Sony Cancels PAX East Appearance Over Coronavirus Concerns

Sony Corp (NYSE: SNE) unit Sony Interactive Entertainment won't participate at the PAX East gaming conference in Boston at the end of this month because of "increasing concerns," related to the Wuhan coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

What Happened

While there have been fewer than 30 confirmed U.S. cases of the coronavirus, Sony has employees around the world who would have to travel by airline to the conference, possibly on routes flying from cities where the rate of infections is much higher. 

Only one U.S. case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Massachusetts, in a man who had been recently in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak. 

"We felt this was the safest option as the situation is changing daily," Sony Interactive Entertainment said in a post on its PlayStation blog. "We are disappointed to cancel our participation in this event, but the health and safety of our global workforce is our highest concern."

'The Last Of Us Part 2' Demo

Sony had been expected to demo its "The Last of Us Part 2" game at the conference, one of the largest gaming gatherings in the United States.

Organizers said on the PAX East website that the convention will go on, but with "enhanced cleaning and sanitization across the show." Convention officials said they're working with the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center to put measures in place to follow local and federal disinfectant guidelines. 

"While we are saddened that Sony will no longer have a presence at PAX East 2020, we look forward to welcoming our friends at Sony to future PAX events and are focused on making PAX East 2020 a successful and enjoyable event for all attendees and exhibitors," the organizers said.

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Photo Courtesy Of PAX East