Japanese video game rating organisation CERO (Computer Entertainment Rating Agency) has today announced a temporary closure, potentially having a significant impact on the release schedules of upcoming games.
The closure has been revealed in response to the Japanese government's decision to issue a state of emergency across several prefectures today, including CERO's home prefecture of Tokyo. Residents of affected prefectures are to remain indoors from 8th April until 6th May, forcing CERO to close its doors for a month. A press release covering the announcement reads as follows:
"All work including screening (including those under review) will be entirely suspended from April 8th to May 6th. We will be closed during that time, so we will not be able to receive examination materials such as mail or courier. The resumption of operations after May 7th will be announced on the website in the future."
Just like PEGI and ESRB in Europe and North America respectively, CERO is an organisation that decides upon the age rating for video games in Japan. For a game to release on home consoles in Japan, including Nintendo Switch, a game must receive a CERO rating. With the company out of action for a month, the release schedule for any upcoming games could be quite heavily impacted.
A report from Automaton Media speaks to two Japanese publishers, both of which state that release adjustments will need to be made. It would appear that CERO's closure has come as a surprise, although one silver lining can be found in the fact that digital releases are often reviewed several months in advance; potentially, then, games set to launch in April and May will go ahead as planned, with summer titles being pushed back.
[source automaton-media.com]
Comments 16
I guess they don't know about working from home.
To be honest while this is a surprise, the only game that excites me from Japan is Xenoblade Definitive Edition, which has already been marked.
Xenoblade has already been rated, right?
I remember someone, here on NintendoLife, this guy making fun of another country because of their lackluster way of fighting against this virus. Stating they were prepared etc. Now it's starting to greatly affect their country... This virus ain't funny, and defending your country from it is almost impossible. Stay safe guys.
@BrintaPap Well, PM Boris Johnson himself was almost making fun of the virus days ago and now he is fighting for his life in the ICU. Nobody is safe.
@Moroboshi876 when was he making fun of it? I'm no fan of Boris but I don't recall that. About a month ago he was boasting that he was shaking hands with patients if that's what you mean. I wouldn't call that making fun of it though
Any word on PEGI and ESRB Are they still operating?
@Baker1000 Well, not exactly making fun, but underestimating it.
https://www.google.cat/amp/s/www.vox.com/platform/amp/world/2020/3/15/21180414/coronavirus-uk-herd-immunity-vallance-johnson
@Moroboshi876 de-AMPed: https://www.vox.com/world/2020/3/15/21180414/coronavirus-uk-herd-immunity-vallance-johnson
@noswitchbutidc Yes, I know he backed away, but first he underestimated it and now he could die, so it's ironic.
@Moroboshi876 working from = delay. I think they know about it champ
Stay safe everyone and wishing Boris a speedy recovery!! Fingers Crossed.
Then I guess english versions of the snes games Tenchi Muyo & Sailor Moon RPG games can't be released. Is Deathsmiles or Makai Kingdom: Chronicles of the Sacred Tome an option?
@Moroboshi876 I'd say that is more cultural than anything. Japan still has a very "butts in seats" culture, to the point that people stay late just so they leave after their boss so it doesn't reflect that they are somehow bad workers for going home to their families or having lives outside of work. So while a tech birthing place, Japan's workforce likely is woefully underprepared for a mass work from home order, even jobs that deal with tech themselves. I kinda get it though, my company is the same (I'm in IT (dev side) for a real estate company) and somebody had to get sick before they sent us home, even though I only need my laptop and internet to do my job (non customer facing) and even with that my management team is making it more bumpy because they are so old school they never really embraced chat and now that we need it there is a huge delay in communication. (big change from my last job where we did everything in chat even though the team all sat together. kinda miss that work-space because it was so easy to have the whole team weigh in on an issue in seconds.)
@Ryu_Niiyama And that is a respectful answer. Thanks.
@Moroboshi876
Boris Johnson was not making fun of the virus. He did not underestimate it either.
Keep your political hatreds away from these comments.
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