Capcom, Koei, Square Enix Affected By E3-H1N1 Dilemma
First, news broke out regarding Capcom’s zombie-bashing sequel, “Dead Rising 2″, not appearing in this year’s E3 in lieu of the H1N1 deal in Japan, thus reducing the gaming company’s presence in the convention. The news came off the heels of a similar news regarding Keiji Inafune’s (of Onimusha and Dead Rising fame) inability to come by the Nordic Game Conference located in Sweeden due to the said rampant outbreak. Inafune, the executive producer of Dead Rising 2, will not be in attendance at E3.
So long, E3!
Now, Koei and Square Enix are also facing the same dilemma, with reduced presence coming from the Dynasty Warriors company and the entire Kingdom Hearts team now officially absent from the event.
Japan is now said to have the most number of reported cases of the H1N1 virus, popularly known as the Swine Flu, besides America, Canada, and Europe. The Japanese government has announced 191 cases related to the flu being confirmed.
However, Nintendo and Sony has no intention to reduce their Japan-based representatives flying to E3. North American and European employees from Square Enix and Koei will be attending the convention as planned.
Will the same trend continue for other Japanese gaming companies when it comes to compromising with the Swine Flu outbreak? What else could possibly happen as the countdown to E3 draws near?
(Thanks to Kotaku and Neoseeker.com)
