China suspends ban on video game consoles after more than a decade - Polidicks

[IMG]http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20140107&t=2&i=827366141&w=580&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=CBREA060IMY00[/IMG] [QUOTE] China has temporarily lifted a 14-year-old ban on selling video game consoles, paving the way for Sony Corp, Microsoft Corp and Nintendo Co Ltd to enter the world's third largest video game market in terms of revenue. China saw video game revenues grow by more than a third in 2012 to nearly $14 billion last year, but console makers are likely to face an uphill battle for market share in a country where a whole generation has grown up without a PlayStation, Xbox or Wii and where free PC and mobile games dominate. The absence of consoles has left PC games with almost two-thirds of the market, according to data released at the annual China games industry conference in December. Browser gaming accounted for just over 15 percent and mobile gaming was nearly 14 percent, the data also showed. "If Sony and Microsoft want to expand in China they need to think of changing their business model, and study the success of Internet gaming market providers where games are free but they charge money from operating games," said Roger Sheng, research director at tech research firm Gartner. China had banned games consoles in 2000, citing their adverse effect on the mental health of its youth. The suspension of the ban permits "foreign-invested enterprises" to make game consoles within Shanghai's free trade zone and sell them in China after inspection by cultural departments, the government's top decision-making authority, the State Council, said in a statement. The statement, posted on the council's website on Monday, did not give more details and officials were not available to clarify the ruling, or say how long the suspension would last.[/QUOTE] [url]http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/07/us-china-gamesconsoles-idUSBREA0606C20140107[/url]

bad reading on my part whoops

[QUOTE=Hellreaver;43449444]It's not hard to understand how China got so overpopulated when it's 2014 and they only JUST re-allowed game consoles. I mean, with their current situation there, probably the only thing left to do in their spare time is to fuck.[/QUOTE] So what you're saying is that we need to share all of our goodies with the Chinese. It's a shame that they think Japan is literally Voldemort, or they'd never have to fuck again given what the Japanese come up with.

[quote]"If Sony and Microsoft want to expand in China they need to think of changing their business model, and study the success of Internet gaming market providers where games are free but they charge money from operating games," said Roger Sheng, research director at tech research firm Gartner.[/quote] Is he talking about subscription based games

You can already buy consoles in China, only difference is that they're usually hacked/chipped/whatever. I don't mean only at shady backalleys either, I went to a mall in China a few years back and there was an entire 2-3 floors dedicated to electronics and video game consoles were pretty common.

[QUOTE=ROFLBURGER;43449521]Is he talking about subscription based games[/QUOTE] i think he means pay2win games

[QUOTE=ROFLBURGER;43449521]Is he talking about subscription based games[/QUOTE] He's saying that the entire Chinese video game market is based around LAN centers and games that you don't have to purchase.

It was never really heavily enforced to begin with, I remember walking into a game store in Beijing and they were selling consoles and stuff, that was in 2009.