Chinese Students Forced To Make PlayStation 4s To Get School Credit: Report

This News From China Might Make You Not Want To Buy A PlayStation 4

Foxconn has another labor controversy on its hands. But this time, it doesn't concern any Apple product. The Chinese electronics manufacturer is in hot water over Sony's latest gaming console, the PlayStation 4.

According to Shanghai's Dongfang Daily, "thousands" of Xi'an Technological University students worked at a Foxconn plant in the Chinese city of Yantai as part of a work-study program. Only one problem: Any students that did not participate or left the program early would lose six college credits, and his or her chance at a diploma.

Foxconn confirmed the program's existence in an email to the Huffington Post on Friday. According to Foxconn, students were given night shifts and overtime, both violations of the company's policies. "Immediate actions have been taken to bring that campus into full compliance with our code and policies," Foxconn said.

“Sony expects its suppliers, including Foxconn, to fully comprehend and comply with our Supplier Code of Conduct. We are in communication with Foxconn and are investigating the matter," Sony added in an email to the Huffington Post.

Reports from students have painted a grim picture of what sounds like the worst internship possible, in which moving boxes and putting stickers on machines replaces anything pertaining to a student's field of study. "I feel like a robot, after work I just want to sleep," student Wang Yi Ran told the Chinese paper.

The university acknowledged the work study program, at one point praising 45 students in a press release for participating. This particular Foxconn factory already has a spotty past. Last year, Foxconn admitted to having underage teens assemble Nintendo Wii U consoles in Yantai.

The PlayStation 4 snafu is just the latest in a long line of controversies for Foxconn, which have included reported labor abuses behind the making of the iPhone 5C, the iPhone 5 and the iPad.

UPDATE: Statements from Foxconn and Sony have been added to this story.

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