Nintendo is joining the ranks of metaverse pioneer Microsoft and PlayStation developer Sony in suspending sales to Russia.
On March 7th, 2022, Nintendo put the Russian eShop into maintenance mode, effectively pausing all digital purchases. However, the company did not explicitly express support for Ukraine. In fact, according to Nintendo, the eShop shut down was originally due to the fact that the payment service it uses is no longer processing transactions with Russian rubles.
“We have decided to suspend shipping all Nintendo products to Russia for the foreseeable future. This is due to considerable volatility surrounding the logistics of shipping and distributing physical goods.” A Nintendo spokesperson told IGN. Whether Nintendo will come out in support of Ukraine in the future remains to be seen.
Nintendo Delays Advance Wars
While Nintendo did not express concern for Ukraine in halting sales to Russia, the company did recently announce it is delaying the release date of Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp due to current events. This is likely due to the plot, which involves a fictional nation that seems to take inspiration from Russia, invading a neighboring nation. A new release date is not available at this time.
Gaming Giants Stand With Ukraine
The gaming industry has come to the support of Ukraine in reply to Ukrainian deputy prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov asking Xbox and PlayStation to suspend game sales in Russia. Epic and EA have halted all sales and services to Russia. In the same vein, Sony is delaying movie releases in Russia. CDProjekt Red, the developer of The Witcher games, is donating 1 million PLN to a Polish humanitarian group. Likewise, 11-bit studios is donating all proceeds from This War of Mine for a limited time to charities supporting Ukraine.
Co-creator of the Doom franchise, John Romero, is selling a new game map for Doom 2. All proceeds from the map, which costs €5, will go to aiding Ukraine. Xbox parent company, Microsoft, went a step further and is currently helping prevent Russian cyberattacks on the Ukrainian government, IT, and financial institutions.
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
