There are some good news ahead for all game enthusiasts in China, as the country announced that it is getting ready to lift a decade-long ban on the video game consoles sale. The ban will be lifted as part of the latest set of rules, which were issued on September 27, 2013 for a free-trade zone in Shanghai. A statement from the State Council – which is the country’s highest decision-making body – confirmed that foreign companies which conduct sales and production within the new trade zone will now be able to sell their products in China.
However, the approval of each device will be pending by the Ministry of Culture. The Chinese market imposed a ban on sales of game consoles over a decade ago, but they have always been available through unofficial channels, including private retail outlets in China’s omnipresent computer malls.
Even though consoles are available in China, they are still not very popular in the country, as Chinese consumers prefer playing games on their computers or smartphones. Earlier this week, US software giant Microsoft announced that it will be investing $237 million in a joint venture with Chinese Internet TV company Best TV New Media Co. in the Shanghai free-trade zone, in order to develop family games, as well as other similar services.
The new rules will be implemented by the government for the Shanghai trade zone over the next three years.
Photo Credits: NDTV
