Sony announced that PlayStationits interactive entertainment division, suspended the sale of hardware and software products in Russia. Be careful, because they also stopped the sale of games and services through the PlayStation Store. The week before, they had already stopped the release of Grand Touring 7 in the region.
“Sony Interactive Entertainment joins the global community in calling for peace in Ukraine. We have suspended all shipments of hardware and software, the release of Grand Touring 7, and the operations of the PlayStation Store in Russia. To support humanitarian aid, Sony Group Corporation announced a $2 million donation to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the international NGO Save the Children, to support the victims of this tragedy,” the company reported.
With this move, PlayStation follow in the footsteps of Microsoft, which also stopped the marketing of Xbox consoles and games in that country. Everything is related, of course, to the invasion of Ukrainewhich continues to be condemned by much of the technology sector.
Sony’s decision, in relation to the impact it has on the Russian video game industry, is more relevant than Microsoft’s. Why? PlayStation leads the market for video game consoles in this nation. At a time when different competitors are moving their chips to win the race of the current generation, giving up income from such an important territory should not be easy. However, it is clear that it was the way forward given the general movements in the sector.
“PlayStation has the basis [de consolas] largest installed company, so if a company in this market has a particularly difficult choice from a purely financial point of view, it is Sony,” he told CNBC Lewis Ward, head of video game research at IDC.
PlayStation joins other industry giants
In addition to Sony and Microsoft, other leading video game companies have also stopped their sales in Russia. Electronic Artsin fact, was one of the first to move in withdrawing the Russian teams from FIFA 22 and NHL. However, a few days later they stopped the sale of all their games and services in the country, even from third-party stores.
For its part, CD Projekt RedResponsable of The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, not only did they stop their sales, they also donated just over 180,000 euros to the humanitarian organization Polska Akcja Humanitarn. “We know that players from Russia and Belarus, individuals who have nothing to do with the invasion of Ukraine, will be affected by this decision, but with this action we want to increase the pressure on the global community to talk about what is happening. happening in the heart of Europe,” the Polish studio said.
Before PlayStation, the most recent to join the suspension of sales in Russia were take-two and Ubisoft. The first, which among its catalog has GTAstated the following: “We have watched with concern and sadness the development of recent events in Ukraine. After much consideration, we decided last week to stop new sales, installations and marketing support on all our brands in Russia and Belarus at this time.” moment.”
Ubisoft, meanwhile, stopped its sales of both physical and digital games. “In light of the ongoing tragedy in Ukraine, we have decided to suspend our sales in Russia,” they noted.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the war in Ukraine will end any time soon, so the sanctions are likely to be in place for a long time.