中國解除游戲機禁令，微軟索尼任天堂迎發展良機

????中國政府終于允許外資企業在國內生產與銷售電子游戲機，微軟、索尼和任天堂這些業內巨頭迎來了大發展的良機。

????據《華爾街日報》援引中國文化部相關通知稱，實施15年的禁令就此結束，意味著國內外企業在全國任何地方都可以生產與銷售游戲機。

????中國的游戲機禁令始于2000年，其目的是為了防止兒童與青少年受到玩電子游戲產生的所謂負面影響。可是，禁令未能阻止國內出現非法進口及出售游戲機的“灰色市場”。

????去年1月，中國放寬了禁令，允許“外資企業”在上海自貿區內生產游戲機。當時中國政府還強調，將制定管理游戲機進入全國市場的新規則。據彭博新聞社報道，時任中國文化部部長蔡武表示：“那些將中國視為敵對、或者有意歪曲中國政府形象的內容仍會被禁止。”

????解禁為游戲公司打開了通往潛力巨大的市場的大門。游戲市場研究機構Newzoo的一份報告指出，中國已經是全球第三大電子游戲市場，到2016年，電子游戲市場收入有望突破220億美元，可能超越美國，晉升全球最大市場。由于過去15年中國境內的游戲機禁令，大部分游戲都轉由網上出售。據悉2014年中國網上游戲銷售額約有180億美元。

????幾大游戲機制造商已經采取行動，將旗下產品投入中國市場。去年9月，微軟開始在中國內地發售Xbox One游戲機。美國電玩游戲網站Polygon稱，Xbox One在華上市首日銷量就突破了10萬部，超過了首日登陸日本市場的銷售業績。（財富中文網）

????翻譯：Pessy

????校對：詹妮

????In a big boon for Microsoft MSFT -1.28% , Sony SNE -1.33% , and Nintendo, China has finally allowed the production and sale of video game consoles on their shores.

????In a statement released by the Ministry of Culture, the move will mean that after 15 years, foreign and domestic companies will be allowed to manufacture and sell consoles anywhere in the country, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

????Consoles were initially banned in 2000 to protect children and youth from the perceived negative effects of playing video games. This, however, hasn’t stopped traders from illegally importing consoles and selling them to customers at “gray markets”.

????In January last year, China relaxed their ban by allowing “foreign-invested enterprises” to manufacture consoles inside Shanghai’s Free Economic Zone. The government, however, emphasized that new rules would be drafted to govern the entry of consoles into the country. “Things that are hostile to China, or not in conformity with the outlook of China’s government, won’t be allowed,” said Cai Wu, the head of the Ministry of Culture, in a report by Bloomberg.

????This has opened the gateway for companies to start selling their hardware in a potentially huge market. China is the world’s third-largest market for video games, and could overtake the US as the biggest market with potential revenues of more than $22 billion by 2016, according to a report by Newzoo. As a result of China’s console ban, most of the games sold have been online, with sales of online games in China said to reach around $18 billion in 2014.

????Companies have already taken steps to make their consoles available in China. Microsoft started selling their Xbox One in September of last year, and sold more than 100,000 units on the first day alone, marking a better debut in China than in Japan, according to a report by Polygon.