China Ending Ban on Video Game Consoles

ManjuShri · Jul 10, 2013

China is expected to soon end a 13-year ban on the production and sale of game consoles with only one key condition: foreign firms like Sony and Nintendo must make their products in Shanghai’s new free trade zone.

The milestone move to allow foreign companies to make game consoles in Shanghai’s new free trade zone is part of a detailed policy blueprint for a “Shanghai free trade zone”, endorsed by Premier Li Keqiang, who is keen to make Chinese economy more open to the rest of the world and to make its currency more widely used.

Chinese-language government documents on the policy package said that if foreign companies agreed to register in the new free trade zone in Shanghai, they would be allowed to promote and sell their products in the domestic mainland market after seeking approval for specific products from “culture-related authorities”, the sources who reviewed the documents told the South China Morning Post on Wednesday.

“They still need approval from the culture ministry and other relevant government bodies for their products, which I think is reasonable, because the government wants to make sure the content of your games is not too violent or politically sensitive for young people,” said one of the sources. The sources declined to be named before an official announcement is made about the new rules for Shanghai’s free trade zone.

in June 2000, China's seven ministries led by the Ministry of Culture, jointly issued a notice to ban the production and sale of game consoles. At that time, the government was concerned about unhealthy and in particular violent content of video games that may bring potential harm to the grow-up of young Chinese.

Although Sony’s well-known PlayStation and Nintendo’s Wii video game consoles - in particular their various game software - are not yet allowed officially to be made and sold in China, young Chinese gaming fans already have access to these video game consoles and thousands of their gaming software through black market retail channels and pirate disk shops around the vast nation.

Nowadays young Chinese increasingly like playing games on Apple’s popular mobile devices including iPads and iPhones, which are assembled in China and sold across the country legally because they are not considered gaming products.

“The Shanghai free trade zone plan is strongly supported by Premier Li, who wants to improve China’s image as opening further to business under the new leadership (of Premier Li and President Xi Jinping),” another source said. “You may think the game console is a small deal in the whole policy package for Shanghai, but it’s an interesting instance showing how China wants to open up to foreign investors.”

On July 3, the State Council, China's cabinet, issued a statement after a meeting chaired by Li that the free-trade zone in Shanghai would be a snapshot of an “upgraded Chinese economy”.

The Post already exclusively reported this week that foreign banks would find a shortcut to set up wholly-owned subsidiaries and foreign commodities exchanges would be allowed to establish their own futures delivery warehouses in the new zone.

More details about Beijing’s landmark plan for the new trade zone in Shanghai would be officially released very soon, the sources said.
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http://www.scmp.com/business/compan...ow-production-and-sale-game-consoles-mainland

Icewater · Jul 10, 2013

China gives into the . Is there no one who will fight back?

Ninja Destroyer · Jul 10, 2013

So this is how Sony will make their console so cheap .

Absalom · Jul 13, 2013

China lifts the ban on video game consoles simultaneously as the next generation collectively shat the bed

Multi-headed Cow · Jul 13, 2013

China heard about the Xbox One and decided they wanted a piece of that "Camera and microphone in every house" action.

Zewp · Jul 13, 2013

Decline of china.

Delterius · Jul 13, 2013

Icewater said: ↑

China gives into the . Is there no one who will fight back?
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They are fighting back the rising tide of mobile gaming. How far would you go to fight the worst of Declines?

Galdred · Jul 13, 2013

As someone living here, I guess it might have to do with videogame consoles being trivially easy to find in shops (the brick and mortar ones) over there. One mall even specializes in videogame consoles, board games and trading cards.
People playing on android devices everywhere might make them think that consoles whose main use would be to watch TV would not be so bad after all, especially if they provide some more jobs.

Curious_Tongue · Jul 13, 2013

http://wii.mmgn.com/Articles/11-hilarious-chinese-game-console-rip-of

Curious_Tongue · Jul 13, 2013

There's more. Google them.

Clockwork Knight · Jul 21, 2013

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"You think this is a motherfucking game? Well, it isn't, you fucker. You fucked up. You fucked with the wrong guy."

dnf · Jul 21, 2013

Spellcaster said: ↑

Polystations are made in Brazil actually.
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Nintendo clones right?

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China Ending Ban on Video Game Consoles

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China Ending Ban on Video Game Consoles

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