China Relents, Will Finally Allow Video Game Consoles

China famously outlawed the sale of video game consoles in 2000, citing worries about the mental health of the nation's youth. Beijing is apparently worried no more: It has lifted the ban at least temporarily, paving the way for Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft to tap a potentially huge market, reports the BBC. They face two big problems, though, notes Reuters: First, China's youth are used to free PC games by now; and second, gamers don't have a lot of money, with an average income of about $634 a month, according to one study.

"If Sony and Microsoft want to expand in China they need to think of changing their business model and study the success of Internet gaming market providers, where games are free but they charge money from operating games," says one industry analyst. (More China stories.)