Last night, our government decided that it was "unfair" that overseas companies selling purely digital content to Australians don't pay the 10% GST. So they are now going to require overseas companies selling purely digital content to start collecting (and paying to the government) the 10% GST. Which means GOG will have to start charging Aussies 10% more for the games (or make 10% less on each sale if they dont increase prices)

It's already here in the UK, I pay an extra £1 and.0.3% fee to buy games from humble bundle, digital import tax.

I'll have to start pirating games soon!

You aussies are getting hit hard when it comes to computer games, I feel for you.

Not surprising really. The government here is generally intent on making things as expensive as possible. The more things cost the more percentage they skim off the top.

With a large government to pay for, no more mining boom, and baby boomers starting to retire en masse, the government's thirst for money is only going to grow.

If it's so crappy down under, why do you people still stay there? In my country 4-5 million people left in the last 20 years... and probably more will follow. But I see no emigration en-masse from Australia, so I don't suppose it's that bad.

Its not whether Australia is good or bad, its that all the other places to go are worse.

Visa requirements? In order to move around globally you have to qualify for whatever visa your designated country requires you to have, unless you're just planning on being an illegal immigrant... Good luck with improving your quality of life if you go that route.

You seem to be making an assumption. Life is generally OK here, though it's all relative of course.

I'm just saying that the government is going to be looking for a lot of money soon. The last decade of prosperity is over now but everyone was expecting it to last forever. That is going to lead to significant problems. So we should expect more and more tax hikes and things like that. Will it get to a stage where people leave en masse? Who knows?

The real problem is, is that there is not anywhere people can go anymore...

Maybe GOG will swallow the tax from its margins just as it does with EU VAT. Who knows?

yes they are all in the UK :P

other == polish / romanian

Yea, after Spain, Italy and France, many romanians now go to the UK and Germany. Unfortunately the gypsies also have moved on, and they are giving a bad name to the others :(

there is good and bad in all peoples. the bad romanians have given decent romanian a very bad reputation, but we can say that about any country, there are useless people in the UK that give brits a bad reputation..

Well you were already paying like 300% more for most games than Russia, so what's another 10%?

So,what's new....

You forgot Scandinavia...

But seriously - no place to go. Governments belong to corporations, politicians are beyond corrupt and stupid, the middle class was utterly destroyed in the last 40 - 50 years (at a global level), there is an incredible lack of reaction from the vast majority, rights are fragged on daily basis, economies are sinking...It looks grim and probably is worse than we imagine.