from Hacker News

The Darkest Timeline – how I see the 54% tariff impacting the game industry

by vyrotek on 4/3/25, 8:25 PM with 46 comments

  • by stevenwoo on 4/3/25, 11:23 PM

    The closing statement was a more cogent strategy for building manufacturing in the USA (from a tabletop gaming person!) than anything we’ve heard from those in charge in 2025.

  • by 4ndrewl on 4/4/25, 9:18 AM

    The article addresses the false dichotomy peddled by proponents of tariffs. The option isn't "foreign jobs v US jobs" it's "make part of it abroad" v "make all of it in USA" v "don't make it at all"

    Free trade allowed new products, and existing products at lower price points to simply exist.

  • by Yeul on 4/4/25, 11:23 AM

    The rest of the world will just cut out the US. Trade isn't over because the orange throne commands it.

    Even the creative industries are feeling the change. Spin up Netflix and you'll see Korean and Japanese series on the front page.

  • by Gollapalli on 4/4/25, 2:41 AM

    What would it cost, realistically to print and publish these in the US? Is it not mostly just laminated paper on cardboard with some resin pieces?

  • by nine_zeros on 4/3/25, 11:46 PM

    What's remarkable is that the cost of software companies will rise dramatically simply because cost of laptops, office chairs, tables, electric cables will rise.

    At that point, it might just be worthwhile to develop 100% abroad and then sell in the US with a one-time tariff rather than pay for itemized tariffs/US greedflation.

  • by neilwilson on 4/4/25, 10:44 AM

    "If a game costs $10 to make in China"

    It doesn't though. It costs a certain amount of Yuan. About 70CNY

    Therefore to make the numbers add up now they need $5 to buy 70CNY

    Which means to make China a viable source, the exchange rate needs to go from 1:7 to 1:14.

    Those Chinese Sovereign wealth funds need to be more generous with their CNY if they want to keep the manufacturing.

  • by hiccuphippo on 4/4/25, 8:27 PM

    I used to buy board games from the US because even with shipping they tended to be cheaper than local sellers and had much more variety (I got Wingspan from the writers of the article, excellent game). Bought my last couple of games just last week. I'll have to look elsewhere now.

  • by whoiscroberts on 4/4/25, 1:28 AM

    I guess our trading partners should lower their tariffs/margins to a level that makes these US importers and publishers able to take a healthy cut, or we can assume they don’t mind the drop in orders to their factories.

  • by alephnerd on 4/4/25, 12:49 AM

    It's a Goods tariff

    They don't (directly) impact service imports like games, VFX, or outsourced software.

    Edit: I'm wrong. This article is about tabletop games, not video games. Maybe a title change in HN would be helpful?