By Star Chang, posted Apr 27, 2012 at 8:59 AM, 2,494 views,

Chinese Gamers are not Pleased with the Expensive Lenovo Game Console

Beijing eedoo company, the video gaming unit which invested by Lenovo, said their first multimedia entertainment console is set to hit the Chinese market next week, at a ‘insincere’ price of 3,799 yuan (US$600). Eedoo is the world’s second company to produce a controller-free entertainment console, after only Microsoft KINECT. Eedoo delayed the launch date for about a year because they needed time to “further improve the product and provide a better user experience”…

Previously, the console was planned to be called eBox, or the iSec, now the final name is called CT510. We think it’s a lousy name from a marketing perspective. The new CT510 console has changed its appearance look compare to the previous design, now it looks more like a DVD player. It enables users to control and interact with the device without the need for a controller. The target customers for the CT510 are mainly occasional rather than hardcore players. The console will be pre-installed with eight games, such as Kongfu, dancing and gym exercises. It offers dozens of applications for family entertainment, such as watching high-definition movies and karaoke singing. The console will be first to sell online at Amazon China and Taobao.com.

Even though the console is slated to come out, it’s unclear how this machine can bypass the Chinese game console ban, and be legally sold in China. This is properly some ‘protecting’ decision made by the authorities, in order to restrict Japanese and American console companies to be getting into Chinese market. The PS3, the Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii are widely sold throughout China via the gray market, and the price and the amount of (pirated) games are more attractive than what is Lenovo’s offering. Meanwhile, the import PS3 is selling for 2,380 yuan (US$377) in China, Xbox 360 with Kinect at 2,900 yuan (US$459), and Nintendo Wii at 1,200 yuan (US$190).

Most Chinese gamers are looking down on the very first made-in-China game console. Lots of negative comments can be seen over at SINA weibo, the China’s biggest micro-blogging platform. The Chinese gamers felt is unacceptable to buy a so-called knock-off game console at a price of US$600. Gamers think that the company is not taking them seriously. The same amount of money can almost purchase both Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. We felt that eedoo company and Lenovo have totally missed the boat, Chinese families and occasional gamer are properly not going to buy this.

SOURCE: CHINADAILY, SINA weibo (1) (2)