Article Games and Culture 2016, Vol. 11(3) 275-297 ª The Author(s) 2015 Japanese Console Reprints and permission: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1555412015583574 Games Popularization gac.sagepub.com in China: Governance, Copycats, and Gamers Sara X. T. Liao1 Abstract This article attempts to explore the popularization of Japanese console games in China in the past two decades, which reveals the tripartite relationship of the nation- state, transnational cultural power, and local agents.1 This study focuses on the formation and development of the console game industry in a non-Western context, where the society has undergone dramatic transformations and has been largely influenced by the globalization process. Encountering social anti-gaming discourse and cultural protectionism, the importation and distribution of Japanese console games did not get support from the state. However, it found its way to the audience and gained popularity through piracy, the black market, and the local agents’ appropriation, becoming an integrated part of many Chinese early gamers’ lives. This article draws upon the intersection of cultural globalization with game studies, calling for an investigation into the complexity of the game industry through its socio- historical, political, and cultural environment. Keywords console games, globalization, Japanese games, nation-state, piracy, active gamers 1Department of Radio-Television-Film, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA Corresponding Author: Sara X. T. Liao, Department of Radio-Television-Film, University of Texas at Austin, 2504 Whitis Ave. Stop A0800, Austin, TX 78712, USA. Email:
[email protected] 276 Games and Culture 11(3) Introduction Video games, which have developed for over 50 years in the West and Japan, are imported media products for China.