Good article, it's always good to increase our culture with some knowledge and reports from other countries... About piracy, I should say that the reality here in Brazil is not very different, the taxes over imported and electronics is kinda ABSURD, to number it I should say that you will pay 60% more if you are importing anything over the $50 price.

So, mostly everyone here has piracy on their systems, it's tough to believe that I could buy(actually I buy for the root price in U.S since a big part of my family lives there) a game or a blu-ray movie for $39, $60, when you see them here to sell on the store for $130+.

Solution to pay less? Black-market. We buy from people who import stuff without paying the taxes... hard to say, but that's a world reality for those whom that are forgotten in their countries.

Good luck on EURO 08 Semi-Finals, if Germany wins I'll celebrate eating some Curry Würst!

 

That happens to a lot of third-world countries...doesn't it?

Offtopic: Didn't you used to have a different flag, ojsinnerz? Did you move here in Canada? >_

 

Oh. That's cool.

 

Well...I think its crazy that a whole country is pirating...I mean, that could possibly rip a big whole in Nintendo's net profit and slow down good game production right?

 

It's pretty much like the Philippines.
Go to the mall, and you'll see 200 games in one packages.
EVERYWHERE.

 

You think that's bad?
Try Hong Kong. Everyone uses an R4. EVERYONE. EVERY retailer sells it. And think about how many people there are living there and how many can get their hands on a DS. Not a fan of DS? Everyone bootlegs PSP games too.

 

Hahaha, so true. When I traveled to China, no one had a DS, so. Yeah. They can't even get their hands on a computer, much less a DS. They may manufacture these things, but they most likely don't use them themselves. I mean, wtf do they have? An iQue?

 

Pirated piracy?
Wow.

 

Yes. In China and most Southeast Asian countries, they sell the DS with a flashcart bundled (with an SD card, etc) and would preload ROMs in it at your request. Same with PSPs already with CFW and a Memory Stick filled with games.

Speaking of Hong Kong, "once in sometimes" there's some guys who've just stolen stuff from the back of a truck and sell them by Apliu Street which is also in Sham Shui Po, just a short walk from the legendary Golden Computer Centres. You can get DSs, PSPs and other consoles for half the price if you're into buying stolen goods. LOL

 

currywurst is the real deal!