[BLOG] China Lifts Ban on Foreign Game Consoles

[Lonesamurai]

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China officially lifted a 13-year ban on foreign console sales on Friday 27th sept., and made plans to allow for foreign tech companies to establish streaming and entertainment services in the country.



The regulations are vague, giving foreign companies few specifics to estimate how much of an impact the new rules will have. The State Council will release more details in the coming months, the Wall Street Journal reports.



The State Council did outline, however, that any companies interested would need to "ensure information security," and any violations would need special approval from China's cabinet.



This follows last week's news that Microsoft is already making plans to tap into the new market, investing $237 million in a joint venture with streaming company BesTV. The venture would operate out of Shanghai's free-trade zone. With the new rules, though, companies like Microsoft could potentially operate out of China without first joining with an existing company.

The State Council said that the new rules would be implemented over the next three years, so there is no solid indicator of when consoles could potentially be sold in China.