MotorStorm Apocalypse delayed overseas out of respect for Japan disaster

Sony is delaying the debut of MotorStorm Apocalypse in the UK and Japan, citing sensitivity concerns over the very real earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of Japan last Friday. Already in stock in most stores, the company has issued instructions to shelve the title until Sony deems it appropriate to go forward with Evolution Studios' disaster-themed racer.

"We are shocked and saddened to see the impact of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and our thoughts are with all those affected, including our colleagues within the Sony family, living and working throughout Japan,” said Sony in a statement to the press, later explaining, “We are very conscious of the parallels between these events and the underlying theme in MotorStorm and are doing everything we can to be as sensitive as possible to the situation. Although the game itself is already in distribution, we are ceasing any further shipments and removing as much of the marketing materials as possible."

MotorStorm Apocalypse is the fourth entry in the MotorStorm racing series, and the first to use an urban city as its backdrop. Unfortunately, said urban city isdepicted as beingin the middle of numerous natural disasters, and players must dodge crumbling buildings, cracking roads and buckling bridges in their bid to outrace opponents. If you're stillfuzzy onwhy it's not a great business (nevermind ethical) decision to release a game like this in Japan right now, may we suggestcatching up on current events.

Extending its support further, Sonywill also be donating $3.66 million dollarstowards relief efforts in Japan, as well as sending 30,000 radios and setting up a disaster relief fund.

MotorStorm Apocalypse is still on track for its April 12th North American release *knocks wood*.

Mar 15, 2011

Got a news tip? Let us know at tips@gamesradar.com


See the four-player split-screen in action!

MotorStorm Apocalypse: 150 seconds of car-exploding mayhem
Crashes, smashes, explosions... it's the hottest MotorStorm montage ever!

CATEGORIES

Matt Bradford wrote news and features here at GamesRadar+ until 2016. Since then he's gone on to work with the Guinness World Records, acting as writer and researcher for the annual Gamer's Edition series of books, and has worked as an editor, technical writer, and voice actor. Matt is now a freelance journalist and editor, generating copy across a multitude of industries. 

Latest in Racing
Mario racing on a desert track during the Switch 2 reveal trailer.
Porting Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to the Nintendo Switch was "kind of an afterthought," and now it's so popular that getting fans to switch could be a challenge
Wreckfest 2
Devs behind beloved destruction-focused racing game Wreckfest launch the sequel in early access with a trailer full of physics glitches and fatal error messages
A decorated purple car speeding head-on down a road in Toyko Xtreme Racer
Tokyo Xtreme Racer is a novel throwback to classic PS2 racing games like Midnight Club, and I can't get enough of it
Rivals Hover League appearing in the Future Games Show Spring Showcase 2025
The spirit of Burnout heads to the future as Rivals Hover League brings destruction derby to the skies
Japanese Drift Master appearing in FGS Live From GDC
After a years-long way, this Initial D-inspired open-world racing game is now just around the corner
Bionic Bay appearing at the Future Games Show Spring Showcase 2025
Check out Bionic Bay's frantic physics fueled racing in this new Future Games Show trailer
Latest in News
Everybody's Golf Hot Shots
The surprise theme of today's Nintendo Direct was classic PlayStation franchises getting a comeback without Sony's involvement
Hogwarts Legacy how many spells
Unannounced Hogwarts Legacy DLC reportedly canceled, partly because the studio wasn't sure it'd be worth players' money
Ultimate X-Men #14
Ultimate X-Men #14 pays homage to a classic Wolverine moment as the Shadow King returns
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing Yasuke kneeling and praying while wearing a traditional purple robe
Ubisoft reaches deal with Tencent to create $4.3 billion mini-Ubisoft subsidiary to "spearhead development" on new Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six games
Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in The Last Of Us season 2
The Last of Us showrunner says he isn't worried about fan reaction to season 2: "The best way we could respect our fans and honor them is to not worry about them"
Black Myth: Wukong
English is no longer the biggest language on Steam as Chinese gamers embrace PC gaming even harder after Black Myth: Wukong