Sony's proposed January 11 launch of the PlayStation 4 in China has hit a snag due to “various factors,” according to an official statement, prompting a delay of the console in the Communist country. Though Sony would not elaborate on the new launch date or the “various factors” contributing to the delay, company sources told Reuters that prolonged negotiations with the Chinese government were part of the reason behind the push.
China recently lifted a ban on foreign game consoles, allowing both Microsoft and Sony to make moves in the third-largest gaming market in the world after fourteen years. Microsoft launched the Xbox One in September of last year, with ten titles on sale.
Speculations state that Sony's launch titles are running into the censorship rules established in China, but the company states that they are working closely with government with their thirty proposed launch titles for the PlayStation 4. In comparison, Microsoft's launch titles were primarily censor-friendly sports titles such as Forza Motorsport 5. Once they make it past the censor board, however, Sony still faces an uphill battle as PC and mobile gaming has taken a stronghold in the absence of consoles.
