Sony launches PS4 after delay
Print Edition
JAPANESE electronics giant Sony yesterday launched its PlayStation gaming console in China, but some popular titles including “Grand Theft Auto” and “Call of Duty” were not available.
China last year allowed the domestic sale of game consoles through its first free trade zone in Shanghai, ending a 2000 ban that authorities said was to protect the country’s youth.
The start of Sony’s PlayStation 4 consoles, originally planned for January, makes it the second foreign company in the Chinese market after Microsoft which launched its Xbox One in September. Gaming consoles brought into China’s mainland through unofficial channels were already widely available online and at the country’s many electronics markets.
At a Sony store in downtown Shanghai, around 50 people queued to enter by small groups and buy consoles, games and the hand-held PlayStation Vita.
“It’s quite exciting that we can have this in China now,” said Gu Chunhua, an engineer.
Sony is selling PlayStation 4 in China for 2,899 yuan (US$471) and PlayStation Vita for 1,299 yuan, said a store clerk.
But some customers were disappointed over the small pick of games on offer initially.
Games must pass inspection by China’s cultural authorities, according to FTZ rules, in line with government curbs on content it deems to be obscene or violent.
Only four PlayStation 4 titles were available at Sony’s flagship Shanghai store yesterday: fantasy adventure “Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends,” motorcycle racing game “Trials Fusion” and youth-oriented “Knack” and “Rayman Legends.”
Analysts said a broader choice of games is the key to longer-term success in China’s multi-billion-dollar market.
“Just having the console is only the first step, access to high-quality games remains the biggest driver for console sales,” said Jack Chuang, associate partner at OC&C Strategy Consultants.
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