Chinese officials have reportedly approved rules that will allow for the sale of game consoles in the region.
As reported by The Wall Street Journal, China's State Council approved the rules as part of a new free-trade zone within Shanghai. Console sales, however, won't be restricted to that zone. Gadget makers like Sony or Microsoft could conceivably sell their consoles across China, provided its Ministry of Culture approves each device, the Journal said.
Reports of a lift on the console ban within China first emerged earlier this year. The ban was first put in place in 2000 to protect the "physical and mental development" of China's youth. But the ban isn't strongly enforced - Sony and Microsoft have released the PlayStation and Xbox in Hong Kong - and it hasn't exactly curbed gaming in the region. Still, the Journal pointed out, most Chinese gamers opt for PC and mobile gaming over consoles.
In anticipation of the console ban being lifted, Microsoft this week teamed up with a Chinese company for a gaming venture. BesTV will invest $40.29 million while Microsoft will invest $38.71 million in the venture, dubbed E-Home Entertainment Development.
Microsoft and Sony have big console launches on the horizon; the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are expected to launch in November.
The Shanghai free-trade zone, meanwhile, might also allow for people there to access Facebook, Twitter, and the New York Times, all of which have been blocked in China since 2009.
According to the South Morning China Post, the move to unblock Twitter or Facebook in the region is intended to attract foreign companies and workers to the region. The idea is that they might feel more at home if they can sign in to the well-known services.