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. From WWE offering Wrestlemania 36 without an audience to the Overwatch League considering 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 to PlayStation as well, with the company announcing via a blog post that PSN will 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, PlayStation claims “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.”
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 allegedly delaying a number of massive titles including Call 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.
