Although we saw many industries experience significant setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw the video game industry play an instrumental role in the lives of many people all over the world who were forced to remain at their homes in order to curb the rampant spread of the COVID-19 virus.
This new lifestyle was not easy to lead for many people, especially for the extroverted youth in many countries. This lifestyle posed many challenges because of the restrictive nature of living and coping with the pandemic, its new and unique challenges. In this article, we will talk about the various challenges people experienced in the lockdown and how gaming was helpful to so many people in the pandemic.
How Video Games Helped People in the Pandemic
As the world went under what seemed like a global quarantine, people of many generations experienced common mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Those with post-traumatic stress disorder found their symptoms worsening in the pandemic lifestyle. Hence, video games were beneficial as a tool of psychological healing for these individuals.
Video games helped save the day by increasing connectivity and interaction among family members, peer groups, and internet participants. Hence, video games helped to soothe anxiety and depression in many people.
People soon found themselves making time for video games in their everyday schedule. Studies show that humans love routine behaviors because it creates a sense of familiarity, predictability and comfort. Humans operate on habits, and the inclusion of video gaming as a habit in pandemic grew increasingly day by day.
The pandemic brought for an exciting trend. We saw intergenerational bonding and connectivity as family members started spending more time together playing video games. The older generation benefitted from this exposure to the world of video games, and we now have a significant number of older people who have become avid gamers. We saw many senior citizens show a fondness for games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Due to the social distancing guidelines and restrictions to public places, we saw friends and families increasingly use Zoom meetings to connect and interact with each other. People were hosting Netflix parties for film viewings. However, among all these modes of entertainment and connection, video games became the most popular medium.
We saw people use Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games to make friendships and build deeper connections. The stereotype of gamers being antisocial has started to die down because of the level of communication and interaction we now see. Young students even hosted virtual graduation parties over these gaming platforms. People also used these platforms to conduct birthday parties and graduation. And so, video games were being used in very interesting and unexpected ways.
Games like Minecraft, World of Warcraft and Among us drew a vast audience to them during the pandemic. Among Us was quite the success during the lockdown, with over a hundred million people playing it. Hence, we saw that the pandemic was an excellent opportunity for the video game industry to thrive.
As schools all over the world had to remain closed, it was important for young children to keep up with their education. Video games were seen as a valuable educational tool as they helped these children form social connections, keep learning new concepts, and develop important communication skills and abilities. As children are among the more vulnerable groups of society, video games played an important role in their lives during the pandemic.
We also saw people develop a fondness for online gaming streaming. The Amazon-owned platform Twitch enjoyed massive popularity in the pandemic. Many professional gamers were live-streaming their video gameplay and showcasing their skills and abilities. Hence, we saw gaming communities flock to consume Gaming Video Content (GVC) on Twitch and YouTube.
Also, eSports became increasingly popular as people supported their favorite teams and closely watched the online tournaments. Betting for these eSports games was becoming a popular pastime. Discord servers were also the place to be for gamers.
The gambling community felt the absence of casinos more than ever. Many gamblers resorted to playing slots, poker, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and other casino games on https://www.slotsformoney.com/zh/ and other online casino sites for real money. Hence, the online gaming industry experienced huge success in the pandemic.
The leading video game companies came up with new and interesting business models to earn revenues. Free-to-play was one such popular model. In free-to-play games, designers don’t expect gamers to pay money to use or join the game. It is now up to the gamers to make the best of their gameplay experience through in-game purchases.
In Conclusion
Although the pandemic has been a source of devastation and grief for many industries around the world, it seems to be quite an exciting time for the video game industry as it is finding itself getting adapted to the current lifestyle and its needs.
