As the world continues to adjust to this time with the Coronavirus pandemic, many are looking to video games for help. NBA players and fans are playing NBA 2k20 to continue the suspended NBA season. Lots of other people are turning to video games as well as Verizon released new network report that shares that gaming has seen a 75% increase in usage week over week. While the Coronavirus pandemic has impacted various aspects of the industry such as the cancellation of events like E3, developers are using strategies to make sure that their games will continue to work during this time having employees work from home. However, a new problem has cropped up as many upcoming games may become affected. If you have a pre-order of a physical copy of a game, you may not get it on the day that the game has released. Many people are tweeting out that they have received an email saying that their order of Doom Eternal is getting delayed because they’re prioritizing essential orders during the pandemic. Other games coming out soon may also get affected.
Because of this, many are looking t getting their games digitally. Certain retailers that are staying open during this time like GameStop are trying to combat the situation by releasing the game early. Doom Eternal is not the only game coming out on Friday, March 20. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is also coming out that day and GameStop said that releasing Doom Eternal early is a safety precaution for customers and associates.
Another, highly anticipated game coming out very soon is Final Fantasy VII Remake. Square Enix tweeted out a statement about release update information. In the statement, Square Enix said: “The worldwide release of Final Fantasy VII Remake on April 10 will go ahead. However, with the unforeseeable changes in the distribution and retail landscape which varies across countries, it is increasingly likely that some of you will not get hold of your copy of the game on the release date.”
Square Enix also said that another update regarding the release of the game will be coming on Friday, March 20. “We are monitoring the situation on a daily basis and working with our partners, retailers and Square Enix teams across Europe and the Americas, to do everything we can to ensure as many of you as possible can play the game on April 10. We want to keep you updated ahead of the release and intend to post again this Friday, March 20 with any further news. So please stay tuned to our official channels.”
As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to alter the video game industry, one may wonder if other games coming out later in the year such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Marvel’s Avengers will be affected in the same way or if the release of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will be delayed too.