Why don't you marry it then?

Wow, I'm very surprised that both systems will be region free. That is quite a significant advantage over the X1. A few weeks before the X1's launch in China, I was reading people's reactions towards the X1's region locking and price in the Chinese forums, and man, were they negative!

So sony didn't choose to overprice, region lock and burn its customer like Ms did (how can someone that buys the console on launch be Happy with those shenanigans is beyond me), but one Kowen downplay it saying like a Mattrick that since grey market exist this is no issue, when called on that a mod come to the rescue. Star I would be the was reported already and no action was taken that were seeable to users (altough that wouldn't then requires personal attack, but I haven't saw any besides pointing out his spin but with no flamming), why the protection of this user? Kowen have you downplayed Sony anti-customer oficial pricing in Brazil as well because grey market had the console for 1/3 of oficial price?

OT: good to customers, not sure how much it will propell sales, but even if little we will have a boost on release, and certainly bigger than X1.

In fact, we actually haven't been paying attention. Apparently, SCEJA stealthly confirmed that the PS4 and Vita will be region free in an interview with Game Watch 2 weeks ago. So, perhaps we have been exaggerated China's censorship.

“Mr. Soeda talked about this today as well, but firstly now the market has been opened for console game import/manufacturing/sales in the Shanghai free trade zone. The Shanghai Culture Bureau holds the approval and license for sales of the console hardware, the first person who took the stage today was Mr. Kai. This bureau holds the authority to give permission for sales of consoles. We went to them and we wanted them to let us release PlayStation as a unified standard product globally, and they gave us sales permission, and the other day we received that sales permission, and that’s what the status is today, which I hope you can understand,” he said to Game Watch.

Original source: http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/interview/20141213_680226.html
Translation from Reddit (courtesty of orfogw): http://www.reddit.com/r/PS4/comments/2p4hw7/chinese_ps4_to_have_no_region_lock_we_wanted_to/cmtjipt

This is exactly what I think happened.  They greatly overcharged for their console (still are, though no longer greatly) and went through with the strict policies they wanted to do WW.  They probably figured that people would just assume it was because of China that they HAD to do it.  I'm sure Sony had to put up a little fight to convince China it was a good idea, but they actually put up that fight.  To me, it just shows that the restrictive gaming MS wants isn't truly dead within the company.

And while I don't think the official PS4 will be a HUGE success, it will definitely do better than the XBO.  Which means yet another region to check on PS4's dominance list.  Which is pretty interesting considering some were expecting big things from China when the XBO launched there.  Even larger numbers than Japan.

Wow so I guess it was Microsoft's decision to region lock after all.  If it turns out the used game thing was their idea too then they haven't learned anything from all the backlash they got.

They learned the very firt day they anounced it after all that backlash. Having to do somthing and wanting to do it are two very diferent things. Here they thought since  the backlash was not from china, maybe they wait untill they started compaining to do the 180. Since not a lot complained, they dint change, now that sony anounced to be the really for gamers, they sudenly had room to drop price but they still look very anti consumer, next they will be region free but still to late, sony will get all the good will. They knew what they had to do from the begining and they chosed not to do it.

I've never seen someone get so riled up over others saying "megaton"

ayy lmao

@Bolded final statement

This alone shows me just how little they can be trusted from a consumer standpoint. 

A Microsoft lead gaming industry is a downright scary thought. I am shocked at how easily some forgive them, believe their BS about caring about gamers, then only to watch them try their anti-consumer tactics again, not even a year later.

The moment they see an opportunity to try and bring these anti-consumer practices back, don't hesitate for a moment thinking that they won't do it.

So their thought process is the give China to Sony.