112 | theceomagazine.com
A
lthough China has the biggest gaming market in the world, its
audience for console gaming is one of the most underdeveloped
due to a government ban implemented in 2000. Worried about
the effects console gaming may have on children, industry
stalwarts such as Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) were
for years barred from selling consoles to the Chinese mainland,
with companies such as Nintendo entering into joint ventures to circumvent
the rules. While regulation remains a challenge in the country, the lifting of
the ban in 2015 showed an eagerness to embrace an industry that exceeded
US$135 billion globally in revenue in 2018.“THIS IS
JUST THE
START.”
WITH CONSOLE GAMING BEING A NASCENT MARKET IN
CHINA, SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT SHANGHAI
VICE-CHAIRMAN TAKEHITO SOEDA IS WORKING WITH LOCAL
PUBLISHERS AND DISTRIBUTORS TO BRING THE COMPANY’S
PLAYSTATION 4 TO GAMERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.WORDS JORDAN MURRAY • IMAGES RAUL ARIANO