Nintendo has officially pulled support from the Brazilian market.
According to a report from Scub, the company's products will no longer be distributed in the region thanks to the nation's unacceptably high import tariffs. How high? Well, Wii U launched at a whopping R$1899 (approximately $830 USD) while games sold for prices between R$179 to R$199 (a "mere" $77 to $87 USD).
Bill van Zyl, the Director and General Manager of Latin America at Nintendo of America, provided the following statement:
Brazil is an important market for Nintendo and home to many passionate fans but unfortunately challenges on the local business environment have made our current distribution model unsustainable in the country.
Working together with the Juegos de Video Latinoamérica, we will monitor the evolution of the business environment and evaluate the best way to serve our Brazilian fans in the future.
If anything, this news makes me thankful I live in North America where the prices are far more reasonable. I'll never complain about Wii U costing $300 ever again.