Sony and Nintendo stop all business and sales in Russia

metro.co.uk:

Every major video game company in the world has now stopped selling its games and hardware in Russia, including preventing digital sales.

Like everyone else, from McDonald’s to Netflix, most video game companies have already stopped doing business with Russia, in protest at their invasion of Ukraine.

Most started last week, even if there was no official announcement at the time, with Microsoft, EA, Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, Take-Two, and CD Projekt all stopping sales and hardware shipments to the country.

Sony has also now confirmed that it purposefully cancelled last week’s release of Gran Turismo 7 in Russia and that it will switch off the PlayStation Store completely in the country, while also stopping the import of physical software and hardware.

‘Sony Interactive Entertainment joins the global community in calling for peace in Ukraine. We have suspended all software and hardware shipments, the launch of Gran Turismo 7, and operations of the PlayStation Store in Russia,’ said the company in a statement.

Sony will also be donating $2 million (£1.52) to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Save the Children.

Nintendo, which always does its level best not to get involved in politics, has been predictably circumspect about its plans, with the suspension of the Russian Switch eShop last week appearing to be down to the local payment provider rather than Nintendo itself.

They have now officially suspended all shipments to Russia but their brief statement makes no mention of the war and gives the unfortunate impression that they would still do business in the country if only it was physically possible.

‘We have decided to suspend shipping all Nintendo products to Russia for the foreseeable future. This