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Forums - Gaming Discussion - PS4: China Launch

 

Some Chinese games:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm-b3vZIMd8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cVcagUBQJ0

http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20150320_693763.html

THANKS TO Jabbamk1 over at GAF:

The Sony Playstation 4 was originally due to launch in January but was delayed due to unknown reasons (basically China govt tried to get Sony to region lock the console).

The official launch of the console today alongside PS Vita makes Sony the second foreign company in the Chinese market after Microsoft which launched its Xbox One in September. Gaming consoles brought into China’s mainland through unofficial channels were already widely available online and at the country’s many electronics markets. Please note that grey market sales for the PS4 are already higher than official sales and grey market sales for all video games consoles usually account for ~2m sales per year.

At a Sony store in downtown Shanghai, around 50 people queued to enter by small groups and buy consoles, games and the hand-held PlayStation Vita. First in line was Alex Liu, a 21-year-old college student who spent 4,900 yuan ($792) on the console, a game called Dynasty Warriors, and a handheld PlayStation Vita. Liu said he already spent more than 10,000 yuan on foreign versions of the console and games, including most of the six titles released in China. Still, he wanted the Chinese versions.

“I believe in the future of PS4 in China,” Liu said. “I came to support Sony so they can bring more games next year and the year after. Online games can never meet all of our needs.”

Cao Jiajun, who lined up at Sony’s store in Shanghai today to buy PS4 game titles said:
“The games have actually become affordable to everyone here, because our spending power has increased,” the 23-year-old engineer said. “I’d like to have some firsthand experience in stores near my home.”

The PS4 will sell for 2,899 yuan and the handheld PlayStation Vita will cost 1,299 yuan, Sony said. That compares with about 2,400 yuan per capita disposable income for an average urban resident, according to government data.

The Sony PS4 is not entirely region locked either: it can’t download foreign games or log into foreign PSN accounts, but it can play foreign PS4 game discs, connect to foreign servers, add friends from anywhere on the globe, and download patches for games from overseas. Similarly, the global version of the console will allow players to log in to Chinese PSN accounts, play Chinese PSN games on disc, and download patches from the Chinese PSN servers. This is great news for those who wish to buy on the grey market. Whilst the Chinese version is not fully unlocked it is better than the situation with Xbox One and will be seen by many as an edge over competitor consoles.

PlayStation Plus will be available with limitations in China, said Takehito Soeda, who oversees PlayStation’s strategy in the country. He declined to elaborate or provide a price.

“PlayStation is first a gaming device, and that’s what we are focusing on for the launch,” Soeda said. “We are also considering opportunities when it comes to social networks popular with Chinese users. Video services require a bit more study because that’s a tightly controlled area.” Sony have said they will be working with a number of local developers to bring online based games to PS4. One such game is King of Wushu.

Still, please bear in mind that console market in China is tiny compared to PC/Mobile.

 

Some comments from GAF:

"Edit: it was a midnight launch, so its already happening. The limited editions of the dragon faceplate PS4 are sold out, so there's that at least. Anyone got the numbers on those?

Baidu news says xboxone was priced 3699/4299 yuan at launch, with a temp drop to 3199/3799. Price is now back up to undiscounted prices, but it was announced on mar 17 that xbox live gold will be free until Sep 30.

Meanwhile, ps4 is 2899/3299 yuan. Direct import without taxes / delivery from US costs 2430, HK 2657, japan 2480.

While the machine itself is more expensive, the games itself are cheaper. The new musou game is 299 yuan, with the equivalent price of 450 in HK, 360 japan, 372 us (60usd).

You can also play with other psn users online from different regions."

"Users claiming yes on playing with other regions' psn. No official confirmation.

Not sure if it still works when you use a chinese psn to play an unapproved game/game not sold in china though. They might be able to play with other regions on games released in China, but maybe not if the game is unreleased in china. News/scuttlebutt is very vague.

Also, how would patching import games work, since different regions patch games separately"

"http://tech.163.com/15/0320/07/AL4RI9F1000915BD.html

Says imported games not released in china are basically single player only, so I was right. You can't collar doodie or battlefield multiplayer in china

General sentiment is lukewarm. Most sites are recommending not to buy yet due to poor library. We'll see how it goes.

http://ng.pcgames.com.cn/xft/xft001.html

The first ps4 mmorpg in china. A sign of things to come. Includes video but I haven't watched."



 

The PS5 Exists. 


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Lukewarm as expected. The market is still irrelevant at this point. Doubt we will hear anything concrete in terms of numbers.



celador said:
Lukewarm as expected. The market is still irrelevant at this point. Doubt we will hear anything concrete in terms of numbers.

Yeah, it doesn't look like it's setting the world on fire over there, but don't you find it odd that no site has had an article about the launch yet (that I can find)? We know for certain that the Chinese were looking forward to the PS4 more than the XB1 and yet when the XB1 launched in China there were dozens of articles. Perhaps this was just an indication of how desperate the media were for good news for the XB1? I don't know ... It just seems odd.



 

The PS5 Exists. 


GribbleGrunger said:

Most sites are recommending not to buy yet due to poor library. 

Same problem for the Xbox One, isn't Sony's or Microsoft's fault, Just the Chinese government being overbearing asshats like usual and being super restrictive on what games are allowed.

As for the reporting on it issue, I agree, i mean, why would people need to cover it for the lead console? extra sales only really matters if you need them, and for the Xbox One at the time it launched in China, any good news was welcomed with open arms, however trivial.

As for the lukewarm reception, Kinda hard for people to get excited for the launch of a console they've been importing, for cheaper, and without the bullshit restrictions, since they were launched in the US and Japan.



Thank you for making this thread. Tagging. Hoping for numbers but not really expecting them



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But surely they have Knack. Unless the Chinese govt felt that the goblins were a metaphor for the Chinese govt.



“The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.” - Bertrand Russell

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."

Jimi Hendrix

 

And not a single photo of the thing that matters most: the front of those women.



Tachikoma said:

Same problem for the Xbox One, isn't Sony's or Microsoft's fault, Just the Chinese government being overbearing asshats like usual and being super restrictive on what games are allowed.

As for the reporting on it issue, I agree, i mean, why would people need to cover it for the lead console? eatra sales only really matters if you need them,

Yeah, neither company stand much of a chance against those ambiguous and limiting rules and regulations.



 

The PS5 Exists. 


Home consoles in China, even back in the 7th gen, there were those who claimed that this market would not only be a factor in their sales but even huge.
All home consoles in China will be roughly as relevant as the xbox is and has been in Japan, if not worse.



Well, at least it's not region locked.....sort of. Single player only is still better than no game at all.