With the spread of the Coronavirus affecting more and more aspects of the media industry, it seems a number of major companies are making sacrifices to offer their consumers the same services they’ve come to know and love during the pandemic. FromWWE offeringWrestlemania36 without an audienceto the Overwatch Leagueconsidering fully-digital esports events, it’s clear companies are taking drastic measures to continue providing content throughout this major global catastrophe.
This seemingly now extends toPlayStationas well, with the company announcing via a blog post thatPSNwill be slowing download times in Europe in hopes of lowering broadband strain throughout the continent. According to the company, European players will still be able to play online multiplayer as normal, however, downloads will be slowed in an effort to manage internet traffic.
In the statement,PlayStationclaims “playing video games enables players all over the world to connect with friends and family and enjoy much-needed entertainment during these uncertain times.” It continues, “We believe it is important to do our part to address internet stability concerns as an unprecedented number of people are practicing social distancing and are becoming more reliant on internet access. Players may experience somewhat slower or delayed game downloads but will still enjoy robust gameplay. We appreciate the support and understanding from our community, and their doing their part, as we take these measures in an effort to preserve access for everyone.”
While the US often puts data caps on internet usage,European countriesdo not, meaning in trying times like these where thousands of users are home utilizing their internet connections, internet providers could find themselves under strain from severe usage. It seems PlayStation is joining Netflix, Amazon, and a number of other major companies in lowering internet usage across Europe to help service providers maintain an online connection for everyone currently social distancing in their homes. No doubt it’s an admirable move from Sony who looks to be doing its bit to make sure households around Europe can hunker down and play some video games while this pandemic surges on.
The Coronavirus itself has led to a number of other major changes top the games industry so far, including seeing E3 shut its doors for the first time in years, forcing developers to work from home, and allegedlydelaying a number of massive titles includingCall of Duty 2020.However, it seems video games have been a significant morale booster to a number of players in this trying time, and PlayStation’s decision will no doubt mean they can continue playing their favorite games while they wait for the pandemic to finally subside.
