Sony is finally ready to take on one of the largest emerging markets in the world: China. A report in China Daily details Sony Computer Entertainment's plans on expanding into the Asian mainland. According to the report, Sony recently signed a letter of intent detailing plans to implement training and R&D facilities in Guangzhou province. The project is apparently "the first investment by SCEI in the mainland."

In addition to localization, Sony plans on developing games in the region. Facilitating homegrown content for local markets follows the standard set by Sony's other recent expansions into India and South America. Although a timetable for launch hasn't been set, expectations are quite high for PlayStation's first release in the country. Guangdong Animation City (GAC), an investor in PlayStation's Chinese expansion, noted that the industry could expand its worth to over 100 billion yuan (about $15 billion) annually within the next five years. Obviously, Sony would do well to capitalize on such staggering potential.

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So, not sure who remembers this but a while back there was a rumor a gaming company in China is making an MMO game for the PSP2. Coincidence? ;)

When is it happening? I am hoping for this year.

yeah me too..we might hear more of it at around E3...or maybe at PSP2 unveiling if it happens before that :P who knows.

But if they nail this, it's a very good market to be in :)

PS3 WINS THE CONSOLE WAR CONFIRMED?!!!?!?!?!?!!!!!!111!!ONE!!!?!?!?!?11!??!?!?11oneone?!?!111111!!!!!!!!

They clearly planned this all along! Sony... you devious little bastard.

Sony's really doing a great job expanding it's market, if all goes well Sony can make some major bank on this!!!(hoping all does go well)

Shouldn't the PS2 and PSP yearly sales increase due to them being so cheap to produce? That's a lot of potential sales from old products and perfect for introduction to new ones as well.

Well theirs a few hurtles Sony has to over come.

First hurtle, home consoles are pretty much banned in China. Gaming is also heavily policed with a set amount of time a day a person can legally play games. This will make it difficult for Sony to bring PSP/2 and PS3/4 to China. Also gaming in China is riddled with piracy and internet cafe's where gamers go to play their games. How will Sony get those gamers to abandone PC's and enter console gaming. Then theirs PSN, China heavily polices the internet in their country and Sony would have to give the Government access to their servers and information so that the police and Government could monitor PSN activity.

Thats just the first hurtle. The second one is to my knowledge the Chinese Government demands that any foreign company partner with a Chinese company to distribute products in their country. The State has their fingers in almost every company in the country. Nintendo couldn't bring their consoles (Handhelds or Home) to China without teaming up with Dr.Wei Yen and a Chinese nationalized company I-Que had to be formed.

That is alot of hurdles for Sony to over come. I remember Iwata announced the Wii was coming to China ages ago. However since it never did I assume the red tape stopped them. If Sony does actually manage to bring the PS brand to China it will probubly be a similiar move to Nintendo a new Chinese company will need to be started and the chinese PSN will need to be unlinked to the rest of PSN or the Chinese Government will want access to Sony's servers and information.

In the end Google was driven out of China will Sony put up with the Chinese Government and go through all the red tape? If they do , will it really be worth it?

This is why Sony kills in Middle East, Africa & Asian Hardware sales

About frickin' time don't you think? China makes the damned consoles, their people should be able to buy them too. And China won't put up trade barriers because it's not imported goods

@ Joelcool7, yes I imagine Sony will isolate China's PSN, like they isolate to a certain degree every country's PSN. It's just that China's will be total segregation, unlike other countries. And they'll do all the rest that's needed. PS3 now sells at a small HW profit, so piracy of games localised in Mandarin/Cantonese won't bother them all that much. Didn't seem to put Nintendo off, given that they announced they were going in, even if they ended up failing to do so for other reasons.

Sony also already sells their products in China I imagine (TVs, DVD/Blu-ray, computers, Walkmans...) so it's hardly a new thing for Sony to have to partner up with a Chinese company.