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[Update] Sony Clarifies Report Of PlayStation 4 Sales In China
Update: Sony has responded to our request for comment regarding the sale of PlayStation 4 consoles in China. Details are not quite as firm as the filing with the Chinese Pilot Free Trade Zone would seem.
"Though it is true the filling was made and approved, some parts of the document such as the amount of shipment, number of staff, production start timing, were only tentative and do not represent the actual business plan," a Sony Computer Entertainment representative told us via email. "We have yet to announce which system will be available in China, price for the system and the launch date."
Original Story:
A new report indicates that Sony is preparing to join Microsoft in the Chinese market. The company could ship up to 200,000 PlayStation 4 consoles into the China Pilot Free Trade Zone annually, beginning this December.
Bloomberg reports on a filing, since confirmed to that publication by Sony. Though according to the Sony spokesperson as reported by Bloomberg, the 200,000 unit number is not fixed and could vary.
Microsoft launched the Xbox One in China on September 29, reportedly reaching 100,000 units sold in the first day. Microsoft and its local partner, BesTV, are said to be targeting 1 million units sold in the first twelve months.
We’ve reached out to Sony for more specifics on its plans to enter the Chinese market. We’ll update should we receive a response.
[Source: Bloomberg]
Our Take
Now that the console ban has been lifted in China, this is the right move for Sony. The company is suffering financially, with gaming as one of the few bright spots. There have been over 10 million PlayStation 4 consoles sold worldwide, and breaching the most populated country in the world opens up an even larger, untapped audience.
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