China Reviewing 13 Year Ban on Videogame Consoles, “Will Need Approval from All Parties”

Somewhere, some publisher is loudly proclaiming "Cha-ching!"


If things go well in the next few months (or even years – it is government, after all), then authorities in China just might lift a ban on video game consoles that has been going on for 13 years.

This would also mean opening up the country’s hardware market for major players like Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft to pitch their hardwarez.

An unnamed source from the Ministry of Culture recently told the China Daily, “We are reviewing the policy and have conducted some surveys and held discussions with other ministries on the possibility of opening up the game console market.

“However, since the ban was issued by seven ministries more than a decade ago, we will need approval from all parties to lift it.”

Why did Chinese ministries ban the sale and import of video game consoles from 2000 onwards? Why, because of the harm it could bring to the physical and mental development of the young. Then again, this is the country that thought Communism was the solution so it can’t be said that this is their first time being wrong.

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