Sony to Sell PlayStations in China After Long Delay

SHANGHAI - Japanese electronics giant Sony (IW 1000/55) will launch its PlayStation gaming console in China next week, it said after a more than two-month delay in officially selling its products to Chinese consumers.

The company originally planned to launch PlayStation 4 consoles in China on January 11, but abruptly announced a delay only three days beforehand, giving no reason for the change.

Instead it will start selling its flagship console, hand-held PlayStation Vita and software on March 20, a statement on the PlayStation China microblog said Tuesday.

China last year authorized the domestic sale of game consoles through its first free-trade zone (FTZ) in Shanghai, ending a ban imposed in 2000, although imports through unofficial channels have long been widely available.

The country's leaders impose strict control over content they deem to be obscene, violent or politically sensitive, and under the rules of the FTZ all games must still pass inspection by cultural authorities.

Sony rival Microsoft (IW 500/16) was the first foreign company to enter China's potentially lucrative game market and launched its Xbox One console in China in September.

Sony has said it would offer the PlayStation 4 in China for 2,899 yuan ($471) and the PlayStation Vita for 1,299 yuan.

It will offer Chinese versions of games including "Dynasty Warriors 8" and "Final Fantasy," as well as titles from domestic developers.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2015