China Might Lift Video Game Console Ban

Chinese officials are reportedly looking into lifting a ban on game consoles that has been in place since 2000, according to China Daily.

Citing an unnamed source from China's Ministry of Culture, China Daily reported that officials in the country have "conducted some surveys" and talked with other ministry officials about "opening up" the game console market. Lifting the ban, however, will require approval from all parties involved in the initial crackdown, the source said.

The ban was first put in place to protect the "physical and mental development" of China's youth. But the ban isn't strongly enforced - Sony and Microsoft have released the PlayStation and Xbox in Hong Kong - and it hasn't exactly curbed gaming in the region. In reality, it led to an explosion of online gaming, Kotaku pointed out in 2010.

Piracy is also a big concern. The launch of the PS2 in China in 2004 resulted in "rampant game piracy and of the hardware itself," Kotaku said. As a result, there are a variety of knockoffs devices and games at every turn.

China Daily said companies like Sony and Microsoft are making small inroads in the region - like Microsoft releasing a non-gaming version of the Kinect there and Sony opening an office in South China's Guangdong province.

Of course, there are also those who have sold consoles smuggled in from other countries. "I could sell as many as 10 consoles a day back in 2006," video game store owner Liu Shuo toldChina Daily. "The net profit was high because there were fewer competitors." 

Source pcmag.com