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Sony’s Jim Ryan announced that the company will be moderating PlayStation Network download speeds to help “manage download traffic,” given the global situation (via GameSpot).
Lots of people are gaming to keep themselves occupied during the coronavirus pandemic. The official advice is to leave the house only for the essentials, maintain physical distance from people outside of your immediate circle, and be aware of any symptoms of the virus. Though you may be physically distant, through online gaming you are able to drop into a zillion worlds and invite your friends along, too, and no one is placing anyone at risk of infection. Perfect!
Almost perfect. The sheer number of people playing online games as a result of physical distancing and quarantines is placing a serious strain on services like Netflix and Xbox Live. Thierry Breton, the European Union's Internal Market and Services Commissioner, has asked streaming services to curtail their impact on the internet so that everyone is able to access the internet when they need it. Sony is complying with the request, and Ryan announced that it is “working with internet service providers in Europe to manage download traffic to help preserve access for the entire internet community.”
“We believe it is important to do our part to address internet stability concerns as an unprecedented number of people are practicing social distancing and are becoming more reliant on internet access,” he added. “Players may experience somewhat slower or delayed game downloads but will still enjoy robust gameplay. We appreciate the support and understanding from our community, and their doing their part, as we take these measures in an effort to preserve access for everyone.”
