China reconsiders 12-year game console ban

China is reconsidering its 12-year long ban on the sale of game consoles after initially condemning them in 2000 over concerns of their potential harm to the physical and mental development of youth within the country, according to China Daily, Bloomberg reports.

As published in the state-run newspaper, the Ministry of Culture will hold discussions with other governmental departments regarding the end of the ban. In response to this news, PlayStation console owner Sony went up 9.1 percent on the Tokyo stock market and currently rests on 1,407 yen, a high since April 2012. Nintendo jumped 3.4 percent to 9,630 yen in Osaka, a high since Dec. 7, 2012.

While the ban is still effective, consoles are available through China's black market. Smartphones, including iPad and iPhone devices, are legal, however.