The fight for supremacy between next
generation consoles PlayStation 4 and Xbox
One has just got more interesting, as one
previously untapped market of one billion
citizens has just opened its gates.
After 13 years, China will officially lift a ban
on consoles and allow them to be freely
marketed across its territory. The China
console ban will however be lifted on one
condition: that the video game consoles are
manufactured in Shanghai’s new free trade
zone.
The ban was imposed in 2000 and affected the
manufacturing, sale and import of consoles in
China, amid worries that the content would
harm the youth’s physical and mental
development.
Ever since then, major video game
manufacturers such as Microsoft, Sony and
Nintendo have not been able to legally sell
their products on the Chinese market, even if
they were manufactured there. Consoles have
however been available on the black market,
while local manufacturers have tried to come
up with alternatives.
Chinese PC manufacturer Lenovo, for instance,
branched out to develop motion detection
consoles similar to Microsoft’s Kinect and
recently announced plans to launch a games
service that would include gameplay tips,
social networking and software reviews.
That does not mean that there is no room for
the gaming industry’s “Big Three” on the vast
Chinese market. Analysts expect a boost in
sales once the consoles are freely available.
Before reaching the mainland, the three
gaming giants’ products will have to be
approved by the Chinese Ministry of Culture,
to insure that the content is appropriate.
Even so, the opening of the Chinese market is
very likely to have a major impact on the
outcome of the battle for gaming superiority,
as it has the potential to allow Microsoft,
Sony and even Nintendo to reach hundreds of
millions of users who would be eager to buy
previously banned consoles and games.
China’s ban on consoles will be lifted soon and
is part of a wider policy strategy for the new
Shanghai free trade zone. The new trade zone
is strongly backed by the country’s prime
minister, with the goal of increasing the
Chinese economy’ openness to the world.


http://techbeat.com/2013/07/13-year-china-console-ban-to-be-lifted/