Xbox lead Phil Spencer says the industry will start to see the impacts of coronavirus in early 2021

From Business Insider: "But by March 2021, the industry could start to see the broader effects of the coronavirus. Games planned to launch next year and beyond are most likely to face issues with development that could lead to delays or cancellations.

"Through the summer, early fall? I feel pretty good about those games," Microsoft's Xbox leader Phil Spencer told Business Insider. "Games that were targeting a year from now or beyond? There'll be some impact, but they'll be able to react."

[Jin_Sakai]

As far as motion capture goes, why can’t they test people before entering the stage?

[monkey602]

I'm sure motion capture could take weeks if not months of work. Do you test actors every day? Just because they were all clear on a tuesday doesn't mean they cant get it by friday.

If an actor gets the virus does it just halt all production then?

[gamer7804]

That’s just not possible, it takes sometimes months to get mocap done and it’s still hard to get reliable testing done. Also once the second wave hits this fall winter it’s going to be worse

[Noskypeno]

I cant wait for that second wave of corona to kill me with a heart attack, from me eating too many burgers, beer, and cigarettes and refusing to exercise.

[silenthillstrangler]

They could be infected and a symptomatic or contract it during the time it takes to finish the job.

[rainslacker]

Logistics really. There is some rapid testing available, but it's not ubiquitous. Plus, what do you do if someone is sick? Actors work together, and the tech people are usually required, and there isn't typically a lot of redundancy if someone is sick. Plus, if someone is sick, they may not test positive if they're asymptomatic, and could still spread the virus.

OTOH, outside the actors, the tech people don't really have to all be super close to one another, and could practice safe working practices. but, then when it comes to the actors again, many do have to travel, often by plane....sometimes internationally. They have to be housed as well.

Then there's the follow up work which is done after principal capture. Usually voice acting and maybe scene re-do's. Some of that can be done without other actors around. Realistically, it's not impossible to do motion capture with the actors being nowhere near each other. Their relative position can be moved post shoot...although it could be less natural. This is the way it used to be done. Voice actors rarely are ever working in the same room together.

@Some below

It doesn't generally take months to do mocap work. 2-4 weeks is the general production time. Even most big budget movies don't take months to shoot. If they go on months, they're typically split up into different several week sections. Actual production is longer due to all the other stuff that is done during production.

[RazzerRedux]

I can see where mo-cap would be severely impacted by this. That follows for movies and TV as well where performances require personal interaction and close proximity with others. The effects of this for the entire entertainment industry could be felt for some time. lol....could we have a record number of CGI movies in 2021?

[BlackIceJoe]

I'm also curious if games in the future could incorporate a pandemic into games too.

I remember after Katrina how Infamous had a section of the game take place in a city that was destroyed by a dam.

So could we see a game in several years or so a game that instead of a Zombie outbreak, there is a more natural pandemic? I think the possibilities are there for an interesting game, but then you have to also think does it hit too close to home, so that game developers decide to not make a game like that.

[WGAF]

U probably will see a home simulation soon :)

[silenthillstrangler]

Their have already been a tonne of games based on a devastating pandemic, the division 2 being one of the top of my head.

[The-Matrix-has-you]

I totally understand the effects Covid-19 will have on the gaming industry. However I can’t help but read this article as damage control. Microsoft not releasing many games from their newly purchased studios in the first year and a half of the new console seems very likely. I’m not convinced it will effect Sony as much though. Major 3rd party games won’t be effected. Mostly indie games if you ask me. Still I really hope no games are canceled. That would be a huge bummer for all gamers.

[ElementX]

It's perfect because they'll be beyond the cross generation window of 1 or 2 years. The newly acquired studios have released games recently or will this year. They won't release unannounced games for a while anyway, because they take years to develop. Now MS can say it was the pandemic and nobody can prove them wrong. I said before we probably won't see any big new games for years and this will give them a "plausible" reason

I also said MS will use 3rd party exclusives to hold people over until the cross gen window is past and we're already seeing exclusives and launch exclusives

[Fishy Fingers]

"It's perfect"

You think MS exec's we're rubbing their hands together at the potential excuse opportunity a global pandemic offers them when in comes to a computer game launch window? "People are dying... this is perfect".

Do you listen to yourselves? This will effect everyone, across every sector. There has been 3-6 months (at least) of 'business as usual' effected. As gamers we'll probably see little effect as the projects largely effected will be unannounced so we wont be aware of any delays/cancelations but they will be happening. Having said that, try not to be d***heads...

[ElementX]

I stated that MS wasn't releasing any big unannounced games for a while, a few times, weeks/months ago. People will ask "where are the games from the acquired studios". I'm saying it gives a explanation "if" they want it.

Do you think studios won't claim the same thing if they are behind schedule? They already are. Games without concrete release windows will suddenly get pushed back even though many indie devs work from home anyway. There are dozens of studios comprised of developers around the world. This self quarantine probably doesn't affect them much, but they'll take advantage. Games with Summer release windows will get Autumn or Winter windows now.

[ElementX]

I can see Microsoft saying "due to the pandemic, we are behind schedule and unannounced games which were planned for One and Series X will now be releasing later. We have decided to focus on Series X to give players the best possible experience"

Then Booty will say "I stated games coming in one, two years will be cross platform, but due to the pandemic, we decided it will be one year. The time lost would cause significant delay for cross platform games so we are focusing on the series X."

I wouldn't put it past them. Everybody keeps saying MS changes and does 180s all the time. People are disappointed about cross gen games and this is the perfect out for them

[The-Matrix-has-you]

@ Fishy Fingers

You can have your opinion, that’s cool. I don’t really disagree with you but don’t go and assume we are both arrogant or insensitive to the effects of Covid-19.

You call me a dickhead but don’t even realize I have experienced Coronavirus close to home. Sometimes I question how old some of the user base is on N4G. Calling names and such. Maybe you should grow up...

Oh and yeah it is damage control. Maybe you should look up what that means. You interpreted it as a fanboy response from me but in actuality I was referring to their new studios who haven’t had enough time to work on new IP’s.

Sony has had more time. We don’t know what PlayStation will bring with their launch of the PS5. As a whole I want both company’s to do well. I have always enjoyed my Xbox and PlayStation.

[morganfell]

Anyone that thinks certain people in the industry will not unjustly lean on covid as an excuse are too blind and unrealistic. It will happen.

[galmi]

you really have issues

[rainslacker]

I doubt your scenario about moving away from cross gen to be likely. The reason they're doing that is to gain subscriber count by keeping their current customers engaged. They aren't as interested in selling the console itself, just the services which provide the games, which is where they make their money.

If anything, they'd prolong the time where they do cross gen, saying that was a game they were going to release earlier in support of X1, but because of delays, it's now supporting the X1 for longer than they originally intended. However, that would require they continue X1 support as a whole, which MS doesn't have a history of doing after a new gen releases for more than a couple years.

[Kiwi66]

It's only damage control in the minds of some, meanwhile back in the real world what he said is true as worldwide the virus has slowed many industries and gaming isn't immune from it

[rainslacker]

It may be damage control, but in this case, I actually believe he's setting the expectations for delays now, instead of waiting for later. Doing that doesn't remove how much they've procrastinated and didn't perform this gen, and even I'd be more willing to give them more leeway next year for game releases.

He really isn't wrong about what he says. Games won't cease to release, as the stages of production are varied between productions, and what studios can do what is also going to vary. Plus, every publisher seems to be taking different approaches to handling the situation.

Games will get cancelled I'm afraid. This is an investor issue where some investors are going to have to pull out because of their own circumstances, or they're just at a point where they want to invest in something more profitable instead of waiting for a game to go back into production. In this case, they'll have every right to based on contracts because without doubt, milestones are going to be missed. Some of those games will maybe get picked up again, many won't.

The real game industry fallout from CV to come hasn't really hit the gaming general public yet. Gaming won't crash, but it's not going to be smooth sailing. In the US, many areas of the country just aren't registering just how bad things are, and because of that, aren't really taking into account how bad they're going to be.

I think both MS, Nintendo, and Sony will all be effected. They will have the investment to follow through with games, but they've already taken measures to keep their workers safe, which will cause production issues in the short term, which will have an effect on the long term. 3rd party publishers usually still use outside investment to fund games, despite having their own money, so those are the one's where you'd probably see more cancellations.

It's not all doom and gloom, but people should be ready for delays and cancellations. It'd be prudent for companies right now not to announce games they aren't sure they can release, or make it very clear that their intended release date may not happen due to potential disruption...or just leave the release date out of it.

[Zeref]

How is it damage control when the effects are clearly real?

Sony delayed Last of Us 2 because of Covid and that game is almost close to release. If a game that releases in 2021 was scheduled to do Motion Capture now. It would be impossible, so of course you're gonna see delays next year.

[Zeref]

@shaggy2303

exactly.

[The-Matrix-has-you]

@ Zeref

Let’s let time tell the truth here. Ultimately it’s all prediction at this point. If Phil Spencer could manage to be slightly more reserved and not let his voice be heard every day then it would a lot easier to take his information more seriously.

[Baza]

Get ready for even more remasters ladys and gentlemen!

[Zeref]

Maybe from 3rd parties. But Series X is backwards compatible with Xbox One, 360 and OG Xbox.

[autobotdan]

Just ship the games with the coronavirus. Madden 2021 Covid-19 Collector's Edtion

EA Sports It's(Covid-19) in the game!

[Zeref]

goddamn that was so unfunny, it hurt.

[FanboyPolice]

EA would ship Covid-19 and the game itself would be a DLC.

[JokerDem]

The comments here are really exposing just how stupid some of you are. Incredible.

[DARK_WOLF]

True, but also it is the internet. Dont take it so seriously people just talk shit sometimes. (Including myself)

[galmi]

I usually just look at most as idiots

[monochromer]

In other words, but an Xbox and have nothing to play on it.

Sounds par for the course to me.

[TheColbertinator]

lol I see it now