China could lift 13-year ban on console gaming

[Shawn Knight]

Reports coming out of China suggest the country is planning to withdrawal its 13-year ban on the production and sale of game consoles. This would allow heavyweights like Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony to manufacture systems in Shanghai's new free trade zone in an apparent effort to open up China’s economy to other parts of the world according to a report from the South China Morning Post.

The Chinese government implemented the sales ban in 2000 as a way to protect the country’s youth from what they deemed to be unhealthy influences but even still, there have been ways around it. The advent of the Internet and mobile gaming as well as a strong underground market are just a few of the ways that those in China have been able to get their gaming fix for more than a decade.

Under the proposal, console makers would be required to register in the aforementioned free trade zone. A source that claims to have reviewed the policy said manufacturers would still need approval from the culture ministry and other relevant government bodies for products. This is because China wants to make sure the content of games sold isn’t too violent or politically sensitive for youth.

Now could be as good of a time as any for the country to life the ban as both Microsoft and Sony are preparing to launch new systems in the coming months. That could mean a lot of money for all parties involved, especially China.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/53197-china-could-lift-13-year-ban-on-console-gaming.html

 

[cliffordcooley]

Every kid in China that can afford it will have a console, simply because they couldn't have a console last year. (y)

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

I never knew consoles were banned in China. That's really silly, it's akin to the prohibition laws in the US in the 20's. The black market for consoles must be really huge and legitimizing them is bound to cheese of some of the black marketers. It's probably the only sensible decision the Chinese government has made in years.

 

[misor]

I never knew consoles were banned in China. That's really silly, it's akin to the prohibition laws in the US in the 20's. The black market for consoles must be really huge and legitimizing them is bound to cheese of some of the black marketers. It's probably the only sensible decision the Chinese government has made in years.

what if the Chinese government controls the black market? they could have milked their own people for a lot of dollars.

if I remember it right, Chinese companies assemble these xbox# and ps#.

 

[cliffordcooley]

if I remember it right, Chinese companies assemble these xbox# and ps#.

I was wondering if they had a hand in making the very thing they had banned. If so creating a black market would not have been easier.

 

[Guest]

The Chinese always seem to embrace Capitalism when they can make a buck.

 

[Guest]

Isn't that what capitalism is all about? Making as much money as possible? Don't see what's wrong with China capitalizing on the opportunity.

 

[Guest]

On the box that my PS3 was packaged in:
- System made in China
- Dual Shock controler made in China
- AC power cord made in China
- AV cable made in China
- USB charger cable made in China

 

[Guest]

Isn't that what capitalism is all about? Making as much money as possible? Don't see what's wrong with China capitalizing on the opportunity.

Not knocking capitalism at all. It just goes to show that socialism is a failure.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Not knocking capitalism at all. It just goes to show that socialism is a failure.

It also shows nobody but the Chinese can make anything. The thought of why everything has China stamped all over it, sickens me. Nothing against the Chinese but they are not the only capable people. As much as they manufacture, they should be the most technologically advanced nation. But yet thats far from the truth.

 

[treetops]

Ouch to pc gaming

 

[jeffz6]

They weren't missing much =)

 

[St1ckM4n]

Inb4 headline in Q1 2014: "Console shipments outpace PC's by a factor of 234180934!"

 

[TS-56336]

Very interesting, I just looked under my PS3, and it says "Made in China".

 

[Zoltan Head]

Very interesting, I just looked under my PS3, and it says "Made in China".

Strange choice of material, polymer would be more robust.

 

[Puiu]

Not knocking capitalism at all. It just goes to show that socialism is a failure.

It also shows nobody but the Chinese can make anything. The thought of why everything has China stamped all over it, sickens me. Nothing against the Chinese but they are not the only capable people. As much as they manufacture, they should be the most technologically advanced nation. But yet thats far from the truth.

The reason china makes things so much cheaper is because of 3 things:
1. total lack of quality control
2. huge subsidies given by the government to Chinese companies (and I mean huge as in hundreds of billions every year are set aside only for subsidies) - the Economist calls it : "Perverse advantage"
3. excess production (example also from the economist article: the excess steel production is larger than the entire production from japan)
As you can see no foreign company can compete with Chinese companies.

 

[NTAPRO]

Doesn't a lot of counterfeit games/electronics/lots of stuff come from china?

 

[cliffordcooley]

As you can see no foreign company can compete with Chinese companies.

Company vs company are political issues that have nothing to do with an individuals capabilities. My comment was people vs people are capable of doing the same work. The political BS is what pisses me off.

 

[Guest]

There's a typo in this article near the end about "to life." It should be "to lift."