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Swine flu watch: Koei, Square cut E3 for Japanese devs photo

Develop is reporting that the Japanese development teams for Square Enix and Koei will not be attending this year’s E3… due to swine flu fears.

Accordingly, this will specifically impact the Kingdom Hearts presence, with its development teams confirmed to not be attending the event. Koei has confirmed that a number of its staff will not be traveling to the Los Angeles show as well, which will affect, well… something about Dynasty Warriors games, I’m sure.

Sony and Nintendo, on the other hand, aren’t backing down due to the virus; both have confirmed they won’t be limiting their turnout at E3. Good thing, because I’m kind of looking forward to the behind-closed-doors Q&A with Shigeru Miyamoto. I’ll be sure to ask him about his swine flu concerns, and how it relates to Pikmin.

While I appreciate the caution -- the number of swine flu cases in Japan is apparently on the rise -- it’s disappointing, nonetheless. Especially since it’s knocked out my chances of seeing Dead Rising 2. Not cool, swine flu. Not cool.


Continue: More Square Enix stories





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27 comments | showing # 1 to 27

Magnalon's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 14:43
Magnalon
GOD DAMNIT! Haha this E3 is getting less and less amazing. Dead Rising 2 was a big "I can wait", but no Kingdom Hearts??

So does this mean no FFXIII either?
Monodi's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 14:45
Monodi
Can't they make it on the outside at night so--- OWAIT NO ITS NOT FOR THE PUBLIC OH MAN
wanderingpixel's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 14:46
wanderingpixel
Dead Rising 2 is being developed by an american studio. I think it will still show.
Dexter345's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 14:52
Dexter345
Can't they just wear those goofy face masks that they wear?
embef's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 14:55
embef
Are you fucking kidding me? They were serious?
LukienAkeela's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 14:57
LukienAkeela
Wow! Wow. wow.
Cyber Altair's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 14:57
Cyber Altair
Capcom's japanese dude's won't show up as well. Same reason XD
naia-the-gamer's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 15:09
naia-the-gamer
This is stupid. IT'S JUST LIKE THE NORMAL FLU. Drink some orange juice and they'll be fine.
kefkaesque's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 15:11
kefkaesque
This was gonna be like the revival of the old badass E3s and these pussies are screwing it over.
CocoJambo's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 15:15
CocoJambo
I find this to be rather offensive. Its the shittiest excuse ever.
covah's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 15:20
covah
In the words of Hunter S. Thompson: "FUCKING PIGS!"
Doomsday Forte's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 15:21
Doomsday Forte
God. Wow, uh, so the world hasn't ended yet because of this Swine Flu? I mean Jesus Christ, as already stated, it's not even anywhere near to being as bad as the normal flu, just that it has a TITLE.

I can understand if it was actually threatening, but people are fleeing from a paper tiger!
Xhumation's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 15:22
Xhumation
I so sick of this shit.

As a Mexican resident the paranoia over swine flu has been ridiculous (I still have to wear a face mask at work) and now this?

I'm with Naia, here. if they only took basic regular flu precautions, think should be ok.
falinter's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 15:34
falinter
They can't escape the Swine so easily. I say we purposely infect ourselves and cargo ship ourselves to their Japanese corporate office.

That'll show em!
Justice's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 15:40
Justice
My gosh, maybe someone should send them a letter containing the swine flu just for being so stupid.
SakuChan's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 15:45
SakuChan
Still with the swine flu? I've hardly been hearing it all over the news anymore. That really sucks.
MrSadistic's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 15:46
MrSadistic
eyyyyy my old Motel Hell avatar
Monodi's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 15:52
Monodi
@Xhumation

No sabes si en el DF ya no hay drama de influenza? Ya es noticia vieja y dudo quqe haya epidemia
Chronic Logic's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 16:34
Chronic Logic
They worry contracting swine ful at E3 even though there's swine flu cases on the rise in Japan? That's like wearing a condom even though you're woman is pregnant.
KaliKot's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 16:43
KaliKot
@Chronic

I would think its the other way around and that they don't want to spread the swine love
pascuz46's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 16:45
pascuz46
Hold on a minute, Im getting a bit confused. Are these developers not comming to E3 because they are afraid that there employees will catch it in LA. Or are they afraid because they don't want to spread it to another country and they want it contained in there's. Is there a swine flu outbreak going on in the East or is it just located in North America.
Dv8thwonder's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 17:01
Dv8thwonder
28 days later all over again...
Tron's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 17:36
Tron
fucking japanese pussies. hope they get swine flu in japan.
nickthehat's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 17:48
nickthehat
Nice use of the pig headed farmer from Motel Hell in the story pic. I loaf it.
Im OK's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 18:07
Im OK
Hell, at this rate they may as well just go ahead and cancel E3 altogether.
MuddBstrd's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 19:07
MuddBstrd
Hmmm, something is fishy here. Why is the Kingdom Hearts team not showing up, but the rest of Square's teams are? I'm starting to wonder if companies are now simply using this swine flu excuse as a reason to keep some games off the showroom floor. Incidentally, Kingdom Hearts 367/2 Days (or whatever in god's name the numbers are) hasn't garnered great previews over its development life. It's entirely possible that Square is using this excuse to keep an underperforming game from previewers so that people don't pass it off as crap before it hits store shelves.
Black Nexus's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/20/2009 19:20
Black Nexus
square, your income just dove 31% , the quality of even your best franchises are being questioned , and you wanna get paranoid now?

GET YOUR STUPID ASSES OVER HERE. you can't afford for anything else to go wrong. this E3 is gonna be kickass, you would have to be a fool to pass it up.
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