Sony decided to delay the game reveal showcase that was scheduled to stream on June 4th. The event was due to reveal exclusive gameplay footage and info from its next-gen console PlayStation 5. “While we understand gamers worldwide are excited to see PS5 games, we do not feel that right now is the time for celebration and for now, we want to stand back and allow more important voices to be heard,” Sony wrote in a statement tweeted today.
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) June 1, 2020
The statement comes after a weekend of protests in the United States against police violence, sparked by the killing of George Floyd whilst in police custody. Frustration and anger have escalated resulting in rioting, looting, and further violence. Protesters have made it clear that these actions are the furthest from their agenda and only serve to distract the public eye from the actual message.
There appears to be no immediate end to the unrest as protests spread throughout the United States. #blacklivesmatter has been trending all weekend, raising awareness and triggering further protests around the world.
In an earlier tweet, Sony released a statement denouncing systemic racism and violence against the black community. Again #blacklivesmatter was used to spread awareness.
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) June 1, 2020
Many other corporations are following a similar line, Google has delayed its Android 11 Beta announcement, EA has delayed it’s Madden NFL 21 showcase too. The good people at Naughty Dog the creators of The Last Of Us 2 have also gone to twitter to denounce systemic racism. Additionally, Naughty Dog employees have been generously donating to groups ACLU and NAACP, Sony is matching all those donations.
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) June 1, 2020
Some gamers may be disappointed with the delay, but in all honesty, it doesn’t really matter. Sony’s next-generation console won’t be released until the end of the year, so does it make any real difference if you see some gameplay now or in a month’s time? No, it really doesn’t. This is a sensible and sensitive move by Sony.
There is no indication as to when the showcase will now be streamed. We imagine Sony will wait for this whole situation to calm before rescheduling. Hopefully, some form of calm can be resumed quickly for the sake of everybody involved and so that actions can be taken to move everybody in the right direction.
TechLater will announce any rescheduling or further news as it happens, so keep checking back in with us.
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