The coronavirus is plaguing travelers across the globe and leading to more than one event’s cancellation. One such event is Sony’s PAX East presentation, where attendees expected to get some first-hand experience with the upcoming The Last of Us Part 2. This isn’t the first time Sony pulled out of a major gaming conference, but this time it is for a completely different reason: the coronavirus. Sony confirmed this news in a blog post where the company said it was probably better to be safe than sorry when it came to the COVID-19 outbreak. As Gamespot highlights, some 75,000 cases of COVID-19 have been identified thus far with some 2,000 something deaths occurring because of the disease.
Sony’s Justin Massongill said of the cancellation, “We felt this was the safest option as the situation is changing daily. We are disappointed to cancel our participation in this event, but the health and safety of our global workforce is our highest concern.”
Other games that the company was rumored to demo at the event include DOOM Eternal, Nioh 2, and Spelunky 2. Regarded by some as the best game ever made, The Last of Us’ sequel is a marquee title for the company this year. Even though it won’t be showing up at PAX East, we can hope that it won’t be delayed. Releasing alongside a ton of other triple-A titles this year, it will be interesting to see if Naughty Dog’s game can make lightning strike twice as far as blockbuster success is concerned.
PAX East, for its part, is one of the biggest industry shows during the year and the absence of Sony’s big games probably won’t really be noticed. As trade shows become rarer with each passing year, PAX’s relevance cannot be understated but it also shouldn’t be exaggerated. This is largely a chance for the public to experience what insiders already know about.
What do you think? Smart move on Sony’s part – or a bit much? Let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments section below.
