By Staff Writer: Logan Tesmer

In 2000, China outlawed the distribution of gaming consoles for fear they would harm the mental health of the children of China. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo can now sell their gaming systems in Shanghai’s free trade zone. In this 14 year span, PC gaming became popular among the citizens and a good portion of the gaming population pirated console games onto illegally purchased consoles.

Although China has lifted the ban, it is only for a limited time and that date has not been specified. The console companies, for now, can produce their consoles in the free trade zone, but have to pass inspection to be able to sell within the domestic zone, the state counsel said, according to Reuters.com. The game consoles may not sell as well as everyone may think after the ban is lifted, because brand new consoles may cost a few hundred dollars more in China than they are in America. Gamers in China are better off continuing what they have been doing for the past 14 years rather than spending that much money.

Even though consoles have yet to make their way into the country, illegal companies produce consoles that play pirated games on them. They were much cheaper to purchase and play, but highly illegal.

“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.

After the ban lift, Nintendo stock rose, but Sony and Microsoft’s stocks did not rise significantly. Since the Big Three may not be too eager to get their consoles into China quickly, don’t expect to see any changes to the companies’ marketing moves anytime soon.

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