'Motorstorm: Apocalypse' delayed in Europe

(All rights reserved - Sony Computer Entertainment)

Third in the PlayStation 3 off-road racing series and subject of an increasingly comprehensive marketing campaign, Motorstorm: Apocalypse is having its promotional support withdrawn by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe a result of the Sendai earthquake.

SCEE said in a statement that it is doing everything it can to be "as sensitive as possible to the situation," due to parallels between Apocalypse's fictional quake-torn city and events in Japan, Sony's corporate home.

"We are shocked and saddened to see the impact of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and our thoughts are with all those affected, including our colleagues within the Sony family," the company said in a statement to the press.

"Although the game itself is already in distribution, we are ceasing any further shipments and removing as much of the marketing materials as possible."

Sony, Nintendo, and a host of Japanese game developers have announced hefty donations to various relief funds.

Motorstorm: Apocalypse's March 16 European release, distinct from a North American launch on April 12, was first announced in January 2011. The game has already been indefinitely postponed in New Zealand as a result of February's Christchurch earthquake.

In addition, Japanese zombie game Yakuza: Of The End has been pulled from retail, and a fourth entry in the Disaster Report series has now been canceled.