MGS4 Launch Parties Casualty of Ahkihabara Massacre

Planned Festivities in Tokyo Postponed

In much the same way as how the September 11th terror attacks in America ushered in a new wave of sensitivity in the name of safety and patriotism–its consequence in this industry being the delay or cancellation of several up and coming titles–we now see a major launch event delayed in Japan, stemming from Sunday’s massacre in Tokyo’s Ahkihabara district.

Konami has confirmed with the Mainichi Shinbum that several events planned in Tokyo for the launch of Metal Gear Solid 4 have been delayed on safety concerns. The company also posted notice on its Japanese website of the delay. At least some of those events were to take place in the Ahkihabara district.

Konami told Mainichi that they are “taking safety into account” when announcing the delay; a clear indication that this is stemming from last Sunday’s events.

The impacted launch events are reportedly being planned for later in the month.