Tech and Science News
Nintendo Direct Delayed Due to Earthquake in Hokkaido, Japan
Sep 06, 2018 2:03 AM PDT The 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck the northen island of Hokkaido early Thursday.
by Adam Bankhurst
Nintendo has delayed its upcoming Nintendo Direct due to an earthquake that has struck the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan.
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Announced via Nintendo's Twitter, Nintendo made the decision to delay the 35-minute Nintendo Switch and 3DS Direct and will "provide a new date and time in the near future."
The earthquake occurred early Thursday with a magnitude of 6.7 and follows Typhoon Jebi, the strongest typhoon to hit the mainland of Japan since 1993.
Before Typhoon Jebi reached the mainland of Japan, "the storm had sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour (87 mph) and gusts of 165 kmh (102 mph), the equivalent of a Category 1 Atlantic hurricane."
According to CNN, the epicenter of the earthquake was located near the town of Atsuma, which is home to 40 residents, and lasted for almost a minute.
Aftershocks may pose a threat for the next week, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has already deployed over 4,000 defense force soldiers to help with rescue operations and, if needed, may raise that number up to 25,000.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN and sends his thoughts and best wishes to those impacted by this disaster. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst.