If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

China hints at new console guidelines

"Things that are hostile to China, or not in conformity with the outlook of China's government, won't be allowed"

China's Ministry of Culture is crafting guidelines to ensure that all console games sold in the country conform to its government's standards and outlook.

China lifted its 14-year ban on the sale of foreign consoles last week, but beyond a requirement that all consoles are built in the Shanghai free trade zone no further information on the new system was offered.

However, in a press conference in Beijing last week - attended by Bloomberg - the head of China's Ministry of Culture, Cai Wu, promised that the guidelines for console manufacturers and game developers would be drafted and released in the near future.

"Things that are hostile to China, or not in conformity with the outlook of China's government, won't be allowed," Cai said, in reference to the content of admissible games.

"We want to open the window a crack to get some fresh air, but we still need a screen to block the flies and mosquitoes."

Related topics
Author
Matthew Handrahan avatar

Matthew Handrahan

Editor-in-Chief

Matthew Handrahan joined GamesIndustry in 2011, bringing long-form feature-writing experience to the team as well as a deep understanding of the video game development business. He previously spent more than five years at award-winning magazine gamesTM.

Comments