC), which included fantasy sports games, or Fantasy Sports (such as Cartola and Rei do Pitaco), in the project. In October 2022, the text was approved by the House as a matter of urgency and forwarded to the Senate.

After approval by the Economic Affairs Committee, the project was taken to the plenary for a vote. However, after protests from senators and entities representing the Brazilian games industry, the text was forwarded for debate to the Education Commission.

Under new direction

Reporter of the project at the collegiate, Leila promoted a series of changes. I list the eight main changes:

1. Fantasy Sports out: sector that had been exerting greater lobbying for the approval of the project in its previous version, Fantasy Sports were excluded from the text. The regulation of these companies was assessed within the scope of the Bets Law (PL 3,262/2023), which returned to the Chamber after approval in the Senate.

two. Classification for microtransactions: The text establishes that the presence of microtransactions in games must be taken into account for the purposes of indicative classification. Theoretically, this could change the rating of games like “EA Sports FC 24”, which has this type of mechanics and is currently recommended for all ages.

3. Tax rebate: The Audiovisual Law includes a 70% tax discount on remittances abroad related to the exploitation of electronic games or licensing, provided that the foreign company invests in the development of national independent games.

4. Sector framework: classifies in a broad and detailed way the companies that can be considered as belonging to the games sector. In addition, it regulates new specific professions in the area, such as game designer and tester, for example.

5. My Cnae, My Life: orders IBGE to create a specific code for the sector in the National Register of Economic Activities (Cnae), a demand for more than 20 years from national gaming companies that will facilitate bureaucratic procedures and help to record data from this industry in Brazil.

6. “DevKits” released: recognizes development kits (“DevKits”) as essential tools for the industry, which should facilitate the import of this equipment. “DevKits” are often identified as video game consoles, being taxed and sometimes detained at customs.

7. Games in the public sector: establishes general guidelines for the use of electronic games in educational and therapeutic contexts, including the possibility of creating a repository of games that would be available for use by public teaching, research and health institutions.

8. Thinking about little children: holds electronic game developers responsible and requires them to maintain a virtual environment in which children and adolescents are protected. It requires, for example, that in-game purchasing tools restrict transactions made by children, ensuring the consent of those responsible.

And now? Next steps

The new text still needs to be approved by the Senate Education Committee. After that, it must be voted on in the plenary. If approved, it will return to the Chamber so that the changes can be considered by deputies.

What did they say

With information from Agência Senado.

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Play

game tip, new or old, for you to try

Pioneers of Pagonia

(PRAÇA)

This strategy game from German studio Envision Entertainment sells itself as a colonization simulator, but it could very well be an anthill simulator. Unlike classic real-time strategy games like “Age of Empires”, the player does not individually control each unit, but only builds roads and buildings that they will use to complete their tasks. The result is like watching a graceful anthill, building an increasingly larger village and exploring procedurally created scenarios — of course, under the influence of the player.

The journalist received a copy of the game for testing.

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Update

news, launches, business and what matters most

• E3, which was once considered the biggest games fair in the world, is over after almost 30 years. ESA (Entertainment Software Association) announced the end of the event annual event that began in 1995 after a string of cancellations due to the Covid-19 pandemic and low industry interest. The last in-person edition was in June 2019.

• Epic Games won the lawsuit filed against Google for violating antitrust laws in its virtual application store, Google Play. The company questioned the charging of a 30% fee for in-store purchases and the prohibition on creating alternative stores. Google will appeal.

• Naughty Dog announced the cancellation of an online multiplayer game from the “The Last of Us” franchise. In a note on its website, the studio stated that it made the decision to give up the “live service” game to focus on single-player projects, which have always been the company’s strong point.

• Kojima Productions, owned by legendary game designer Hideo Kojima (from the “Metal Gear Solid” series), announced a partnership with production company A24 to release a film based on “Death Stranding”.

• Netflix’s vice president of games, Mike Verdu, stated on the company’s website that the streaming giant has almost 90 games in development and will be made available to the platform’s subscribers.

• Geoff Keighley, organizer of The Game Awards, announced on X This year’s awards ceremony was watched 118 million times online on the 7th. The number represents an increase of 15% compared to the previous year.

• Microsoft has released an app for Xbox Games Pass on Meta Quest virtual reality devices. With the program, it will be possible to play the service’s games on a 2D virtual screen.

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Download

games that will be launched in the next few days and promotions that are worth it

December 20

“Resident Evil 4”: R$ 249 (iOS)

End of year promotions

• The Epic Games Store has started its holiday sale with hundreds of discounted games. Among the highlights is “Alan Wake 2” for R$180 (-20%) —and you even get a free copy of “Alan Wake Remastered”—, “EA Sports FC 24” for R$143.60 (-60 %) and “God of War” for R$99.95 (-50%). Offers run until January 10th.

• Sony is offering a discount of R$500 for the purchase of the PlayStation 5. In the promotion, the version of the console with a disc player costs R$4,500 for R$4,000. The offer runs until December 24th or while supplies last.