A 9.0-magnitude earthquake occurred 130 kilometers east of Sendai Port on the main island of Honshu in Japan, which then triggered a tsunami and hydrogen explosion of nuclear reactors. Japan and its neighboring countries were covered in the shadow of nuclear leakage and radiation, interwoven with panic and rumors. The disaster caused by this earthquake not only affected the people in the quake-stricken areas of Japan but also dealt a heavy blow to the gaming industry. However, the Japanese gaming industry still set an example. Multiple online games announced suspension of services to cope with the situation of power tension, and video games were either delayed or stopped from being released. The performance of players was also very touching. Some players gave up buying game consoles for donations. In addition, many games involved themes related to earthquakes and nuclear radiation. While playing games, we should also bear in mind the warnings of disasters. "Final Fantasy XIV" and other multiple online games announced suspension of services.
Due to the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Japan's power supply is currently under tight conditions. Following Square Enix's announcement that "Final Fantasy XI" and "Final Fantasy XIV" would suspend services for about a week, Konami and Tecmo Koei also decided to respectively suspend the services of their operated online games such as "Metal Gear Solid Online", "Uncharted Waters Online", "Nobunaga's Ambition Online", and "Dynasty Warriors Online" for a week. French media analysis: Earthquake affects Asian stock market
According to French media reports: The strong earthquake and subsequent nuclear power plant crisis that occurred in Japan on March 11 have led to a comprehensive decline in the Asian stock market. Reports said that the Bank of Japan continues to increase capital injection to mitigate the negative impact of the earthquake on the economy. The Japanese government stated that the sharp drop in stocks caused by the earthquake was inevitable, but Japan's economic strength and abundant funds can ensure post-disaster reconstruction, and they believe the market will gradually stabilize. Multiple Japanese video games announce delays or stop selling
As several online games announced suspension of services to support power supply in the disaster area, video game developers also set examples, delaying the release or even stopping the sale of multiple games. For instance, new works of "Yakuza", "Dead or Alive Dimensions", "Monster Hunter Festa", "BlazBlue", "MotorStorm: Apocalypse", etc., were indefinitely postponed. The PS3 game "Fatal Frame IV" was directly discontinued and met the fate of being withdrawn from the market. Rumors say that the tsunami triggered by the earthquake washed away 120,000 PS3 units
The tsunami and other disasters triggered by the Japanese earthquake have caused damage to many enterprises. According to Bloomberg, Sony has ceased operations at six factories in the northeast region of Japan. All employees at the affected factories have been evacuated, and Sony is still assessing the impact of the earthquake and power outages on the company. It is currently unclear how much the loss will be. It is rumored that the massive tsunami triggered by the Japanese earthquake has washed away 120,000 PS3s and 5,600 Xbox 360s, just temporarily confirmed numbers. [Japanese Super Otaku Continues Playing Call of Duty 7 After 9.0 Magnitude Earthquake]
During the terrifying few minutes of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake in Japan on March 11, while everyone else had fled their houses, there was a super otaku who remained calm and continued playing "Call of Duty: Black Ops" online, claiming "I must find a girl first." He had to pause momentarily because his computer was almost falling over.
Nintendo has just announced that its handheld console 3DS has a so-called "bump mode": if someone nearby also has a 3DS, the two machines will automatically communicate, and the 3DS will light up a blue light to alert the user, then the two handheld consoles can connect for online gaming and data exchange. There are rumors that during the rescue efforts in the past few days, a gentleman turned on the bump mode of his 3DS and walked back and forth on the ruins, then according to the indication of the 3DS, found the location of survivors and successfully carried out the rescue...
After logging in recently, player Huo Xing from the Warcraft Hearthstone Guild became a busy person. Besides being questioned by guild members about the safety of Sister Bodo and Teacher Cang, he also received the following blessings and suggestions: In case of another earthquake, remember to turn on sprint, wear accessories, goblin rocket boots, etc.; the guild's top warlock paused for a moment and said: You're all fools, form a group of two people to bring him back. While domestic residents are anxious and worried about radiation, Huo Xing calmly plays Warcraft, telling us that life in Tokyo remains normal, people go to work as usual, and students attend classes as usual.
[Real-life photos of Japanese Otaku's home after the earthquake where figurines fell over] As one of the most developed game markets and suppliers in the world, Japanese game manufacturers and gamers are also facing unprecedented tests in front of natural disasters. We've seen too many pictures of disasters already. Below, let's take a lighter perspective to look at the impact of the earthquake on Japanese Otaku. All images come from voluntary uploads by netizens. After all, life must go on, and those who survive should face the future optimistically. Let's hope they can quickly start a new life.
Earthquake DS 72 Hours
English Name: Jishin DS: 72 Jikan
Production Company: IOTA
Publishing Company: IOTA Release Time: November 7, 2009
Game Type (Platform): Education (NDS)
Earthquake DS 72 Hours
This game can be considered a textbook; the relief within 72 hours after an earthquake is a crucial time segment that determines the life or death of all trapped individuals.
How to calmly wait for rescue within these 72 hours, or escape and save yourself under possible conditions, is the main content brought to you by "Earthquake DS 72 Hours". The game will provide detailed explanations through 36 major items and 720 scenarios such as "the cause of the earthquake", "what to do when an earthquake occurs", "when an earthquake happens at home", "when an earthquake happens during class", "when an earthquake happens at the office", etc. It also includes more than 400 questions and 3 modes for players to test their "disaster prevention ability" when dealing with earthquakes.
Nuclear War Crisis
This is a sci-fi themed online multiplayer strategy game, with the theme of global nuclear war. The game simulates the terrifying nuclear war through holographic maps, where players act as commanders and must fight for their homeland.
The game capacity is very small, only dozens of MB, without dazzling graphics. What you face is a large global map. You determine the battlefield situation through radar and deploy troops for defense and attack.
Perhaps, politically speaking, the deaths in war are no different from what is shown in the game. You cannot see the scenes of death and injury, nor the ruins filled with smoke.
War should remain in the fictional world. Nuclear War Crisis
English name: Defcon
Production Company: Introversion Software
Publishing Company: Introversion Software
Release Date: 2006
Game Type (Platform): Strategy (PC) Absolutely Desperate City
English Name: Zettai Zetsumei Toshi
Production Company: Irem Software Engineering
Publishing Company: Irem Software Engineering Release Date: April 25, 2002
Game Type (Platform): Adventure (PSP/PS2)
Absolutely Desperate City
The game mainly focuses on the background of a major earthquake, where players personally operate the protagonist to escape from the dangerous earthquake environment. Upon its release, it gained praise for its unique theme and content. Subsequently, sequels like "Absolutely Desperate City 2: Frozen Memories" for PS2 and "Absolutely Desperate City 3: Broken City and Her Song" for PSP were launched, gaining recognition from players. The latest version was announced at the 2010 Tokyo Game Show as "Absolutely Desperate City 4: Summer Memories".
As one of the few games with an earthquake theme, it's necessary for players to try it. It makes us think, if an earthquake really happens, what should we do?
Fallout: New Vegas
The game tells the story of the Mojave Wasteland.
Continuing the story of the Fallout trilogy, the game reveals more behind-the-scenes stories. Interestingly, the story mainly takes place in New Vegas, formerly known as Las Vegas before the war. This once vibrant city has become a green oasis of human culture after the nuclear war.
Setting aside the gameplay experience the game itself brings to players, the stories behind Fallout are richer. The intertwining of politics, humanity, and morality is vividly displayed in the game. Why did the nuclear war happen? Why is the wasteland world like this? Where will humanity go? These are issues the game strives to explore.
Fallout: New Vegas
English name: Fallout: New Vegas
Production Company: Obsidian Entertainment
Publishing Company: Bethesda Release Date: October 19, 2010
Game Type (Platform): RPG (PC/PS3/X360) Escape Alive (tentative translation)
English Name: I Am Alive
Production Company: Ubisoft
Publishing Company: Ubisoft
Release Date: Not yet released
Game Type (Platform): Adventure (PC/360/PS3)
Escape Alive
What else is there besides self-rescue after an earthquake?
This game attempts to explore this question. The game is set against the backdrop of the famous American city Chicago being destroyed by an earthquake. After surviving this unprecedented earthquake, the protagonist Adam discovers that the world has fallen into a state of chaos, with the remaining people killing each other to survive.
After a major earthquake, people might even kill for a bottle of water. Players need to use their wits to escape persecution and rely on their most primitive survival instincts to tell the story of the game.
Humanity, sometimes more terrifying than disasters.
Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl
Different from actual history, the game is set in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 2006. An accident made the surrounding twenty square kilometers a dead zone, where mutant creatures and mysterious forces began to slaughter survivors. To prevent these mutated monsters from spreading to other areas, STALKER (Stalkers) fully armed themselves to carry out this dangerous mission. While exploring the radiation zone, they discovered unknown secrets, making the entire event more complicated.
The consequences of Chernobyl were severe, with more than eight tons of highly radioactive material leaking. Dust spread with the wind, causing many regions in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine to suffer from nuclear radiation contamination. Thirty-one people died on the spot, and thousands of others suffered fatal or serious illnesses due to the long-term effects of radioactive materials. Even today, children are still born with birth defects due to radiation exposure. Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl
English name: STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl
Production Company: GSC Game World
Publishing Company: THQ
Release Date: 2007
Game Type (Platform): FPS (PC) [Donations from Japanese game companies for relief]: Nintendo, SCE, and many other game companies have donated money to support disaster relief. Nintendo announced a donation of 300 million yen, SCE, represented by its parent company Sony, announced a donation of 300 million yen and 30,000 Sony-made radios, NAMCO BANDAI Games announced a donation of 100 million yen, TECMO KOEI Games announced a donation of 10 million yen, and SEGA's holding company SEGA Sammy Holdings also announced a donation of 200 million yen.
[A young friend gives up buying 3DS for donation]: In front of the donation box, a kind mother said to her kindergarten-aged son, "It's hard-earned money, is it okay?" The little boy replied, "I'll buy the 3DS later, use this money to help the people in the disaster area rebuild their homes." The little boy put 5,000 yen in his hand into the donation box in front of him, and the mother said, "That's amazing, now the people in the disaster area won't be cold."
[Japanese game sales and prices will fluctuate]: This earthquake has a significant impact on Japan's economy. Currently, it is estimated that it will affect at least one percentage point of GDP, and the yen exchange rate will also fluctuate accordingly. According to experience, this situation is likely to be a tragedy for our country's players.
On the other hand, due to the earthquake, many factories have temporarily closed down, and there will be serious problems with the production capacity of games and consoles in the near future. First, the 3DS, which is in high demand due to its recent launch and the upcoming release date in the European and American markets, will likely see a significant price increase due to factory shutdowns. As for more mature consoles like PS3, PSP, and Xbox 360, the price impact should be minimal.
In terms of game sales, next week's sales across all platforms will significantly decrease due to traffic and supply difficulties caused by the earthquake disaster. Additionally, the earthquake itself will cause inventory losses. It is believed that the Japanese gaming market will enter an abnormal off-season.
[Greetings from game producers]: Although there is no specific list of safe personnel, there are still scattered news about game producers on the internet. For example, Mr. Katsuhiro Harada, the producer of the "Tekken" series, is one of the more active ones. Besides reporting his safety promptly, he also actively updates various related news on Twitter.
[Apollo Justice and Phoenix Wright both support]: Mr. Tatsurou Iwatani, responsible for character design in the popular text adventure games "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney" and "Ace Attorney Investigations," recently publicly shared a drawing praying for Japan's earthquake victims on his Twitter account. In the published artwork, the protagonists of the "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney" series, Apollo Justice, and the "Ace Attorney Investigations" series, Phoenix Wright, convey encouraging words to people: "Keep going! Don't lose to the earthquake!!"