Sony’s Playstation 4 and Vita will enter China’s marketplace on January 11th, 2015, over three months after the Xbox One arrived there. The consoles will cost 2,899 and 1,299 yuan respectively (about $470 and $210), considerably less than the Xbox One’s 3,699 yuan sticker ($600), sans Kinect. Sony also revealed upcoming titles specifically for the Chinese market, in line with its commitment to provide “healthy games that are suitable to China’s national conditions… as according to the relevant government policies.” It’s working with a Chinese partner called OPCD and likely had to agree to comply with government standards to smooth the way for its consoles. For nearly 12 years, consoles have been “banned” in the nation, though they’re relatively easy to obtain on the gray market.
There had been speculation that imported games may censored or completely incompatible with Chinese Playstation consoles. However, Sony said that certain titles like Final Fantasy X and Lehman Legend would arrive, but require government approval first. As for Sony’s business prospects there, early Xbox One sales in the nation were weak, despite a seemingly enthusiastic reception from fans at launch. It remains to be seen, however, if Sony will continue the trend of eating the Xbox’s lunch in China as well.
Filed under: Gaming, Sony
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