The ongoing pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus is having devastating effects on the world, and all signs point to it getting worse before it gets better. As more cities and countries adopt safety measures to prevent further spreading of the virus, economies around the world are dramatically shifting for the worse. The gaming industry at large is one of the many victims of this outbreak, and it’s seeing an unprecedented number of delays and cancellations among games and conventions/conferences alike. Although there isn’t any word on whether big games like The Last of Us 2 will be delayed, the possibility of it seems more than likely at this point.
The outbreak was a major problem as early as late December, albeit not to the degree that it is today, but the turning point for the gaming industry happened in February when Nintendo started to announce delays in production for the Switch and when Private Division, publisher of The Outer Worlds, delayed the Switch version out of March due to the outbreak. In the weeks after, PAX East saw some companies pull out of the show due to concerns over the outbreak while GDC was outright cancelled after the outbreak got worse. At this rate (and with E3 2020 now cancelled), it's within a realm of possibility that the biggest games of the year could be delayed.
Sony, Square Enix, etc., Might Have to Delay Games
Besides consistent handwashing, one of the other major safety measures that’s being disseminated to the masses is social distancing. This measure alone could have a severe impact on release dates for games, as many businesses across the country have begun to adopt work-at-home measures for employees in an effort to minimize social contact and therefore reduce the outbreak’s virality. With Sony and Microsoft, among others, already adopting this policy for some employees, it’s only a matter of time before these companies decide to further the measure for game developers, thus also minimizing developers’ ability to produce their games.
It’s not out of the question to see The Last of Us 2 get delayed, ironically. With Naughty Dog’s crunch culture being further reported on, it appears that the studio took the all-hands-on-deck approach again in order to finish up the last months of development. Without people in the office, this could cause delays in development milestones and subsequently the game itself. This line of thinking could be similarly applied to Ghost of Tsushima, Marvel’s Avengers, and Cyberpunk 2077 if the pandemic continues into the fall. These safety measures are absolutely necessary, and while it is unfortunate if this proved to be the case, developers across the board need to put employees first.
PS5, Xbox Series X Could Be Delayed
If the ongoing pandemic continues into the fall, not only will the year’s biggest games be potentially delayed but the next generation of console gaming could be put on hold as well. As of now, the PS5 and Xbox Series X are still scheduled to launch during the holiday season later this year. However, the consoles have had production problems unrelated to the outbreak (at least Sony has, but Microsoft could be affected too for all is known), as the production of smartphones has been limiting PS5 parts, which was reported by Bloomberg a few weeks back.
Combining the virus problem with the production problem, there are a lot of issues that Sony and Microsoft have to overcome. These problems could inevitably create a situation in which the console makers have to delay the two upcoming consoles. Subsequently, if next-gen gets delayed then so will the games that were being developed for it. Halo Infinite would also likely be delayed in the event that Microsoft pushes back its newest console (or consoles). The gaming industry has a lot to consider for its future regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Whether or not this speculative chain reaction of delays will happen, the pandemic will have a lasting effect.