Officials Reconsidering China's Console Ban

Chinese officials are reportedly in the process of reconsidering the country's ban on game consoles, a move which could end a 12-year prohibition.

Bloomberg news, citing the state-run China Daily, says members of China's Ministry of Culture are in talks with other political bureaus. The ban was implemented  by seven ministries in 2000, and Bloomberg is reporting that all would have to agree before the ban could end. The prohibition was designed to protect children from the perceived negative effects from gaming, though gamers are able to play on PCs.

Stock prices for both Sony and Nintendo rose in the Japanese market following the announcement. If the ban was reversed, the Chinese market could be extremely lucrative for both console manufacturers and software publishers.

[Via Gamespot]