According to a report on Reuters, China’s State Council has temporarily lifted a ban on selling foreign video game consoles.<\/p>\n
This means companies such as Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo suddenly have access to a US$14-billion dollar market.<\/p>\n
The only catch is that the foreign companies must manufacture the consoles within Shanghai’s free trade zone and sell them into China after inspection by cultural departments.<\/p>\n
The State Council did not specify for how long the ban would be suspended, and foreign enterprise requirements have not been communicated.<\/p>\n
China banned gaming consoles in 2000, citing adverse effects on youth mental health, but there has long been a black market for consoles. PC gaming therefore dominated the market with a two-thirds share.<\/p>\n
According to Reuters, citing data released at the 2013 China games industry conference, China’s video game market grew 38% from 2012 to reach 83.17 billion yuan ($13.74 billion) in 2013. Browser gaming accounted for 15.4% and mobile gaming 13.5%.<\/p>\n
Ironically, China is one of the main manufacturers of gaming consoles, with company’s such as Foxconn producing devices for Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft.<\/p>\n
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