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"Euro-Gamers"

So here we are again, the beginning of a New Year. Christmas came and went (as most years now – if I get another pair of socks I’m going to kill someone!) and NYE once again hit me with a monumental hangover. A couple more days and all those decorations will be coming down, and life will once again be returning to normal. In true pantomime style I hear the rest of Europe shouting at me ‘OH NO IT WONT’...

How could I forget? The Euro. 1991 seems a long time away now, when I first heard and chuckled to myself about the ‘single currency’. ‘Yeah, that one is going to work’ I said to myself before tucking in to my jellied eels down the Nags Head. But ‘E-day’ is here. It’s very real and 300 million people are revelling in it as we speak. So far the changeover seems to have gone pretty smoothly – apart from the huge logistical nightmare of distributing 65 billion notes and coins, it seems to have been a success. OK, it may be too soon to say if it is an economical success, but the first hurdle has been cleared by a great distance.

So it got me thinking of the effect this will have on us gamers. Now of course I am fully aware that the previous government on our behalf decided that we would not join the Euro, but let us just say for now that the Conservatives had a smidgen of foresight and said ‘yes’ (I imagine some people on these forums are going to slate me for this).

The most important factor this would change how much we cheaper we can find games in other countries. It’s the one thing that we all agree on – most games are far too expensive and will only continue to rise over the coming years. A lot of high street retailers are shifting games for £45 apiece and this is just plain ridiculous. Prices vary significantly across Europe and a single currency would mean that these price differences would become more transparent. In other words it will become increasingly easy as time goes on to compare the prices of different goods, because they will all be in the same currency. If some game is 75 Euro’s in France and 65 Euro’s in Germany, it’s pretty obvious which one is the cheaper. Postage prices are fairly insignificant these days too, so all in all we could be looking further afield for the best deal.

This ‘transparency’ will also help businesses to become more efficient and therefor more competitive. They will be able to assess their strengths and weaknesses, to check their competitive position, to evaluate the products of competitors and to adapt their own products or prices. If you think of the many processes that are involved in the creation of games (design, production, packaging, music, distribution etc), many of these would benefit from this and ultimately this will have a knock on effect to the consumer.

Another great benefit is if the Euro remains strong internationally, European countries will be able to import at lower prices again affecting the price we pay for goods. Add to this the fact that there will be increased cross-border trading and no more currency transaction costs, we could be looking at significantly more value for money.

Obviously there are possible drawbacks to the Euro, and it would be foolish to ignore them. Billions has already been spent on the creation, distribution and implementation of the currency and there is an increased chance of ‘economic shock’ (devaluation, one nation suffering etc) or even political tension between nations, but to me there is only one way forward.

All I want is to be given the choice, a referendum to let the people decide. Hopefully I have convinced some of you out there to embrace Euroland, even if its just for the cheaper games.

Funny how thinks evolve, innit?

Craw wrote:
> I thought it had something to do with the Euro.

Granted. Which then led to talk of taxes. i think.

I'll get me coat.

I thought it had something to do with the Euro.

I'm sure that the point of this discussion (now lost in the dark times of this morning) was talking about how to raise more tax money for the government. Which decriminalisation won't, except for saving a few bob on bobbies. But not really that much, 'cos they're not too fussed about it as it is.

Ok, that makes sense, companies would take it on, and the government would not have the initial bill. But with legalisation, taxes would still make the prices soar. 10 years ago fags were less than £2 per box. The cost of production has not raised that much, it's the government making petty cash. It would cost the government cash in the legalisation dept, with their making regulations on places that could sell, age certification, licences, and the enforcement of this would also cost, which would be funded by the taxes on the drug (though, as with any tax, over half the money will be spent elsewhere).

Decriminalisation is far better. All they need to do is tell coppers not to arrest anyone for it anymore.

Slaveunit wrote:
> To convery Cannabis into a large scale legalised
> operation, it would take a vast amount of cash in setup
> costs. Then there would be all the things like
> management fees, minimum wage for the workers with
> pension schemes and discount bus tickets (like all
> government people get), and so many other things that are
> currently done on the cheap by people who just want to
> smoke. Add the tax, shipping, security, the costs would
> be much higher to the punter.

I disagree. The government would not (should not!) run any future Cannabis industry, companies such as BAT, Marlboro, etc would.

Lets put up the price of fags each year and destroy the cancer-ridden tobacoo industry, but in return we can offer a Cannabis industry instead.

Companies can gradually switch over existing factorys to produce Cannabis based products instead of nicotine based ones. The Taxpayer should pay not a penny towards this, but would hopefully benefit from a less-stressed NHS and basically be a lot healthier. Stoned. But healthier.

Amsterdam uses the decriminalisation system. The government make no cash off the stuff, only from the licences that the shops need to sell. Amsterdam has had a proven reduction in crime since they decriminalised it.

Ah, true. Good point, well made.

I spose I just thought that other countries seem to manage it (I assume, seeing as they're still doing it). But then again, having said that, I don't know if it's taxed or simply decriminalised elsewhere.

*shrug*

Oh well, as with so many of my blindingly good ideas, they're fatally flawed in every way. Shame that.

To convery Cannabis into a large scale legalised operation, it would take a vast amount of cash in setup costs. Then there would be all the things like management fees, minimum wage for the workers with pension schemes and discount bus tickets (like all government people get), and so many other things that are currently done on the cheap by people who just want to smoke. Add the tax, shipping, security, the costs would be much higher to the punter.

The thing about bootleg fags is that they are cheaper. If fake fags cost more than real fags people would just buy real fags and the bootleggers wouldnt bother. It's the conditional government attitude that the government has over everything that makes it all so expensive.

Slaveunit wrote:
> Jonman wrote:
> Legalise cannabis and tax that heavily too. I'm sure
> the
> government could make a mint off that.

If they legalised cannabis
> and taxed it a load then people would just go back to getting it from their
> local dealer, which would then be illegal again, so the police have more to do,
> costing more cash. It wouldnt work.

Decriminalisation is the way to go.
> Release the police burden, and free them up to catch real crims.

I'm sure that a legalised, controlled and taxed industry would still be cheaper than the prices you'd pay at the moment - it's a matter of scale. It would be the same situation we've currently got with bootleg ciggies and booze - it's a problem, but it's not an enormous problem. And the tax dollors would still be rolling in.