Production and shipping issues caused by Coronavirus in China.
Konami’s upcoming retro gaming console, the TurboGrafx-16 Mini, is now an unfortunate victim of the COVID-19 Coronavirus and has been delayed indefinitely. Originally slated for a March 19, 2020, release date, this console has hit production and shipping issues in China.
According to a tweet by Konami, they have delayed both the manufacturing and shipping of the console. Here’s the full statement:
“We thank you for your continued support towards our products and services.”
“Regarding the PC Engine Core Grafx mini console and its peripheral accessories, the manufacturing and shipping facilities in China have encountered an unavoidable suspension due to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. As a result, the delivery of all PC Engine Core Grafx mini products, which was originally scheduled for March 19th, 2020, will be delayed until further notice.”
“We deeply apologize to our customers for the significant inconvenience and we humbly ask for your understanding and patience while we keep our close attention on the situation. We are investing all of our efforts to deliver the PC Engine Core Grafx mini as soon as possible and will provide further details on the deliver timing once confirmed.”
Seeing how the Coronavirus has been causing delays and cancelations, due to the importance of health over anything else. There’s no telling when, or even if, we’ll see the TurboGrafx-16 Mini released. Keep in mind this has also affected other companies such as Facebook Oculus and the production issues of the Oculus Quest, as well as Nintendo’s issues with production with their Animal Crossing New Horizons Nintendo Switch. In addition to multiple gaming events either being canceled or postponed, such the GDC 2020, or the Overwatch League Events in China.
We touched on the impact the Coronavirus has had on the gaming industry and speculated that we haven’t seen the biggest effects as of yet. With this, a smaller console being delayed, what does this mean for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X?