Will the Xbox be sold in China soon?

Execs at Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo and maybe even Valve are licking their chops this morning at the latest news from China.

China Daily is reporting that the Chinese government is in discussions to “opening up the game console market” to out-of-country companies. Since 2000, China has had a ban on the manufacture, sale and import of consoles because it feared the physical and mental harm gaming could do to young children.

That could open up a huge market for video game makers. Some are already anticipating such changes as China Daily notes that Sony set up a branch in China last year and Microsoft is selling the Kinect for “non-video game” purposes in the country.

Video game revenue in China reportedly brought in $9.7 billion last year.

Previously on GeekWire: Xbox 360 ‘Kinect Effect’ fades as console market declines

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