Sony is bringing the Playstation to China according to documents filed with the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
Which Playstation products are making their way to the market is not confirmed in the statement. According to a translation of the document by
Engadget, it says that it will include
’quality, healthy games that are suitable to China’s national conditions and preferences of domestic players, as according to the relevant government policies’.
Sony is launching this venture with the help of Shanghai Oriental Pearl Culture Development (OPCD), a state-owned tourism and media company that alongside video game console manufacture is also involved in TV broadcasting, advertising and general software development.
Until January this year, China had a ban on gaming consoles, preventing the sale of devices like the various incarnations of the Playstation or Xbox. The ban had been in place for 13 years and was put in place due to fears that video game consoles would damage the physical and mental development of Chinese youth.
In April, Sony Entertainment Japan Asia set up a new internal division called the China Strategy Department, likely in response to the video game console ban being lifted. China is considered a highly attractive market by many industries owing to its growing middle class and emerging economy.
Microsoft is also intending to break into China and intends to launch the Xbox One in the market in September.
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