Why the rioting in London will delay Sony PS3, CD, DVD releases in Europe

The destruction of private property during last night’s third bout of rioting in London has forced many businesses to close today, but an unlikely victim could an arm of Sony’s distribution division.

The Sony DADC (Digital Audio Disc Corporation) plant in Enfield was struck by looters last night, who were thought to have made off with thousands of pounds worth of equipment and games, CDs and movies before the site was set on fire.

This could have far-reaching consequences for consumers across Europe, as the plant is a key games pressing and packaging factory and a major link in the chain of Sony’s DVD, CD and PS3 European games distribution process. There’s a very real possibility that releases will be delayed as a result, or that supplies of certain titles may be very low due to the damage casued to the facility.

“There will likely be some impact on deliveries,” said Yoko Yasukochi, a spokeswoman at for Japanese electronics and entertainment giant in Tokyo.

“We cannot determine the cause of the fire or the extent of the damage yet because it’s not possible to enter the building,”

The Sony DADC plant is also where some PC games get pressed, as well as a manufacturing point for Blu-Ray and UMD. The site also doubles up as a high-tech research lab, with leading work on optical technology being conducted there.