The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has had wide-reaching effects on the entertainment industry, with video games in particular being hit hard as manufacturers shut down and games are delayed due to companies like Bungie working from home. For a time, Nintendo Switch shortages were big news leading into the summer due to the pandemic, but it seems Nintendo is concerned that there might be further delays in development if a second wave breaks out in Japan.
This concern came up during Nintendo's 80th annual general shareholders meeting, where the company said there are no current impacts on Nintendo Switch games slated for this fiscal year, ending on March 31, 2021, and that it is taking measures like working from home to stop the spread of disease. However, this working from home has lagged development progress "somewhat," and Nintendo believes there could be delays if this keeps up according to a Japanese Twitter account that discusses news on Universal Studios Japan.
The last major word on potential delays came from Nintendo's 2019-2020 fiscal year earnings report, in which the company said the Switch console shortages seen in April were expected to be over by the summer. During that period of time people became desperate enough to try and create their own Switch consoles from home, and while there's no indication Nintendo's games will go in that same direction, it will at least be worth watching out for possible delays.
Nintendo is not the only company in the industry that has been impacted by the ongoing pandemic. Market analysts have previously predicted delays on next-generation consoles, the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, if COVID-19 was not contained.
At the moment, preventive measures have seemingly gotten the virus under control in much of the world. However, the United States has continued to struggle with the spread of disease, having set a new record for coronavirus cases three days in a row according to the Washington Post. Its retail effects are also evident as Microsoft announced it is shutting down 99 percent of its physical stores to focus on online storefronts with video conferencing.
These concerns from Nintendo have been echoed by some of its major developers as well. During the reveal video for Min Min in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Masahiro Sakurai commented that DLC characters may be delayed due to the pandemic, so delays are a very real possibility that fans should be prepared for just in case.
Source: NintendoSoup, Washington Post
