The fact that major players in the console gaming industry would be taking advantage of the 14-year long console ban lift in China shouldn’t come as a surprise. We were curious to see what company will be the first to launch its flagship products in China, and it turns out Microsoft is ahead of Nintendo and Sony this time around. A statement from a few hours ago revealed Microsoft’s intention to release the Xbox One in China this year, more specifically in September, although an exact date for this has not been revealed yet.
China expressed its desire to lift its console ban at the beginning of the year, and this tendency came to fruition. However, recent information shows that there will be severe censorship applied to console games in the country, so not all AAA titles will be made available. The rules seem to favor Nintendo over Sony and Microsoft, as China will not allow games with too much violence, any political or religious influence or games that promote the use of alcohol and drugs. Regardless, there are plenty of Xbox One games that will certainly make it through, and Microsoft seems to have a head start this time.
“On behalf of the entire Xbox team, we are incredibly excited to bring Xbox One and the next generation of games, entertainment, online education and fitness to China. Launching Xbox One in China is a significant milestone for us and for the industry, and it’s a step forward in our vision to deliver the best games and entertainment experiences to more fans around the world. Enwei Xie will lead Xbox China as general manager, bringing years of Microsoft experience both in China and abroad.” said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate VP of Marketing at Microsoft. There’s no doubt China represents a huge potential market. “The culture of games and entertainment is rapidly growing in China, with nearly half a billion people playing games – roughly a third of the country’s population and more than the entire population of North America.” Mehdi explained.
We’re curious to see what line-up of games Microsoft will be preparing for the Chinese Xbox One launch. It makes sense that the company makes use of its Kinect titles, as those have favorable odds of passing China’s strict censorship scans. It will also be interesting to see how Sony and Nintendo respond. The Chinese market will represent a severe battleground for console manufacturers, so it’s unlikely the PS4, 3DS or Wii U will be far behind the Xbox One.