According to Wall Street Journal:

"China will lift a ban on making and selling videogame consoles in the country, paving the way for foreign companies likeSony Corp. and Microsoft Corp. to expand in one of the world’s largest videogame markets.

New rules will apply to foreign and domestic console makers, enabling them to manufacture and sell anywhere in the country, according to a statement from the Ministry of Culture released earlier this week. Previously, regulators limited foreign console makers, such as Sony and Nintendo Co., to operate only in theShanghai Free Trade Zone, which stifled sales and potential growth.

The move opens the door to a valuable market of videogamers who have turned to computer and mobile videogames because of limited access to consoles like Microsoft’s Xbox, Sony’s PlayStation and Nintendo’s Wii.
“This is great news for us,” a Sony Computer Entertainment spokeswoman said, adding that the company remains committed to the console business in China.

Nintendo and Microsoft couldn't be immediately reached for comment.

Gaming companies have long had their eyes on the Chinese market but have faced restrictions since 2000, when Chinese regulators enacted a console ban to prevent what they said were potential adverse effects on China’s youth. Regulators eased restrictions in a pilot test last year, which the Ministry of Culture said was successful, according to its statement.

China’s gaming market, which includes sales of mobile video games and consoles, is estimated to be worth $22.2 billion this year, up 23% from a year earlier, according to gaming research firm Newzoo BV."

http://www.wsj.com/articles/china-to-end-ban-on-videogame-consoles-1437813695

Hopefully this has a much bigger impact on sales than the last year on the test program. But I'm not sure if this means they will be more lenient with what games can be released in China. Aren't they quite strict with violent/adult game content?

Nice but I doubt that there will be big changes...

I predict that in 2018 more games will be banned in Australia than in China.

Other than that, it seems that the government saw the impact of consoles to be very minimal and that they pose no threat to the country so deeply involved with PC gaming anyway.

Good new for the industry over there.

Why Australia?

They're pretty strict on video games over there. Lots of games get banned or censored and games cost a shit ton of money.

http://www.polygon.com/2015/6/30/8872277/over-200-games-banned-in-australia-in-4-months-new-ratings-system-on

Very nice for China. I hope this has a huge impact with sales and that China becomes another huge market, but I'm not so sure it will, sadly.

Now lets hope they stop the ban on games as well. makes entirely no since.

I wonder if they'll still be strict about what names could be released there? I don't know if it's still the case (I see Chinese posters in the paradox forums so I'm not sure it could be) but I recall Europa Universalis III was not allowed in China as it simply acknowledged the historical existence of Tibet. They didnt used to mess around with this sort of thing.