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Sony PlayStation Has Canceled its Attendance at PAX East Citing Coronavirus Concerns | Update: Boston Mayor Asks Sony To Reconsider

Mista

Mista

Banned
The-Last-of-Us-Part-II-7-ds1-1340x1340.jpg


Today, Sony Interactive Entertainment made the decision to cancel its participation at PAX East in Boston this year due to increasing concerns related to COVID-19 (also known as “novel coronavirus”). 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.

blog.us.playstation.com

PlayStation at PAX East: Play The Last of Us Part II, Final Fantasy VII Remake, More

Come play games with us!
blog.us.playstation.com blog.us.playstation.com

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UPDATE:

Boston’s mayor Marty Walsh addressed a formal letter to Sony’s president and chief executive officer Kenichiro Yoshida formally requesting the company to reconsider its stance.

In the letter, Welsh mentioned that the risk of contracting the new virus in Boston is extremely low and that the city’s officials have no reason to believe that anyone should cancel plans to visit the city.

Welsh also mentioned that fears over the Coronavirus outbreak have been causing the reinforcements of harmful stereotypes.
These fears reinforce harmful stereotypes that generations of Asians have worked hard to dismantle.

They trigger our worst impulses: to view entire groups of people with suspicion, to close ourselves off, and to miss out on the opportunities and connections our global city provides. Boston is united in our efforts to dispel these harmful and misguided fears.
Click to expand...

He also added that Sony has the opportunity to set a positive example by actually attending the show.
As a large, international company, you have an opportunity to set a good example.

As a leader in technology, you can show that you are motivated by facts, not fear. As a leader in gaming and culture, you can show that you believe in connection, not isolation.
Click to expand...

twinfinite.net

Boston Mayor Asks Sony To Reconsider PAX East Attendance Cancellation Due to Coronavirus Outbreak

A few days ago, Sony announced that it would cancel its attendance to PAX East due to the Coronavirus. Today a notable voice disageed with that stance.
twinfinite.net twinfinite.net
 
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GHG

GHG

Member
StreetsofBeige said:
Didn’t know coronavirus was a big killer in Boston.
Click to expand...

It's not about where it is, it's about where all the attendees are flying in from - that's the bit you can't control.

A lot of businesses are cancelling or pulling out of conferences/exhibitions.

www.bbc.com

How trade shows have been hit hard by coronavirus

The world's largest mobile phone trade show joins a growing list of cancellations around the globe.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com

It's a precaution to reduce risk for your employees. The last thing you want is for you to send an employee to one of these things and then they end up getting sick from it.
 
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DragoonKain

DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
I took that as them saying there were concerns of bringing potential the virus from that part of the world to here, but who knows what they mean.
 
Jtibh

Jtibh

Banned
I made countless posts going all the way to january.
The amount of ridicule, hatred, and in general lectures about people like me are the problem that i spread fear and miss information was appaling.
A month later all i said and predicted came true.

You know why? Cuz i aint listen the the brainwash mainstream news i actually do my own research and use common sence.

So i say it again. There wont be any release this year for ps5 or xbox.
My best estimate is late january early february.
 
M1chl

M1chl

Currently Gif and Meme Champion
Jtibh said:
I made countless posts going all the way to january.
The amount of ridicule, hatred, and in general lectures about people like me are the problem that i spread fear and miss information was appaling.
A month later all i said and predicted came true.

You know why? Cuz i aint listen the the brainwash mainstream news i actually do my own research and use common sence.

So i say it again. There wont be any release this year for ps5 or xbox.
My best estimate is late january early february.
Click to expand...
Based on what exactly are you judging like this? You know what is the issue with new Virus situations? And like would we not already see shortages of technology, by now? Prices would probably be far higher by now, if that's the case.
 
Tygeezy

Tygeezy

Member
Grinchy said:
People travel to the US on planes from other countries and go through airports. People go to PAX East from other countries. It's not like people from Japan fly to Boston and encounter only people from Boston at every step of the process.
Click to expand...
Nobody is aloud to fly out of wuhan, and a lot of places are even banning travel from china altogether. Might as well cancel all future events citing "Concerns about the flu."
 
MiguelItUp

MiguelItUp

Member
Grinchy said:
People travel to the US on planes from other countries and go through airports. People go to PAX East from other countries. It's not like people from Japan fly to Boston and encounter only people from Boston at every step of the process.
Click to expand...
Exactly. Airports have always been petri dishes for germs and sickness. I mean, it's a bunch of people from all around in a confined space. Well, and a lot of sick people or people that just aren't that clean.

As lame as this is to hear, it's understandable and not worth risking for some.
 
vpance

vpance

Member
This whole virus thing gives Sony a nice reason to just hold their PS5 meeting online. And maybe just invite local press in CA.
 
Jtibh

Jtibh

Banned
M1chl said:
Based on what exactly are you judging like this? You know what is the issue with new Virus situations? And like would we not already see shortages of technology, by now? Prices would probably be far higher by now, if that's the case.
Click to expand...
Read the apple news as well as hyundai etc.
Everyone is reporting shortages and not able to meet quotas.
Just 2 of many.
You need links or you good googling it?
 
Dthomp

Dthomp

Member
vpance said:
This whole virus thing gives Sony a nice reason to just hold their PS5 meeting online. And maybe just invite local press in CA.
Click to expand...

CA is one of the few states I'd be concerned about inviting anyone in the US from right now seeing they have the most cases thus far (And who knows how many carriers?). I said it in the Virus thread, just do a basic twitch/yt stream announcement with videos of your games and the info we need. Accomplish the same thing as these "events" do with less then half the effort.
 
M1chl

M1chl

Currently Gif and Meme Champion
Jtibh said:
Read the apple news as well as hyundai etc.
Everyone is reporting shortages and not able to meet quotas.
Just 2 of many.
You need links or you good googling it?
Click to expand...
Well it's an anectodal evidence obviously, like it's from myself. We have bird flu in here, which I find to be a bigger threat to me. Well actually it's pretty big threat to me, since I am within 1 year post-transplant and shit like this needs to be handle with utmost caution. But nobody in hospital suggested, that Coronavirus is what I need to worry about.
 
vpance

vpance

Member
Dthomp said:
CA is one of the few states I'd be concerned about inviting anyone in the US from right now seeing they have the most cases thus far (And who knows how many carriers?). I said it in the Virus thread, just do a basic twitch/yt stream announcement with videos of your games and the info we need. Accomplish the same thing as these "events" do with less then half the effort.
Click to expand...

I guess it doesn't even have to be live really. In that case they can just put together a video with anyone they need to speak. Ryan, Cerny, Hulst, and some first party devs narrating some demos.
 
Jtibh

Jtibh

Banned
M1chl said:
Well it's an anectodal evidence obviously, like it's from myself. We have bird flu in here, which I find to be a bigger threat to me. Well actually it's pretty big threat to me, since I am within 1 year post-transplant and shit like this needs to be handle with utmost caution. But nobody in hospital suggested, that Coronavirus is what I need to worry about.
Click to expand...
Hold on. Will elaborate.
 
Jtibh

Jtibh

Banned
M1chl said:
Well it's an anectodal evidence obviously, like it's from myself. We have bird flu in here, which I find to be a bigger threat to me. Well actually it's pretty big threat to me, since I am within 1 year post-transplant and shit like this needs to be handle with utmost caution. But nobody in hospital suggested, that Coronavirus is what I need to worry about.
Click to expand...
First of the CCP is lying their head off for a valid reason .
The numbers are ten fold .
But even just a single glance at the extreme measures that are taken from lock downs to shooting or forcefully removing people if they dont do as told bot wearing masks and so on.
I seen mothers punched in the face while her baby was flying out of her arms and hitting the ground.
Going around the streets night and day spraying chemicals with trucks etc.
Killing most life stock to contain the virus.
Does any of this seem like its less harmfull then the bird flu or any other flu?
I can pm you a lot of links that show the horror chinese people go through every day.
2000 medical workers got the virus while on duty.
WHO demands answers how that is possible.

Gangs stealing toilet paper in hong kong , stores stripped of every single food in singapore etc.

The best example how this virus works is on the diamond princess .
You wont tell me that in a city of 11 million where it all started only 70k are infected.

But lets get to why i say there wont be any consoles this year.
All foxconn factories were on shut down.
Only 10 percent are operating as of today.
Goverment ordered all workers to go back to work so their economy doesnt take a huge hit.
But most people dont dare to go due to fear of infection.
Due to the fallout lot of companies are unable to manufacture product and in most cases even if the main assembly line is outside china , most parts that are needed for lets say in case of hyundai , are manufactured in china.
All this combined with shipping bans comming from china.

The world put all their eggs in one basket and since everything is so interconnected this little "flu" caused a major but major distruption on the global market.

And this was already the case a few weeks ago now its just getting worse.


Logic dictates if a console is to release in november but you halt manufacturing, at the very least the amount of dealy in time will add to the time of original release.
And if one company produces parts for several other companies , once production goes back to normal , they will have to deal with all the back up and for sure make priorities who gets what first.

Sorry to hear about your health issue.
A good friend of mine lives in vietnam owning hotels with his wife.
He already had in his early 20,s pneumonia.
His lungs are literaly glued to his chest.
Now that i read cases are popping up over there too and that around 10000 are already on lockdown i am worried what happens to him if he gets infected.

Anyways i can provide way but way more information on this but dont think this is the plattform for it.

You guys dont have to listen to me, everyone has their own view on this subject matter.
So i get if people laugh at me or disagree and thats ok we all should question eachother.
 
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