Japanese video-gaming market hit hard by March 11 disaster

Among the many financial repercussions of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the seemingly unrelated video-games industry has been hit hard in the immediate aftermath.

Data from Tokyo-based games-magazine publisher Enterbrain say domestic sales for March were down almost a third year-on-year to just ¥17 billion, or just over US$200 million.

Not so much fun

Part of the dip is down to clearly inappropriate games being shelved for the time being. These include titles like the PlayStation 3 adventure “Zettai Zetsumei Toshi 4,” which unfolds in a town wrecked by an earthquake and flooding.

Other releases were impacted when publishers either pulled them or cut advertising budgets in response to much-derided calls from politicians for self-restraint when it comes to having too much fun.

1-up mushroom

Now that the Japanese government has officially abandoned the restraint agenda, and with Nintendo’s DS3 in stores and a new Wii model from the same company likely to be announced this year, Enterbrain predicts the gaming market will bounce back within nine months.