BitSummit The 8th Bit had its annual indie event scheduled for May 9th through May 10th of this year. However, those plans have since been postponed amid growing coronavirus concerns. At the time of writing, organizers have yet to offer details about the event’s potential new dates.
Organizers announced the news in a Twitter post this morning, since the “spread [of coronavirus] does not show any sign of slowing down.” The tweet in question features below:
Important information concerning BitSummit The 8th Bit pic.twitter.com/QTWyuvUcn1
— BitSummit May 9 -10 (@BitSummit) March 11, 2020
BitSummit The 8th Bit was originally slated to take place in early May at Japan’s Kyoto International Exhibition Hall, Miyako Messe. Established in 2012, the annual indie game festival serves as a celebration and showcase of smaller titles, which additionally invites industry leaders, such as Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida, to give keynotes.
This show’s postponement is among several game industry events affected by the continuous spread of coronavirus. Taipei Game Show, which would’ve taken place in February, counts as one of the first cancelled events. From then on, a sort of domino effect took hold. Many exhibitors withdrew from PAX East, including Sony and CD Projekt RED. Then a wave of companies put a halt on their GDC plans, eventually causing organizers to postpone that show’s physical event and establish a streaming schedule for previously slated developer talks and award shows.
Now the industry awaits official word on what the future may hold for this year’s E3. Last night, reports began circulating that the ESA will announce the event’s cancellation today. At the time of writing, no such announcement has gone live.
[Source: BitSummit on Twitter]
