Video Consoles Allowed on Chinese Market After Years-Long Ban

According to newly adopted regulations, game makers including Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft are no longer forbidden from manufacturing and marketing their video consoles across the country, as revealed in a recent statement from the Chinese Ministry of Culture.

From now, all restrictions on video gaming have been lifted and a new large market has opened to console makers. However, marketing video consoles in China may not prove to be an easy business as the Chinese population under 15 years of age — having lived their entire lives under the video game ban — has gotten used to different gaming experiences, such as PC and mobile games.

Initially, video game consoles were barred in the People’s Republic of China in 2000 on the grounds that such games and the 3D-reality which they promote could harm children’s mental and physical health along personal development.

In 2014, the government approved video game producers to operate with certain restrictions solely in the Shanghai free-trade zone. However, even those eased conditions did not let console makers to market freely. They did not only have to sign contracts for creation of manufacturing facilities, but also needed to get security approvals from government officials, which meant every single game was to undergo a separate inspection.