The coronavirus outbreak is affecting video game production because a lot of stuff is made in China.
There's a new virus floating around. It's called the 2019-nCoV coronavirus, although it's more commonly known as the Wuhan coronavirus since it originally came from Wuhan, China. The virus is like a cold, only a lot worse. Fever and coughs can eventually lead to pneumonia, respiratory distress, and in some cases, death.
So far, China has reported over 31,000 confirmed infections and 623 deaths due to the outbreak. The entire country has virtually shut down, with businesses closing up shop in the hopes that the outbreak will blow itself out.
Google, IKEA, and more have shut down their Chinese operations. Even video game makers have felt the effects of coronavirus.
Nintendo just released a statement on their website that confirmed "the manufacturing of some Nintendo products for the Japanese market has been delayed due to the impact of 2019-nCoV coronavirus outbreak." This seems mostly limited to the Japanese market, with North American and European product sales remaining unaffected.
That said, various Nintendo games have been affected by the coronavirus. Animal Crossing Switch, the Animal Crossing-themed version of the Nintendo Switch which was supposed to ship along with Animal Crossing: New Horizons, has been delayed indefinitely due to Nintendo's manufacturing problems. Ring Fit Adventure distribution is also reportedly affected by delays in Asia/Pacific.
The Outer Worlds's Switch port has also been delayed. In a tweet from publisher Private Division, Outer World's delay was directly attributed to the outbreak, with a new launch date set to be announced at a future date.
So far, we’ve had no word from Sony or Microsoft on how their game production might be affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Both companies have their consoles built in Taiwan, which has reported multiple infections.
As the epidemic spreads, it’s entirely possible that all Chinese manufacturing could be affected. Expect to hear of more delays as the coronavirus outbreak continues.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter