No PlayStation launch is complete without a banging celebration.
The release of a major console is usually followed with in-store events but with an ongoing pandemic and restrictions in place, its managed to stop numerous parties.. well, except for Sony.
The Japanese company has found an innovative way to still celebrate the launch of the PlayStation 5 on home soil by projecting lights on the ancient Kanda Shrine in Japan.
Located in close proximity to Akihabara, Tokyo aka Electric Town, the 1,290-year-old Kanda Shrine has become a place where worshippers often request blessings for anything technology-related like ensuring the success of an IT company or even to prevent the loss of devices.
The star of the celebration is a large projection on a pathway that leads up to the shrine that displays various PS5-related animations.
The shrine is also lit up in Sony’s signature blue colour with two screens accompanying each side of the pathway that displays animations.
[embed]https://twitter.com/namaokasan/status/1326469891822477313[/embed]
The outdoor installation is a unique way to celebrate the launch whilst obeying social distancing rules. The installation also comes after Sony’s decision against selling PS5 consoles in stores.
Customers are explicitly encouraged to purchase a console online, although some retailers offer in-store pickup as a delivery method for pre-orders.
With the end of the pandemic nowhere in sight, Sony’s move to create outdoor launches may just pave the way for other companies to follow suit.
This installation was also done across other countries such as Korea, San Mateo and New Zealand.
[embed]https://www.facebook.com/PlayStationKorea/posts/3467252863368302[/embed]
[embed]https://www.facebook.com/playstation/videos/1062811134153130/[/embed]
[embed]https://www.facebook.com/PlayStationNZ/videos/1230439463988779/[/embed]
This article was first published in Geek Culture.