Game on for Tencent, JD to sell Xbox Ones

Tencent Holdings Ltd teamed up with online retailer JD.com Inc to take pre-orders for Microsoft Corp's Xbox One on Monday, the first legal sale in 14 years of a major game console on the Chinese mainland.

JD has exclusive rights until Wednesday to presell the locally made Xbox, the company said. The offer, which requires a deposit of 499 yuan ($80), will be available only to those who click through links to the online retailer from the Chinese versions of Tencent's WeChat and QQ mobile-messaging apps. The console is due to start shipping nationwide in September.

Microsoft was the first major console maker to take advantage of a decision by the Chinese government last year to allow sales of the gadgets in the new Shanghai free trade zone. The ban, which the central government instituted in 2000 over concerns about the perceived impact of consoles on children, has allowed online games hosted by Tencent, Asia's largest Internet company, and others to flourish.