The coronavirus crisis caused the cessation of all ZERO activities, which prevented the games from being classified during that period.
The COVID-19 epidemic has impacted many layers of society. Video games, of course, have not been spared its influence. With several countries in confinement, telecommuting and delays have been several of the challenges that video game companies have faced. In Japan, the state of emergency was ruled and CERO, the institution that classifies games by age in that country, decided to close its doors and paralyze its activity. Through a statement, they have confirmed that they will return to work from May 7.
"The Computer Entertainment Rating Organization was temporarily closed in response to the request for confinement issued by the Tokyo governor," the statement said, referring to the declared state of emergency to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. As they comment, they will execute the reopening taking into account the security measures for employees. "We apologize for the great concern that we have caused our team and our partners during this hiatus."
Official statement in Japanese.
New hours and teleworking
It should not be forgotten that the halting of these inspections can mean delaying the games, since without the proper classification it is not possible to market it in the country. In the statement, they highlight that they will operate between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm, all while preparing their adaptation to telework "as soon as possible."
Unlike CERO, both the European and North American organizations, PEGI and ESRB, respectively, decided to continue with their usual tasks despite the situation. Both institutions established telework in advance, so they had the opportunity to adapt to new circumstances. The virus is not yet controlled and will not be until a viable vaccine is found, so society and companies should be prepared for possible spikes in the near future.
Source | Gematsu
