China Finally Opens Door to Overseas Game Consoles · Global Voices
Image remixed from public domain.
After 15 years, mainland China's Ministry of Culture has finally lifted its ban on sales of game consoles. The new regulations went into effect on July 12, allowing in domestic and foreign companies involved manufacturing and selling consoles. These companies also have to agree to take responsibility for censoring forbidden content identified by Chinese officials.
In China, video games have long been called “electronic heroin,” and some parents and experts worry an increased supply might jeopardize children’s mental and physical health. In 2000, the State Council published a notice, joined by the Ministry of Culture and another seven administrative departments, decreeing the prohibition of manufacturing and selling game consoles in mainland China, claiming it “seriously jeopardizes young people and disturbs the social order.” This is an excerpt from the notice:
自本意见发布之日起，面向国内的电子游戏设备及其零、附件生产、销售即行停止。任何企业、个人不得再从事面向国内的电子游戏设备及其零、附件的生产、销售活动。一经发现向电子游戏经营场所销售电子游戏设备及其零、附件的，由经贸、信息产业部门会同工商行政管理等部门依照有关规定进行处理。
With the publication of this notice, the manufacturing and sale of electronic game devices and accessories must be ceased within the nation. There shall not be any enterprises and persons involved in manufacturing and selling such devices and accessories. 720
If found to be violating these rules, the departments of economy and trade, information industry, and industrial and commercial administration shall punish [related people and companies], according to the relevant regulations.
China's regulatory efforts didn't exactly devastate the country's game culture. Writing on A9VG, a popular game forum, one user shared his doubts about the effectiveness of China's efforts to ban consoles:
其实我一直怀疑到底有没有禁止过游戏机，因为这些年来我们想玩任何游戏机都可以通过实体店或者网络购买到，游戏机房也开的到处都是，当然这些游戏机房基本都靠赌博机，政府虽然面上禁止游戏机，却放任水货在中国横行，真奇葩。
Actually, I've always doubted the prohibition decree of game consoles. These years, we can purchase any kinds of game consoles from physical or online stores, and we can see game-rooms everywhere, though most of of them are making profits as gambling machines. The government seemingly bans game consoles, but it allows sales of smuggled ones nationwide, which confuses me.
All hail the smuggled and pirated goods
The decree in 2000 was never terribly effective; both consoles and games easily reached smuggling markets like online retail platform Taobao, as well as physical game stores, where traders openly sold goods smuggled from Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and the United States.
There were drawbacks to smuggled game systems, of course. The consoles would overheat, some discs would be unreadable, and a host of other issues emerged—all without any technical support, as the manufacturers refused to provide it for illegal purchases. 720