The coronavirus pandemic has turned into a serious problem for the Japanese gaming market. The local rating agency CERO has frozen all operations for a month. This can lead to numerous transfers of console and desktop games.
Sekiro: Shadows Die TwiceWhat happened
Due to the coronavirus, the Japanese authorities declared a state of emergency and imposed quarantine until May 6. Here, as in other countries, people began to be transferred to remote work. However, a number of Japanese companies and organizations cannot afford remote mode. And CERO is among them.
According to GameDaily.biz, the rating agency “went on vacation” until May 6. All operations are suspended, the office is closed. Before its opening, the games will not be assigned ratings. Since no console or desktop game in the Land of the Rising Sun can be sold without a rating, their publication has actually stopped.
CERO’s problems do not concern the mobile segment: an agency rating is not required for their publication. But in the console and PC markets, the release schedule of games and promotion strategies were under threat.
What’s next
CERO will return to the consideration of applications already received from game publishers only in a month. At the same time, the agency does not exclude that the quarantine (and hence the freezing of the issuance of ratings) may be extended.
It is difficult to predict the financial consequences of the freeze. According to Newzoo, the console and PC segments are not the largest in Japan. The largest is mobile. Out of 70 million gamers, 41% of men and 32% of women play mobile games. Only 30% of men and 15% of women play console games. According to the publication, freezing would have had a worse effect on the Japanese console market 10 years ago.
Recall that the COVID-19 pandemic, in general, has a positive effect on the global gaming market. Many analytical companies note the growth of both individual titles and entire market segments.
Also on the topic:
- The turnover of the Chinese market of online games for PC decreased due to the cancellation of licensing last yearGismart: against the background of coronavirus, the company noted a 200% increase in MAU for its products in China
- GamesIndustry: Game sales jumped at least 44% as a result of the spread of coronavirus
- Is there any news?
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