After 15 years of blocking video game console sales in its country, China has now officially lifted the ban. First reported this morning by the Wall Street Journal, China made a move towards this decision last year when it allowed consoles and their software be sold in an 11-square mile section of Shanghai. In this small area, however, companies had to create contracts to start manufacturing, get approval from regulators to sell, and every console had to be inspected before being sent to market. Those restrictions have now been lifted.

China first established the ban in 2000 due to fears of video games causing negative effects on the development of growing children. However this did not stop the PC, mobile, and web games from getting into children's hands. Due to this, free to play titles dominate the landscape, and it will be very interesting to see how China as a whole embraces Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo's consoles.