For the moment there is no answer: the Cupertino company stopped the sale of its products in Russia yesterday.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine ordered a week ago by Vladimir Putin continues to be felt in the video game industry, and in a direct way. In this regard, today we have learned that the Kyiv government has formally asked PlayStation and Xbox, as well as other unnamed industry companies, to take action against the Russian and Belarusian market.following Apple’s example.
“To all video game development companies and eSports platforms.. The Russian Federation has carried out an atrocious and lie-based military attack against my country. Imagine, in the middle of 2022, seeing cruise missiles attacking residential neighborhoods, kindergartens and hospitals in the heart of Europe,” begins his message Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s minister of digital transformation. “The whole world is repelling the aggressor by imposing sanctions: the enemy must suffer significant losses. But we need your support: in 2022, modern technology is perhaps the best answer to tanks.“, he continues.
The message explicitly mentions PlayStation and Xbox but not Steam, where much of the Russian gaming community is concentrated. In fact, according to Valve’s latest survey, 11.12% of Steam users are Russian speakers..
Thus, the former Soviet republic is asking for more involvement from the video game industry with various actions. These could range from temporarily blocking access to subscription services in Russia and Belarus, the cessation of the sale of consoles and games in both countries.etc. From Apple, for example, yesterday put on hold the marketing of products in the country ruled by Putin.
The impact of the Russian aggression is still being felt in the industry, from Ukrainian studios making an international appeal as the creators of Stalker, to dismissals in Belarusian teams for showing their express support to the invasion of the European republic. Likewise, companies have turned out in support of their workers located in Ukraine, such as Ubisoft.
