Sony is also skipping GDC due to coronavirus concerns
Following on from its withdrawal from PAX East, Sony has announced that PlayStation will not be present at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco next month.
In a statement sent to GameIndustry.biz, Sony Interactive Entertainment said that it is withdrawing from the event “due to increasing concerns related to COVID-19.”
“We have made the difficult decision to cancel our participation in Game Developers Conference due to increasing concerns related to COVID-19 (also known as coronavirus),” the company said. “We felt this was the best option as the situation related to the virus and global travel restrictions are changing daily. We are disappointed to cancel our participation, but the health and safety of our global workforce is our highest concern. We look forward to participating in GDC in the future.”
Similar to PAX East, the organizers behind the Game Developers Conference have issued a statement about the coronavirus.
“We believe that, based on the strict U.S. quarantine around coronavirus and a large number of enhanced on-site measures, we are able to execute a safe and successful event for our community. Locally, the Department of Health for both the State of California and the City of San Francisco support the convening of public events,” it reads.
“We are also continuing to follow the latest CDC and WHO guidance, following in the footsteps of other large international events that are taking place successfully at the Moscone Center.”
The Game Developers Conference takes place in San Francisco from March 16th-20th.
Matt is one of the longest-serving members of the EGMNOW team. An ability to go many hours without sleep and a quick wit make him ideal for his role as associate editor at EGMNOW.com. He often thinks back to the days when the very idea of this career seemed like nothing but an impossible dream.
