Not just Switch 2: ESA warns Trump’s tariffs will hurt the entire game industry
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We live in a global economy. His Tariffs will hurt every industry.
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We live in a global economy. His Tariffs will hurt every industry.
Yep. Even if you're buying a product which is by meaningful standards "100% American made," consider the invisible costs. The cost of the packaging that they use, the cost of the supplies/equipment they use in production and the upkeep required to maintain them, the cost of the infrastructure they use for logistics and operations, etc.
All these less visible dependencies affect the cost of doing business and can still be impacted by tariffs if anything comes from overseas, even if the product itself is just a bottle of maple syrup made in Vermont.
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Let's try and look at silver linings
What would be great is if price hikes cause people to purchase games that are worth it causing developers to release complete and feature rich games without further abysmal monetization statagies.
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White House official, when asked about Trump’s approach to his latest tariff policies, bluntly said, “[Trump] doesn’t give a fuck. He’s going to do what he’s going to do.”
That tracks. While economists, small business owners, and trade partners brace for impact, Trump spent the day—once again—on the golf course.
There was no strategic urgency. No economic consensus. No thoughtful rollout. Just impulsive, performative policymaking at the expense of American workers and global stability. Tariffs, when used wisely, can be a tool of leverage. But this? This isn’t policy—it’s ego dressed up as strength.
And once again, Americans are left holding the bill.
There was no need for tariffs to be done this way.
Meanwhile, economists—and people with far more expertise than most of us—are already calling this one of the most significant self-inflicted wounds in American economic history. A reckless move, made not out of strategy, but spite.
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Let's try and look at silver linings
What would be great is if price hikes cause people to purchase games that are worth it causing developers to release complete and feature rich games without further abysmal monetization statagies.
Or they just shift the focus to F2P with absurd level of micro-transactions
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Or they just shift the focus to F2P with absurd level of micro-transactions
That sounds plausible but I'm trying to focus on the positive here
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White House official, when asked about Trump’s approach to his latest tariff policies, bluntly said, “[Trump] doesn’t give a fuck. He’s going to do what he’s going to do.”
That tracks. While economists, small business owners, and trade partners brace for impact, Trump spent the day—once again—on the golf course.
There was no strategic urgency. No economic consensus. No thoughtful rollout. Just impulsive, performative policymaking at the expense of American workers and global stability. Tariffs, when used wisely, can be a tool of leverage. But this? This isn’t policy—it’s ego dressed up as strength.
And once again, Americans are left holding the bill.
There was no need for tariffs to be done this way.
Meanwhile, economists—and people with far more expertise than most of us—are already calling this one of the most significant self-inflicted wounds in American economic history. A reckless move, made not out of strategy, but spite.
Tangentially related - is there a tracker comparing his golf days to his first term?
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Let's try and look at silver linings
What would be great is if price hikes cause people to purchase games that are worth it causing developers to release complete and feature rich games without further abysmal monetization statagies.
... or, we get lots and lots of 2D, sidescrolling, pixel-art games with anime tiddy cover art.
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We live in a global economy. His Tariffs will hurt every industry.
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... or, we get lots and lots of 2D, sidescrolling, pixel-art games with anime tiddy cover art.
Looking forward to it
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Tangentially related - is there a tracker comparing his golf days to his first term?
Good question! Hope this helps:
There isn’t a single live tracker that puts Trump’s first and second terms side by side, but we can compare available data:
First Term (2017–2021):
- Golf rounds played: Approximately 261 rounds — about one every 5.6 days.
- Visits to Trump properties: 428 days out of 1,461, which is nearly 29% of his presidency.
- Source: TrumpGolfTrack.com
Second Term (as of February 17, 2025):
- Golf rounds played: At least 5 rounds in the first 28 days — again, one every 5.6 days.
- Percentage of days golfing: About 17.86% of his time in office so far.
- Source: PinkNews article
Soooo: Trump’s pace of golfing in his second term is nearly identical to his first — he’s kept the same rhythm of golf every 5–6 days.
That’s wild shit right there.
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Do tariffs affect digital games as well or only physical games?
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To be fair and I say that as a lifelong gamer: That‘s hardly one of my biggest concerns. I‘ve experienced ridiculous pricing policies in both software and hardware over the last couple years, preventing many of us to get their hands on the latest tech. Like, I will never own a high end computer. But I will also likely never own a house.
What I‘m trying to say is, gaming has been in an awkward sport for a very long time and it‘s still… fine. Paradoxically it‘s cheaper than ever to have a good time with games and the choices are endless even on a tiny budget. It‘ll be fine. We‘re facing much bigger problems in other areas right now.
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Or they just shift the focus to F2P with absurd level of micro-transactions
I‘ve had a blast with The Finals over the last year and it cost me zero point nothing. Plus almost the entire retro catalog with all time classics can be accessed by a single purchase of a retro handheld that can cost you between 30 to 300 bucks depending on your budget. That‘s insanely cheap. You won‘t need new games for a very long time and even if you did, there are more fantastic indie games being made than ever and a growing number of them offers free demos for you to try. And they won‘t cost you an arm and a leg. Promise.
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Good question! Hope this helps:
There isn’t a single live tracker that puts Trump’s first and second terms side by side, but we can compare available data:
First Term (2017–2021):
- Golf rounds played: Approximately 261 rounds — about one every 5.6 days.
- Visits to Trump properties: 428 days out of 1,461, which is nearly 29% of his presidency.
- Source: TrumpGolfTrack.com
Second Term (as of February 17, 2025):
- Golf rounds played: At least 5 rounds in the first 28 days — again, one every 5.6 days.
- Percentage of days golfing: About 17.86% of his time in office so far.
- Source: PinkNews article
Soooo: Trump’s pace of golfing in his second term is nearly identical to his first — he’s kept the same rhythm of golf every 5–6 days.
That’s wild shit right there.
That's. Not as bad as I thought. It's once or twice a week, the local sports teams around me all play about once a week. If golf weren't so expensive it would sound normal.
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Why is the European Space Agency is speaking up to this topic
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That's. Not as bad as I thought. It's once or twice a week, the local sports teams around me all play about once a week. If golf weren't so expensive it would sound normal.
Golf isn’t that expensive. Not more expensive than any other hobby to be fair. He makes it expensive because he only plays in his own courses and overcharges the hell out of The White House. What they spend on renting golf carts alone is a fortune. He’s a crook, but he’s so open about it that it really doesn’t affect him. Any other president would be torn to pieces about this, because they likely have shame and would try to hide actions like this. Trump normalizes depravity.
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That's. Not as bad as I thought. It's once or twice a week, the local sports teams around me all play about once a week. If golf weren't so expensive it would sound normal.
Golf isn't spectacularly expensive if you play the same way normal people do, IE at your local club.
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That's. Not as bad as I thought. It's once or twice a week, the local sports teams around me all play about once a week. If golf weren't so expensive it would sound normal.
It also costs a few million just to fly him to maralago. Each time. Plus charging secret service for the rooms they stay in at his properties. He's just funneling taxpayer dollars into his own pocket.
