The iQue Player (, stylised as iQue PLAYER) is a handheld TV game version of the Nintendo 64 console that was manufactured by iQue, a joint venture between Nintendo and Taiwanese-American scientist Wei Yen after China had banned the sale of home video games. Its Chinese name is Shén Yóu Ji (神游机), literally "Divine Gaming Machine". Shényóu (神游) is a double entendre as "to make a mental journey". It was never released in any English-speaking countries, but the name "iQue Player" appears in the instruction manual. The console and its controller are one unit, plugging directly into the television. A box accessory allows multiplayer gaming. History Development China has a large black market for video games and usually only a few games officially make it to the Chinese market. Many Chinese gamers tend to purchase pirated cartridge or disc copies or download copied game files to play via emulator. Nintendo wanted to curb software piracy in China, and bypass the ban that the Chinese government has implemented on home game consoles since 2000. Nintendo partnered with Wei Yen, who had led past Nintendo product development such as the Nintendo 64 console and the Wii Remote. Originally, the system would support games released on Nintendo consoles prior to the GameCube, including the NES, Super NES, and Nintendo 64, but it was decided only to include Nintendo 64 games. Additionally, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask was planned and is shown on the back of the box, but was later cancelled. Release The iQue Player was released on November 17, 2003 with few launch games. Nintendo's strategy to market games in China was to show how video games can help improve children's mental and social development. However, the launch was not successful. The total estimated sales was between 8,000 and 12,000 units. At first, the only way to get games was via the iQue Depot, but in 2004, Nintendo released iQue@Home to download at home. The last game, Animal Crossing (动物森林, Animal Forest) was released in 2006. Discontinuation On October 31, 2016, iQue reported that iQue@Home service would be discontinued by the end of December 2016. The service was gradually phased out until the content distribution servers went offline in 2018. Technical details The iQue Player is a size-reduced Nintendo 64 console, using system-on-a-chip technology. It plays Nintendo 64 games specifically ported to the system. Processor: R-4300i 64-bit CPU, 140.625 MHz Memory: