Sony postpones China launch of PlayStation 4 at 'request of government'

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Sony postpones China launch of PlayStation 4 at 'request of government'

Move was requested by central government, company says, with no new date given

PUBLISHED : Friday, 09 January, 2015, 2:43am
UPDATED : Friday, 09 January, 2015, 2:43am

Agencies in Shanghai

At the request of Chinese authorities, Sony has decided to postpone the launch of its PlayStation 4 console on the mainland scheduled for Sunday. Photo: Reuters

At the request of Chinese authorities, Sony has decided to postpone the launch of its PlayStation 4 console on the mainland scheduled for Sunday, its videogame arm said yesterday.

Sony Computer Entertainment declined to elaborate, only saying it needed to make final adjustments that would take some time. It will also delay the release of the PlayStation Vita portable game machine in the country.

Sony said a new sale date had not been determined, but a company source on the mainland said prolonged negotiations with the authorities were part of the reason for the delay.

The release would have marked PlayStation's entry to the mainland at a time when loss-making Sony is leaning on its gaming business to offset weakness in its mobile division.

Beijing lifted a 14-year ban on foreign gaming consoles last year, paving the way for Sony's rival Microsoft to launch its newest-generation Xbox on the mainland in September.

Despite being the world's third-largest gaming market, where gaming revenues hit US$15 billion last year, analysts say the mainland might be a tough market to crack for the console makers because strict censorship rules prevent the sale of many popular titles, which could make consoles less attractive to gamers.

Sony and Microsoft also face stiff competition from PC and mobile games, which have dominated the mainland market in their 14-year absence.

Sony has was applying for licences for 30 games. The company has sought to head off censorship concerns, saying it was working closely with authorities.

"Cooperating with the government, we'll provide a broad range of content in China," Hiroyuki Oda, head of Asia business at Sony Computer Entertainment, said in December.

Sony plans to sell the PlayStation 4 for 2,899 yuan (HK$3,660).

The Xbox, which sells for 3,699 yuan, sells 10 titles on the mainland, mainly censor-friendly sporting games like Forza Motorsport 5.

Kyodo, Reuters