With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and the restrictions that are being placed on various retailers all over the world as a result, physical launches of games are going to be affected, understandably enough. Over the last couple of weeks, Square Enix have issued warnings about a possible shortage of physical copies for Final Fantasy 7 Remake in certain markets when it launches over a week from now.
Recently, the Japanese publisher published another statement on its website re-iterating the same, and talking about the matter at greater length. Essentially, according to Square Enix, while there won’t be any shortages in the physical copies of the game being made to be provided to retailers, due to national and state borders being closed in many countries, whether or not retailers even get supplied with said copies will vary on a case-to-case basis.
“As we prepare for the release of FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE on April 10, we wanted to keep you updated on how the proactive measures being taken to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus are likely to affect the distribution and retail landscape in western regions at launch,” Square Enix said in its statement. “As you will be aware, many countries are limiting entry or closing their national and state borders and restricting the distribution and delivery of non-essential items. Understandably these restrictions are being implemented so that essential items can reach their destination as fast as possible.
“This does not mean that box copies of FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE will not be dispatched, it just means that we cannot control the date the game may arrive.”
Square Enix advises all those who pre-ordered physical copies to check with their local retailers to check whether or not your copies will arrive on time.
“In many countries and states, retail stores are closing to help with social distancing measures,” the statement reads. “If you placed a pre-order with one of these retailers, we advise you to check their websites for the latest information about the status of pre-orders, as well as pick-up and/or delivery information. Please ensure your mailing address and contact details are up to date, as some retailers have begun contacting customers with delivery updates.”
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is due out for the PS4 on April 10.
Just recently, Capcom also said that Resident Evil 3 would probably face physical shortages at launch in Europe. You can read more on that through here.
