Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo band together once more to oppose the threat of expensive tariffs on Chinese goods. The Trump administration’s proposed tariffs could tax video game consoles by 25%, which would cause Americans to pay about $840 million more than usual for consoles. With the next-generation of consoles looming, it makes sense that the Big Three want to ensure that their products remain at an attractive price. The statement reads, “Because of the deep interdependence of video game consoles and game software, and due to the price sensitivity of video game console purchasers, tariffs on video game consoles would not only harm our companies, consumers, and retailers, but will also disproportionately harm the thousands of small and medium-sized software and accessory developers in the United States,”
Games Against China Tariffs
Considering the video game industry accumulates greater profits than the film and music industry combined, any significant negative impact on it would contribute to the domestic and global economic catastrophe if the tariffs were to come to fruition. Additionally, as the statement claims, any altercations to console prices would also deal a serious blow to other companies in the industry, from independent game developers to hardware peripheral designers to even retailers. Ultimately, it is within the industry’s best interest to prevent these tariffs from being implemented. We can only hope that the Trump administration rescinds from this proposal.
