PS4 vs. Xbox One: Marketing Aims at China as Console Ban is Lifted

By Justin Sarachik, Christian Post Reporter Monday, July 15, 2013

The battle over the PS4 vs. the Xbox One just got a bit more interesting because of China preparing to lift the console sale ban, meaning a billion people are now free to purchase the new systems.

For the last 13 years China has had a ban on video games and according to the South China Morning Post, it will be lifted soon.

This means the war will rage on another front and the decisive victory could be for whichever company markets better to its Chinese users: Microsoft, Sony or even Nintendo.

According to the newspaper article, games still made their way across the country via small stores and such, but there was no major distribution or marketing of the consoles throughout the country. The potential for the franchise to now reach hundreds of millions of former and first time users who will be eager to purchase what was once banned is huge.

This news goes well with a recent tweet posted by Sony showing a picture of an eclipse with the caption reading, "When Worlds Collide," possibly hinting that the battle for gaming superiority truly just went global. It also perhaps suggests a Nov. 3 release date, which is a day a total solar eclipse is likely.

The Xbox One is already sold out online at Best Buy retailers and the company is no longer accepting pre-orders until they are able to figure out how many they will have in stock.

Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Gamestop still have the console in stock but the "Day One" edition is sold out on Amazon already, Forbes reported.

PS4 has already sold out at Gamestop stores, and Forbes said it would not be a shock if on release day no actual units hit shelves because they were all purchased online.

Although the PS4 is winning big on points from their impressive display at E3, early pre-orders show the Xbox is not too far behind. Overall, the success of the console lies in the numbers in the long haul. Wii U sold out on launch, but the console will likely be far outpaced by what Sony and Microsoft will sell.