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8. Game Consoles

The general population in China has a lot of catching up to do in the world of gaming. Up until 2015, game consoles were banned outside the Shanghai Free Trade Zone. Most gamers had to venture into the black market to get their hands on the Playstation 4 or Xbox One.

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The ban on gaming consoles was enacted in 2000 to prevent what the ruling Communist Party called “adverse effects on the country’s youth.” This means the last major console the Chinese could legally play was Sega Dreamcast. The revolutionary Playstation 2 was just about to take the world by storm when the ban took effect.

Luckily for today’s youth, companies like Sony and Microsoft can make and sell their consoles throughout the country. However, the government will still regulate games as they do movies, TV and the Internet.