Xbox One Launching in China for 2014? Executive Hints at Arrival Due to Lifted Video Game Ban
A new report suggests that the Xbox One will be arriving in China at some point in 2014, which will be the first console released in the country in over 10 years.
Luo Jiangchun, CEO of Funshion, a partner with Microsoft, said the console would be available late next year. However, Microsoft has nothing to say on the matter at the moment.
"On Nov. 22, we launched Xbox One in 13 markets worldwide," said a Microsoft spokesperson reports Kotaku. "Our focus is on launching in more markets next year. Other than that, we have no further comment."
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China announced in September that the longtime ban on video games and consoles was lifted and they are open to foreign market companies in their new free trade zone.
Consoles and games will be allowed as long as they are approved by China's Ministry of Culture, and sales will be allowed across the country as long as production and sales operations are established in the free trade zone, reported the Verge.
The ban initially occurred in 2000 because of fears video games impacted children in a negative way.
According to previous reports, games still made their way across the country via small stores and such, but there was no major distribution or marketing of the consoles throughout the country. The Black market was also a hub for secret gamers as well.
China was reportedly also making changes to their regulations on the Internet and could allow Facebook and Twitter, but most indications prove this info to be false.
Changes are expected to take place over the next three years as the government loosens bans on a number of other things.
The lift of the ban adds an interesting dynamic to the video game race between Xbox One, PS4, and the Wii U. The potential for the franchise to now reach hundreds of millions of former and first-time users who will be eager to purchase what was once banned is huge.
