We’re another week into the coronavirus pandemic, which means the entertainment industry continues to be affected in numerous ways. We’re here to help you keep track of just how Covid-19 has been affecting your entertainment this week. Be sure to check out what happened last week if you haven’t already.
Gaming coronavirus news
In-person gaming conventions continue to be cancelled this week, but some are being replaced with digital events. Gamescom, which takes place annually in Germany with a crowd of more than 350,000, is one of them. With the German government recently extending a ban on large public events, the event scheduled for Aug. 25-29 was no longer in the cards. Geoff Keighley has already confirmed Gamescom: Opening Night Live will be back this year as an all-digital show on Aug. 24.
Games For Change 2020 is also moving online this summer, plus the event is being made free to attend (virtually, of course). The event will retain its original dates of July 14-16.
Pokémon Go has been making it easier than ever to play from home. This week the company announced Incense Day, taking place April 19. That day, players will be able to buy a three-pack of Incense for a single PokéCoin, and all Incense will last for one hour instead of the usual 30 minutes. There’s also an increased chance of specific types of Pokémon appearing at different times of day, so be sure to check out when each type is most likely to appear. Developer Niantic also announced plans to let players participate in Raids from home with a new Remote raid Pass available in the shop.
Summer Games Done Quick has been pushed back to August, but in the meantime the speedrunning benefit has set up a digital event to fight coronavirus. Corona Relief Done Quick runs through Sunday, with proceeds going to Direct Relief. Be sure to check it out on Twitch.
PlayStation 4 owners have the opportunity to pick up Journey and Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection for free right now. As a part of Sony’s Play At Home initiative, the company hopes to encourage people to stay home to fight coronavirus. In addition, Sony is contributing $10 million “to help smaller independent game studios who may be experiencing financial difficulties continue building great experiences for all gamers.”
Finally in gaming, Animal Crossing continues to be one of the major ways people stay connected to those they know. Well, this week it’s how people are meeting new people, actually. Animal Crossing islands have become the newest, hottest date spots around the world. As apps like Tinder open up user to match with those around the world, there’s never been a better time to online date. With its ability to show one’s creative side in all forms, Animal Crossing really could be a great matchmaker during these trying times.
Film and TV
Disney and Pixar have pushed back the openings of two more movies this week. Soul from Pixar, which was originally set to release in June, has been pushed back to November 20. Disney Animation’s Raya and the Last Dragon, originally set to release in November, is now looking to release March 12, 2021. Other Disney properties already pushed back include Black Widow, Mulan, and Jungle Cruise.
Film companies from around the world are helping financially in the fight against coronavirus. Screen Ireland is giving $4.6 million to assist the Irish film and TV industry during the pandemic. Netflix increased its relief fund for coronavirus from $100 million to $150 million. That money will be primarily used to help newly unemployed workers on Netflix productions. Netflix is also teaming up with The Netherlands Film Fund to help film and TV productions in the the Netherlands. Finally, the Sundance Institute is also contributing $1 million to a relief fund for independent artists.
In news straight out of the 1950s, drive-in movie theaters have been seeing a resurgence during the coronavirus pandemic.
Other coronavirus news
San Diego Comic-Con, planned for this summer, was cancelled. The event will return July 22-25, 2021.
Taylor Swift has cancelled the remainder of her shows throughout 2020. She plans to reschedule shows taking place in the United States and Brazil to 2021.
Internet cafes in Japan have had to shut down in major Japanese cities, leaving many without access to the internet. To make matters worse, some people reportedly live at these cafes, leaving potentially thousands homeless.
In good news this week, it was announced that in April DC Comics will resume publishing its monthly issues. The new release schedule will be reduced, but the first three week’s plans have been released for those interested.
