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PlayStation 2 To Officially Launch In China

Posted by simoniker on from the many-times-annual-salary dept.

Thanks to GameSpot for their news article revealing Sony's PlayStation 2 will launch in China this December. According to the piece: "...the console will be sold in 10 official stores in four cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. CellStar, one of China's biggest mobile-phone companies, will be in charge of distributing the PS2, which will sell for around 1,400 to 1,500 yuan ($169 to $181), and will come bundled with three as-yet-unnamed games." Nintendo are launching the N64-based iQue in China before Christmas for around $60, making for potentially interesting sales comparisons.

28 comments

  1. They have a PS2 already if they want! by Catcher · · Score: 1

    Surely they have imported PS2 from the states/Europe/anywhere by now...right?

    1. Re:They have a PS2 already if they want! by Spleener12 · · Score: 1

      Not imports. Pirate bootlegs. :)

    2. Re:They have a PS2 already if they want! by Rimbo · · Score: 1

      Yep. Pretty much. I was there with my girlfriend visiting with her friends and family, and they all had access to as many GBA's, PS2's, etc as they wanted.

      You just had to know where to shop.

    3. Re:They have a PS2 already if they want! by 23_Elders · · Score: 1

      Yeah my friend in China has had a PS2 for years. Frankly, he probably wouldn't have survived the long, boring Changchun winters without it.

  2. why so long? by Catcher · · Score: 1

    Why did they wait so long? PS2 has been out for at least 2 years right? BTW, theres no use in you people /.'ing the article, it says the exact same thing that the one on slashdot does. It's very short :)

    1. Re:why so long? by Black+Hitler · · Score: 1

      Apparently there was a bit of a holdup because the Chinese government wasn't sure whether or not to classify it as a computer. I don't remember which way they ended up deciding.

  3. Produced in China as well by Catcher · · Score: 1, Informative

    This article also says that Sony will start producing PS2 in China as well as sell it. Also goes on to say something about a release date for the PS3 will be at the end of the year (2004 I assume). Interesting stuff

  4. I hope the games get copied without a "license". by Thinkit3 · · Score: 1

    Information wants to be free!

    --
    -Libertarian secular transhumanist
  5. bs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    that article is bs. it claims to be taken from cnet asia news, however if you actually search cnet asia you will find no such news. like the ps2 is really coming out 2 years ahead of schedule.. pshaw.. http://asia.cnet.com/search/index.htm?query=ps2&co llection=

  6. About time by RancidLM · · Score: 3, Funny

    strange.. i thought every thing was made in China...

  7. unlimited piracy by eamonman · · Score: 1

    It'd just be so funny if Sony just decided to sell PS2 hardware and not distribute any games, knowing full well how rampant piracy is there. They might as well admit defeat, and bundle the PS/2 with their 4x DVD writer and some overpriced dvd-r media. At least try to get some profit while trying to get market insertion at the same time.

    --
    0- Eamonman Proud member of DNRC
    1. Re:unlimited piracy by Kulic · · Score: 1

      Seeing how you can run Linux on the PS2, and with enough units you can create a beowulf cluster with a medium amount of computing power, are we sure that China is full of people wanting to play games?

      Remember that the PS2 was banned from being exported to Iraq for exactly this reason. Maybe China needs some more computing power for their space program?

  8. MOD PARENT DOWN by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    The article that "Catcher" links to is illegitimate. there is another reply to his post that shows this, but that was modded down (probably by someone who was confused and thought the AC was replying to the original article). Click on the article that Catcher links to, it claims to have come from CNet Asia. However, searching for PS2 on CNet Asia yields no such article.

    Catcher says 'Interesting stuff', unfortunately he must not be very bright :(

  9. Re:I hope the games get copied without a "license" by jared_hanson · · Score: 1

    Encouraging illegal activity is a sure fire way to gain people's respect and promote your ideals. Right.

    Grow up. You make the most unenlighted posts ever. You must bathe in ignorance.

    --
    -- Fighting mediocrity one bad post at a time.
  10. is this a joke on sony's part? by tim0thy · · Score: 1

    i always thought console companies made their money off the games and not the hardware, they should know that china has rampant piracy, does it really make sense for them to release the ps2 there?

  11. Illegal activities? by Thinkit3 · · Score: 1

    I suppose freeing slaves wouldn't "gain people's respect and promote your ideals" either, right? That was illegal then.

    --
    -Libertarian secular transhumanist
    1. Re:Illegal activities? by Kurin · · Score: 1

      There's a difference between people and products. Just because you haven't been clever enough to create something that other people would buy doesn't mean other people don't deserve a reward for their hard work and creativity. I guess we should make a giant communist state and we can all get everything for free, and best of all, you'll obviously have earned the prestigious position of sitting on your ass. I don't see how THAT wouldn't fail.

    2. Re:Illegal activities? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Here'a what I think, Thinkit: You're retarded. Or maybe just a teenager.

    3. Re:Illegal activities? by jared_hanson · · Score: 1

      Yes, because we all know that a huge injustice is being done unto ideas by forcing them to work against their will. Get fucking real.

      Slavery was morally reprehensible. Now, due to that fact, I would imagine I would have been against it then. However, hindsight is 20/20 and speculation is bullshit. But, there is nothing reprehensible about the concept of ideas holding value. In fact, I think it makes much more sense than saying they have no value. This is from experience.

      Now, quit being a damned moron and start to think.

      --
      -- Fighting mediocrity one bad post at a time.
  12. Ad hominem...bad argument, check. by Thinkit3 · · Score: 1

    A post considering the person, no the argument--and the poster's argument is clearly the losing one? Ah, so there is some order in the universe.

    --
    -Libertarian secular transhumanist
    1. Re:Ad hominem...bad argument, check. by Kurin · · Score: 1

      So you don't think you need to pay for things? Good luck with that.

  13. What games do they get? by _Sexy_Pants_ · · Score: 1

    I vote for total relaunch. Enjoy your Kessen!

    --
    Look it's a joke about my sig IN MY SIG! LOL!
  14. Tangential observation by Thedalek · · Score: 1

    No, the Sony execs aren't on crack. Well, okay, maybe they are, but not for this reason.

    The paranoiac in me sees this as an interesting ploy by some piracy advocate within Sony to get the world a better modchip. Most of them hover around $20-$30, and usually have more than 15 wires to solder to tiny little contacts, any one of which could turn your $179 console into a large black paperweight if done incorrectly.

    So, release the system in China, and inside of a week, a $5 modchip which requires 8 wires at most will hit the market.

    I'm not even sure how much of that little rant was serious...

    --
    Happiness is relative, Based upon the way we live.
  15. ahem. by xgamer04 · · Score: 1

    Since Nintendo is a singular entity, the article should read "Nintendo IS launching..."

    --
    When you look at the state of the world, how can you not become a radical, liberal anarchist?
    1. Re:ahem. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Only if you're using fucked-up American pseudo-grammar.

  16. And in slavery days... by Thinkit3 · · Score: 1

    Replace landlord with slave owner, other dude with slave releaser. All the same thing...some just don't want to change, but things will change.

    --
    -Libertarian secular transhumanist
    1. Re:And in slavery days... by jared_hanson · · Score: 1

      Beleive it or not, human beings actually have morals. Do we make mistakes? Hell yes. But, as a rule, over time, people will realise injustices and change for the better. This is why we do not have slavery anymore. Because it was immoral.

      There is nothing immoral about renting an apartment or charging for information. If you think there is, you are crazy. On the other hand, you would like to take the value away from creative professionals. Essentially reduce their profession to tithes payed by the people. You would like to move their careers closer to slavery rather than away from it. That is just idiotic.

      When you equate information to slavery, you are just laughed at. Things only change when people are presented with reason and incentive. You have none.

      --
      -- Fighting mediocrity one bad post at a time.
  17. games in china by metalgeek · · Score: 1

    funny you've been able to buy a PS2 in china for quite some time in the street markets. (weither it's officially liscenced by sony or not in another question) also funnily enough, this is around the price I see them for in the markets.. (of course, I am a forienger so the pricesmay be jacked up a little..
    long live the land of 5-10 dollar gba games.(and 2 dollar pc games) (now if only I could find them in english)

    --
    metalgeek
    windows, just another pane in the glass