Sony Interactive Entertainment, the manufacturer of the
PlayStation 5, said on Thursday it has suspended the launch of racing game
“Gran Turismo 7” and operations of the PlayStation Store in Russia.
Sony Group also said it donated $2m to the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees and Save the Children “to support the victims of
this tragedy”.
Nintendo said it is suspending all exports to Russia “for
the foreseeable future,” citing “volatility surrounding the logistics of
shipping and distributing physical goods”.
The Kyoto-based firm, the maker of the popular Switch
console, also said it has delayed the release of turn-based strategy game
“Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp”, which was due to launch on April 8.
Nintendo last week said it put its eShop under maintenance
in Russia after its payment provider suspended transactions in Russian roubles.
Also on Thursday, Hitachi, one of Japan’s biggest
electronics and construction equipment makers, said it would suspend operations
in Russia, citing “multiple factors including the supply chain situation”.
Hitachi made the announcement days after Ukrainian Vice
Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov urged the company to cut ties with Russia on
social media, although it did not link the decision to Ukrainian pressure.
Corporate exodus
The moves come amid an unprecedented industry-spanning
exodus of mostly Western brands from Russia, including Shell, Apple, Disney,
Starbucks, McDonald’s and Ikea.
Japanese carmakers and airlines have also halted exports to
Russia and suspended flights to Europe, respectively, citing logistical issues
and safety concerns.
Japan, one of the United States’ closest allies, has adopted
a tougher line against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military operation
against Ukraine than other countries in the region, where most governments have
declined to assign blame for the conflict.
Tokyo said on Tuesday it would freeze the assets of dozens
of Russian and Belarusian officials and oligarchs, after earlier announcing
sanctions targeting Russia’s central bank and the country’s access to the SWIFT
international payments system.
Apart from Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan have
announced sanctions against Moscow, while Indonesia said it condemns “any
action that clearly constitutes a violation of the territory and sovereignty of
a country.”
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