Sony Bringing PlayStation To China

VentureBeat reports that one market formerly closed to console makers is opening up in a big way. An excerpt: "One month after Microsoft announced its launching the Xbox One in China this September, Sony today announced that its PlayStation business is coming to the world’s most populous country. It’s unclear which PlayStation hardware and games will come to China — or when — but it’s reasonable to assume Sony will bring its PlayStation 4 console (and perhaps its PlayStation Vita handheld) to China later this year. The Chinese game industry is already worth $13 billion, most of which gets spent on PC and mobile. That’s not console makers’ fault: China implemented a console ban in 2000, saying it would protect children from violent video games. As soon as the Chinese Ministry of Culture said it would begin working on new rules, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony all expressed interest in bringing their consoles to the country. Like Microsoft, which is working with Chinese media firm BesTV to bring the Xbox One to China, Sony also has a local partner: Shanghai Oriental Pearl Culture Development (OPCD). Both OPCD and BesTV are subsidiaries of China’s Shanghai Media Group."

Comments

Drone pilots

[ls671]

Funny, I just read: China is behind in training future drone pilots and intends to catch up.

points of ingress

[Dominare]

I like the quote at the end of TFA: “Things that are hostile to China, or not in conformity with the outlook of China’s government, won’t be allowed [under the new rules]” said Ministry of Culture head Cai Wu earlier this year. “We want to open the window a crack to get some fresh air, but we still need a screen to block the flies and mosquitoes.”

I like how they're worried about cracking the window when - given that actual PCs are already widespread - the door is basically wide open for anyone who cares to turn the knob.

Re:iQue was released in 2002

[Osgeld]

its nintendo, they are so safe and cutsie they puke flowers and rainbows

Piracy on those platforms skyrockets in 3,2,1

[sethstorm]

Given how consoles have gone with China, I wouldn't be surprised to see a corresponding increase in piracy.

Re:Piracy on those platforms skyrockets in 3,2,1

[jones_supa]

Yes, but aren't PlayStation games quite hard to pirate? The PlayStation consoles have generally had very robust copy protection systems.

Re:Piracy on those platforms skyrockets in 3,2,1

[DrXym]

The PS2 and XBox were vulnerable to modchips. The PSP suffered exploits and custom firmware took over. The 360 too was modded although Microsoft bans people from XBL to keep it under control. Nintendo seems to treat copy protection as an afterthought which may explain why their systems are all cracked.

About the only console to withstand attack is the PS3, although Sony had to shut off some features and move code into higher kernel rings to secure it. All that whining over OtherOS being removed and Geohot being prosecuted was Sony protecting their platform from piracy.

Re:Piracy on those platforms skyrockets in 3,2,1

[CastrTroy]

I think that Nintendo seems to not care so much because they actually make money (or don't lose as much) on the hardware. I've even soft-modded my Wii but didn't actually pirate any games. I just used to to enhance the capabilities such as enable it to be a media player. It almost seems like they built functionality into the Wii specifically for the sake of encouraging piracy. The biggest reason that I soft-modded my Wii was because it allowed me to hook up a USB hard disk to my Wii and play games from there. This is very convenient as I don't have to switch discs, and I can keep them in a safe place so they don't get scratched. This type of functionality even being possible could only be explained by being helpful for testing, or being helpful for piracy.

Personally, If they really wanted to fight piracy, they could do a lot better job. All controllers are wireless, so I don't see why they should even have USB ports on the consoles anymore. I think the only real use of the USB slots was for the network dongle, and they could have put an actual Ethernet port in there for the same price. I think all the softmods were a result of corrupting save game files, so if they got rid of the SD Card slot, and synced your save games to the cloud, so people wouldn't complain about not being able to back up, they would remove pretty much all the software accessible attack vectors. Many people shy away from doing mod chips as they require soldering, and they don't want to mess up a $400 piece of hardware to play a few free games.

Re:Piracy on those platforms skyrockets in 3,2,1

[DrXym]

Nintendo may not have cared but I guarantee you 3rd party publishers did. The DS, 3DS and Wii all turned into a cesspool of shovelware because the money simply wasn't in these systems for publishers to aim any higher. It's not hard to find stories of companies with ambitious games being stung by poor sales. Think of all the good games you *might* have seen on those systems but never got to enjoy simply because the money wasn't there for them to bother.

Re:Piracy on those platforms skyrockets in 3,2,1

[tlhIngan]

The PS2 and XBox were vulnerable to modchips. The PSP suffered exploits and custom firmware took over. The 360 too was modded although Microsoft bans people from XBL to keep it under control. Nintendo seems to treat copy protection as an afterthought which may explain why their systems are all cracked.
About the only console to withstand attack is the PS3, although Sony had to shut off some features and move code into higher kernel rings to secure it. All that whining over OtherOS being removed and Geohot being prosecuted was Sony protecting their platform from piracy.

Actually, the PS3 is completely broken to CFW. If you want to pirate games, just check your favorite torrent site.

The hack came AFTER Sony removed OtherOS.

The problem is, and what Microsoft learned in the Xbox days is you have two kinds of people - homebrewers and pirates. Both have the same goal initially - to break the locks so they can run their own code. Thing is, stuff like Xbox Live Indie Arcade and OtherOS meant homebrewers COULD run their own code. Pirates were left in the cold because neither method allowed running commercial code.

Problem is, if homebrewers get locked out, like they did when OtherOS is removed, they start getting busy re-opening it. In fact, the homebrewers were basically trying to get OtherOS back (and even on the slims, which never supported it). In doing so, they basically broke open the entire security of the PS3 which has never been heavily scrutinized before.

Homebrewers generally are very smart individuals who thrive in looking around. People like GeoHot and the like and see lockdown as a challenge. Pirates in general aren't, so the greatest attack happens when the homebrewers try to break your system, and the pirates simply ride their coattails.

Efforts to re-secure the PS3 failed, and even the PSP failed to the same attacks. Basically the master keys to both are out, and once that happens it's game over. (Prior to this, the PSP wasn't completely broken - new PSPs didn't have firmware that was vulnerable to known exploits). With the master key, anyone can write anything as if it was an "official " release - firmware, games (resetting their lockdown bits), etc.

The 360 only suffered from a optical drive hack - limiting the attacks to specific submodels of the Xbox running specific versions of firmware. The hack was basically lying to the main software about the type of disc - if you insert a burned DVD, it would report it as an official game disc rather than a burned DVD. That's why the official Microsoft daskboard could still run, and detect the hack. Or why Microsoft knows when you hacked it if you accidentally connect that Xbox to a network - there was no way around the protections. Which is why the Xbox360 hack only ran pirated games.

Re:Piracy on those platforms skyrockets in 3,2,1

[Anonymous Coward]

All controllers are wireless, so I don't see why they should even have USB ports on the consoles anymore. I think the only real use of the USB slots was for the network dongle, and they could have put an actual Ethernet port in there for the same price.

You forgot need a USB keyboard for situations where online chat is a must. Think RPGs like FF11. It had PC and Final Fantasy ONLINE RPGs like Console gamers together IIRC. To get around keyboardless consoles, they had a rudimentary chat system where menus offer pre-defined things similar to "Hello" and "Let's team" and probably "Run". The optional keyboard and mouse input surely beats a 10 button PS gamepad. *

You may not be the target market. Nintendo has a long track record of supporting accessories (pre-USB): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nintendo_Entertainment_System_accessories
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Wii_accessories
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NES_Four_Score
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multitap

Japan had a Satellaview game distribution system that used satellites and had exclusive releases like BS Zelda) and the little-known real sequel to Chrono Trigger (Chrono Cross was based on it)

If you don't think they can be useful, think Voice Chat (wikipedia says it's popular with sports games):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_Speak#Compatible_games
It *requires* wired USB connections unless you have the new Wii U gamepads.

* I recall the API in my PS2 tests that Final Fantasy X listens to USB keyboard input whereever you can set custom names for your party members. You'd be surprised to learn that Japan's GUI for name input in the same game is more nuanced. Choosing from even their simplified non-Kanji alphabets (2 with 40+ characters) means you have a lot of tabs instead of the standard 26 Latin letters. I wonder if a USB keyboard lets them type the Kanjis directly.

Banned. Pfft. Nonsense.

[Rick in China]

Go to any computer market in China and there is typically a whole floor or large area dedicated to games. In Chengdu, for example, at the digital plaza computer market, there are maybe 8 or 9 mini-shops in the plaza which sell every console available, hardware accessories, and booklets with sleeves/printed covers to pick out SKUs of the pirated copy of game you'd like. Banned. Hardly enforced.

Re:Banned. Pfft. Nonsense.

[DigiShaman]

Perhaps I wasn't looking hard enough while in Shanghai, but I didn't see one game console that I recognized. I did see a lot of cheap Chinese knockoffs and other pirated look-a-like crap however. The real McCoy just wasn't there.

Re:Banned. Pfft. Nonsense.

[Rick in China]

Must have been in some weird part of town. There are entire markets dedicated to knock-off-whatever, same market area will have fake golf clubs brands of clothing bags devices etc, but honestly, I've _never_ seen a "knock-off console" in over 10 years. If you go to a tech plaza, not ghetto knock-off wonderlands, I doubt you'd see 'knock offs' either :P except the games, which are typically stored in drawers in stacks, with booklets for you to flip thru to find the ones you want on the counters. You can also order consoles off TaoBao (like China's ebay) or JD (China's amazon), which is where I bought my last xbox 360. The consoles however, are a premium price above what you'd pay overseas, about 20% more.

PS3?

[drinkypoo]

A Chinese console has to compete with rampant piracy. It needs a large game library at a low price per title. It's not going to be the PS4. The PS2 is too old now. I predict an evenslimmer PS3.

Re:PS3?

[Somebody Is Using My]

More to the point, Sony cannot depend on recouping their investment from software sales because software piracy is so prevalent in China. Thus, Sony needs a console that they can sell without losing money on the hardware. This very likely rules out the Playstation 4, but probably not the Playstation 3.

Re:PS3?

[tlhIngan]

A Chinese console has to compete with rampant piracy. It needs a large game library at a low price per title. It's not going to be the PS4. The PS2 is too old now. I predict an evenslimmer PS3.

Well, the PS3 is completely open to pirates - the master keys are completely public all the way to the boot ROM. And those keys can't be changed without breaking compatibility with every game out there already rendering it even more useless.

OTOH, Japan got a new PS Vita - the Vita TV between the NA launch of the PS4 until the Japanese launch. The Vita has not been cracked yet and I presume it's doing better, so...

Govt Approved Consoles = Govt Monitoring Tools

[fygment]

It will be much easier for the Chinese government to monitor households with the 'blackboxes' that are game consoles. Expect audio video, and motion detect to be always 'on' and remotely accessible through government mandated backdoors. Expect government sanctioned games to monitor behaviour and in the cleverer versions, to modify behaviour and opinions in subtle ways eg. evil game characters bearing a resemblance to persons condemned by the state, such as foreign leaders, human rights activists, etc.

But buy more shares in MS and Sony if you want to make some money.

Forgotten History

[tuppe666]

All that whining over OtherOS being removed and Geohot being prosecuted was Sony protecting their platform from piracy.

The reason for the removal of OtherOS was the (Risks? associated with the Other OS being outweighed!? by) the tax benefits imposed on importing consoles into the EU as computers being withdrawn. A feature available since the PS2.

I personally lament the loss of this feature. More so with the introduction of this generation of hardware which simply preform better as full computers not appliances and the massive strides GNU/Linux has made.

The worst of it is...is it became about "hating" on Sony, not a real campaign for more open devices or tax incentives to be so. The result is the Xbox One (Surface RT...iDevices etc etc)

Re:Forgotten History

[CronoCloud]

The reason for the removal of OtherOS was the (Risks? associated with the Other OS being outweighed!? by) the tax benefits imposed on importing consoles into the EU as computers being withdrawn

Why does this rumor never die. The surtax on consoles was removed in the EU a bit after YaBasic on the PS2 was released. Linux on the PS2 and PS3, post-date the removal of said surtax and therefor wasn't the reason they were created.

Re:Forgotten History

[DrXym]

OtherOS was removed because it was considered a viable attack vector. Someone had broken through the virtualization layer it ran on and there was a fear that from there they might be able to attack the rest of the system. It's not hard to imagine the ultimate problem - someone producing a burnable ISO for the PS3 which booted, rooted it and installed custom firmware.

That's why OtherOS was removed. It may have been put in for other reasons but I suspect it would have lasted longer if not for the imminent threat. I actually used OtherOS (I doubt many people who did the complaining ever did) and it was cool to be able to run Linux but it was a no brainer to Sony to remove it when it put billions of dollars at risk if they didn't.

Re:Forgotten History

[DrXym]

Er what? Of course they had the authority - you as the user authorised them to do it. If you didn't want OtherOS removed, you should have refused to update your firmware when asked.

And yes it's a no brainer. It was a feature that virtually nobody used that posed a major attack threat to their platform and their revenues. Of course they were going to remove it. Anyone put in their position would have done exactly the same. Even console owners (at least the honest ones) should have been glad the hole was closed presuming they like playing good games instead of shovelware.

Factory direct?

[damn_registrars]

I haven't held a PS3 in some time or a PS4 ever, but being as >>>99% of all consumer goods sold in the US are made in China, it would seem reasonable to bet on these to be Chinese made as well. In which case, would they be able to sell them straight off the assembly line, or would they have to export / re-import them to sell?

Re:Factory direct?

[Rick in China]

Currently they are being export/imported. Typically they are sold into HK - then brought back from HK and sold online or to shops for retail sales. That has been the model for the last decade - there is no hiding the fact all the consoles/games/hardware you want is available in China mainland, just as there's no hiding the fact you can buy pirated DVDs openly on the street in some areas, it's just kinda how it is. They don't allow Nintendo or Sony or Microsoft to _sell the consoles here_ -- but they do allow vendors to simply pick up their own supply line from HK and bring the consoles over for sale. There's nothing "banned" about it, beyond some complex political bureaucratic nonsense that the rest of the world would gasp at and go "Oh my, banned consoles! So oppressed in China!" My friend was visiting me in Sichuan 3 weeks ago. Took him to a "DVD shop" - this one is a room on the parkade floor beneath a computer plaza. My buddy took a picture. The guy who owned it quickly grabbed a stack of blueray movies, posed with them up spread like cards at the entrance (full view of shelves of DVDs visible behind him) and a big toothy grin, and happily sold us a stack of movies for just over a buck (USD) each. Reality and "announced as banned" are two different things in China.

Re:SLASHDOT PUSHING POPOVER ADS AND SHIT

[ArcadeMan]

Remember when the Internet was free? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

Thanks for the laugh.