Chinese move to gaming in the home, but don’t expect government to approve game consoles

Chinese gamers are increasingly moving to playing games in the home and on mobile devices rather than at the ubiquitous Internet cafes in China, according to a report from market researcher Niko Partners. But that doesn’t mean Chinese gamers will be able to play on home video game consoles soon, given government restrictions.

China has banned home game consoles for a long time as unhealthy for the nation’s youth, but it has no such restrictions on PCs or mobile devices. Rumors have abounded that the government is about to lift a years-long ban on consoles, and the South China Morning Post reiterated that in a post today. If the approval comes, it could be a bonanza for Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. And it could hurt the fortunes of PC makers. Niko Partners’ founder Lisa Cosmas Hanson said that it is “unlikely that China’s long-standing ban on consoles will be overturned in the near future.”