People have been prompted to stay indoors and avoid others during the coronavirus pandemic. From general suggestions to extended lockdowns, there are many ways how people are being kept apart from one another. With this in mind, many people are turning to many things to keep themselves occupied during the crisis.
One of the things that people have been doing during the coronavirus situation involves playing video games. While the gaming industry has been growing over the years, it is only now that it has started to erupt.
Big Games Abound
The pandemic has prompted people to stay indoors and play games of all sorts. The new Animal Cross New Horizons game for the Nintendo Switch has proven to be a substantial hit. Meanwhile, online games like Call of Duty Warzone and the Fortnite series have brought in more players than ever before.
The new Animal Crossing game has especially proven to be popular, as people have been holding virtual events on the game. The vast online environment of the game and its social features ensure that people can participate in many events and communicate with each other. The extra customization features add a strong touch.
Watching Online
People are also going online to the streaming site Twitch to watch people play games of all sorts. About ten million hours are spent watching people play games each day.
StreamElements states that traffic on Twitch has increased by about 30 percent in the past few weeks. The point comes as the pandemic has prompted people to go on the site to watch games and interact with people. The site has also grown thanks to its music, performance, and chat channels. Interestingly enough, a channel that streams nothing but Bob Ross' old art instruction show has proven to be highly popular on Twitch.
Some professional sports teams are also streaming simulations of their games online. These streams come as many leagues have suspended operations.
Developing Social Features
The rise of social gaming has helped to make these games more popular as the coronavirus strikes. Many companies have started to produce social features in their games, from online competitions to various social media integrations. Many companies have been promoting events on Fortnite and other games.
Esports Are Becoming Big
Many esports events have also become popular as people are staying indoors during the pandemic. The League of Legends series has been ongoing for a while, and many professional tournaments are still being held online. The Overwatch League is also planning to start up again. The move would involve virtual matches instead of people traveling to certain places for those events like what has happened in the past.
Video games are expected to become more popular as time moves along and more restrictions on what people can do come about. With the United States having restrictions on events until the end of April and many other entertainment-related activities being pushed back until further notice, it is safe to say that gaming will become increasingly noteworthy during the pandemic.
