Sony’s PlayStation division and Nintendo have halted product sales in Russia, becoming the latest major companies to pull out due to the conflict in Ukraine.
Sony’s video game division stated Wednesday that all console and software shipments to the country had been halted, including the launch of the new racing game Gran Turismo 7. In addition, the PlayStation Store will be unavailable in Russia.
The business declared, “Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) joins the global community in asking for peace in Ukraine.”
The Sony Group has set aside $2 million for donations to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and Save the Children “to support the victims of this catastrophe,” according to the company.
Nintendo announced on Wednesday that all shipments to Russia would be halted “for the time being,” citing “significant unpredictability surrounding the challenges of shipping and distributing physical items.”
In light of recent world events, Nintendo has also chosen to postpone the release of Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, a military-themed strategy game.
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Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and many other tech giant stopped sales in Russia
Sony and Nintendo are following in the footsteps of well-known corporations such as McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Starbucks, which have all halted operations in Russia in response to public outrage over the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Video game businesses began taking efforts to cut connections with Russia last week. Electronic Arts and CD Projekt, the creators of the sci-fi game Cyberpunk 2077, have announced that they will stop selling games and material in Russia and Belarus.
Microsoft announced on Friday that all new sales of its products and services, including Xbox games consoles, software, and subscription services, would be halted in Russia. The next day, Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite, followed suit, announcing that it was “ending commerce with Russia in our games.”
Sony’s decision is one of the most momentous in the business to date. According to industry sources, the business has the largest footprint in Russia of any console producer.
“Sony has the greatest installed base, so if a console maker has a particularly difficult option from a purely financial one, it’s Sony,” Lewis Ward, head of gaming at research firm IDC, recently told CNBC.
Ukraine’s digital minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, had earlier requested that Microsoft and Sony delete all Russian and Belarusian accounts and cancel any upcoming events in the two countries.
