Sony, Microsoft Could Make Billions if Chinese Ban is Lifted

While Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Samsung and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) are free to ship their devices nearly anywhere, Sony (NYSE: SNE), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Nintendo (OTC: NTDOY) have been prevented from selling their most successful hardware items -- video game consoles -- in China. That could change in the near future. According to China Daily USA, Chinese authorities are reconsidering their decision to ban game consoles in 2000. The ban, which has prevented the legal sales of PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox 360 and other game consoles, was implemented after seven Chinese ministries concluded that video games could potentially harm the physical and mental development of children. Game console manufacturers tried to get around the law. Microsoft was somewhat successful when it launched Kinect -- a controller-free motion-controlled add-on for Xbox 360 -- in China. The devic...