After a 14-year ban on video game consoles, Sony will finally start to pack its consoles and sell them in China this coming December.
According to a filed document on Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone's website, Sony Corporation plans to pack 200,000 video game consoles every year. Sony's Tokyo spokesperson Masaki Tsukakoshi verified the authenticity of the post, but he clarified that the actual number of produced consoles might vary.
Sony agreed to collaborate with Shanghai Oriental Pearl Group Co. in the venture, allowing the technology giant to commence production and sales of its video game consoles after the government of China lifted the ban. In the partnership, Sony will possess 70 percent of shares for the production of hardware and 49 percent of shares for software sales and networks.
Meanwhile, Sony's competitor, Microsoft, has already started selling its video game console, the Xbox One, in over 4,000 stores in China. This would mean that Microsoft beat both Sony and Nintendo in being the first one to offer and sell video gaming consoles in China.
Sony's sales have been suffering a steady decline for six years. After falling by 1.7 percent in its trading this year, Sony said it would write a $2 billion loss concerning its smartphone business.
But the company is looking into the future of online gaming. Its current strategy centers on turning PlayStation Network and PlayStation Now into as a mass-targeted streaming service like Netflix.
Responding to the question about the release of its consoles, Tsukakoshi said, "We have not disclosed the launch date in China yet."