In addition to being a serious and deadly issue that has affected many people around the world, the coronavirus outbreak has also had a noticeable impact on the video game industry. After Nintendo recently announced that the outbreak would delay Nintendo Switch production in Japan, including delaying presales for the highly anticipated Animal Crossing: New Horizons edition Nintendo Switch console in the region, the company has now made a statement reassuring Western fans that the virus won't have a serious impact on production in North America or Europe.
Nintendo isn't the only console manufacturer affected by these recent events, as the upcoming PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles could seemingly face potential production delays related to the virus ahead of their Holiday 2020 launches – though no official confirmation of this delay has been made at this time. In addition to consoles, additional products are facing issues related to the virus, like the delay of the Nintendo Switch port of The Outer Worlds, which is being handled by Virtuos, a development studio based in China.
In a statement to Kotaku, a representative for Nintendo of America addressed the production status for North America and Europe assuring that they didn't anticipate any further delays, saying, "We can confirm that the manufacturing of some Nintendo products for the Japanese market has been delayed due to the impact of 2019-nCoV coronavirus outbreak. Nintendo does not anticipate a significant impact on our broader global supply chain for systems and accessories at this time, and product sales in North America and Europe, including preorders, are not affected. We would like to express our concern and support for all those affected by the coronavirus during this challenging time."
Classified as a global health emergency by the World Health Organization, the spread of the virus has already led to the postponement of major esports events, including Overwatch League matches scheduled to take place in February and March. The virus has also imposed many international travel restrictions and has temporarily closed both Shanghai and Hong Kong Disneyland theme parks for the next two months in an attempt to prevent further spreading.
While fans in North America and Europe are surely delighted at the lack of delays and shortages for their regions, it is unfortunate that Japanese fans will have to wait a bit longer to get their hands on some of Nintendo's most popular products. Considerably more serious than mere video game delays, the deadly outbreak is a tragedy that severely impacts the people of China, which happens to be one of the largest centers of video game manufacturing. Hopefully, a cure for the virus will be made available in time to limit the aftermath of the coronavirus, though our thoughts go out to the families and loved ones of those already affected.
The Animal Crossing: New Horizons edition Nintendo Switch is scheduled to release in North America and Europe on March 13th.
Source: Kotaku