You can talk about the ridiculous spread of the coronavirus, known as COVID-19, compare it with the flu and laugh at the Japanese buying up toilet paper instead of masks, but everyone suffers from global panic. Most Chinese companies have postponed the premieres of their smartphones for late summer and autumn, exhibitions of various sizes and directions, from the Geneva Motor Show to the GDC 2023, are closing or postponing, large giants, like Facebook and Amazon, transfer their employees to work home. And naturally, all these movements affect the game industry we love, too.
“According to the forecast, the epidemic around the world will continue to spread until at least June. The emphasis in the fight against coronavirus in the future may shift from export (diseases from China, – approx. GameMAG.ru) to import,” said a leading Chinese epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan.
Moreover, the number of infected per day is constantly growing. If at the end of last week it was about 2,800 people a day, then yesterday there were already more than 4,000 people, which indicates that the peak of the epidemic has not been passed.
In other words, at least until June, restrictions and quarantines will apply, factories in China will only be able to operate in a limited mode, and E3 2023, scheduled for June 9-11, is under threat of cancellation.
At the same time, the Chinese authorities still do not allow Foxconn to open factories in Shenzhen, despite statements to the contrary from the head of Apple Tim Cook. As a result Microsoft, Apple and a number of large manufacturers are considering the possibility of transferring production to Thailand and Vietnam, but how long it will take is not known.
All Playstation 4 hitherto also been manufactured at Foxconn factories in China. Microsoft, in turn, collected Xbox one and Xbox one x in Shanghai factories Flextronics. And in order to transfer production to Mexico or Hungary, as it was with the first model, it will obviously take time.
It is worth recalling that it was precisely due to problems with the components and the production itself that the launch of Xbox One all over the world went in two stages. In a number of countries, the prefix started in November 2013, while Russia and Japan had to wait almost a year – until September 2014.
Considering the fact that the production cycle begins about nine months before the start, and most of the Chinese factories are in an incomprehensible status, the launch of a new generation this year is in great question.
Apparently, Sony’s silence is connected with this Playstation 5, and the failed presentation in February and the lack of dates for scheduled conferences.
It is now facing great difficulties and Nintendo. Ten days later she will release one of the main hits for the family. Switch, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which is expected to become a system seller. Only now there are a very small number of consoles in the Japanese market, which is important for this game, and it is completely unclear when the situation will improve. In the western regions, the reserves of “Switches” should be enough for another couple of months. Against this background, Nintendo practically does not make any announcements. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is her latest Switch game with a clear release date. What is next is unknown.
Microsoft, which is rumored to launch a new system on December 1, also has problems. If the start takes place this year, then only in a number of selected territories where Russia may not get, because it will be necessary to close the demand in the main Xbox market – the USA.
However, AMD, which supplies graphics chips for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, positively claims that everything is going according to plan and the coronavirus will not affect the launch of a new generation in the holiday season of 2023. I want to believe it, but so far everything says the opposite.
Author: XTRediting: ACE, Skyerist
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