DestroyRepeat.com has been shying away from any news reports regarding CoronaVirus (otherwise known as COVID-19) ever since it was spawned in Wuhan, China at the tail end of 2019 (December 2019 to be specific). And the reason for this is that this whole situation isn’t in my opinion “an accident.” It has a political component to the whole thing than you realize. The situation with China started long before the Coronavirus was even spread. When President Trump was elected president, Trump has been locked into trade wars with many countries. That includes China.
At the same time, China has been mired in controversy with their own citizens. Hong Kong’s citizens staged a protest against the government over “Fugitive Offenders” which means more suppression of the press, basically. Shortly thereafter, NBA, and the gaming world spoke out about the protest. Lebron James and General Manager of Houston Rockets spoke out about the protest. In the gaming world, there was a livestream where a player put on a gas mask as an implied “freedom for Hong Kong” message.
This strained the relationship between NBA and China. It has cost NBA a lot of money, because business in China is considered big for the NBA. In fact, China loves U.S. basketball, and Lebron James.
The problem here is China is a very, very communist country. If you are a China citizen, and if you speak out against the communist party (ahem; the Chinese government), they will do everything in their power to control the message. Even if it means killing their own people. This is fact. This is not disputed.
Now, back to the subject at hand: Coronavirus has spread to many countries thus far. So far, there are about 4,000 deaths worldwide, and around 100,000 cases known. Many companies have already canceled their events. Game Developers Conference (GDC2020) has been canceled, and postponed to Summer, citing coronavirus concerns. Many game publishers and companies have already pulled out of GDC 2020 before the announcement. Blizzard has canceled all Overwatch League events for March and April. Square Enix canceled their game tournaments. Taipei Game Show was canceled for the same reason. PAX East proceeded, but some game companies pulled presence at the event, too. Like for instance, The Last of Us II was supposedly going to have a demo at the event, but was canceled at the last minute due to the Coronavirus concerns. This keeps snowballing down, and down and down the slopes. ESA has decided they canceled their own event: E3. Their statement reads…
E3 2020 CANCELLED DUE TO GROWING CONCERNS OVER COVID-19 VIRUS
After careful consultation with our member companies regarding the health and safety of everyone in our industry – our fans, our employees, our exhibitors, and our longtime E3 partners – we have made the difficult decision to cancel E3 2020, scheduled for June 9-11 in Los Angeles.
Following increased and overwhelming concerns about the COVID-19 virus, we felt this was the best way to proceed during such an unprecedented global situation. We are very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event for our fans and supporters. But we know it’s the right decision based on the information we have today.
Our team will be reaching out directly to exhibitors and attendees with information about providing full refunds.
We are also exploring options with our members to coordinate an online experience to showcase industry announcements and news in June 2020. Updates will be shared on E3Expo.com.
We thank everyone who shared their views on reimagining E3 this year. We look forward to bringing you E3 2021 as a reimagined event that brings fans, media, and the industry together in a showcase that celebrates the global video game industry.
And, don’t think, for a second this is exclusive to the gaming industry. The sports world is affected. Many sports events have been canceled, including the NBA season, because some NBA players have been confirmed to have COVID-19. This is why I started with the backstory. The U.S. economny has been affected, too. Here’s a video you should watch for your own curiosity….
Here’s another one if you’re up for it… (It’s longer, but important…)
To learn more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) read this Wikipedia entry. Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been confirmed a pendemic by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Keep yourself informed, safe, and enjoy your life.
