Online Games Got Bigger Due to the Pandemic

In our modern bleak climate, it is not surprising that people are moving over to online games such as Fortnite and PUBG for any semblance of relief. The industry of online games has increased in popularity ever since the Covid Pandemic struck the planet. Due to social distancing regulations, more people found it difficult to occupy themselves. In turn, they opted for online gaming to pass the time as it is a safe way to socialize from a distance and enjoy yourself at the same time.

The pandemic has led to many businesses requiring their employees to work from home. Working from home, without to and from commutes, resulted in more free time – including recreational activities like online gaming. Recently in a Digital Media Trends survey maintained by Deloitte Insights 2020, one-third of consumers had, for the first time ever, signed up for a video gaming service. This was either through the e-sports competition, a digital sporting event, or cloud-based gaming services.

Accessibility features of online games like Fortnite has transformed casual gamers into devoted ones, helping them to benefit from their isolation time and providing convenience while using the video game.

Independent sources have reported that:

“Gaming engagement and sales have seen an increase since the start of the pandemic. The best in online games being lead by PUBG and Fortnite.”

There are many reasons as to why someone would opt for online gaming to keep them occupied during the pandemic. Here are a few good reasons below.

Finding an Escape

There has been many uncertainties and concern surrounding the current pandemic that has driven even the most relaxed of players to take refuge in online games. People are searching for new virtual encounters to make up for the actual ones they have lost because of most of society being shut down.

The increasing wave of interest towards online gaming is illustrated by search engines top searches, with individuals who search for “game app” increasing over 100% in just a week or “best online games” increasing 100% annually.

Streaming

In addition to playing, the online community for streamers has also been on a steady increase from the time the pandemic began. Streaming games has been a part of the online gaming industry, with games such as the Black Lotus Casino games. But it was only due to the recent lockdown measures that streaming ratings soared with gamers who would like to watch and make commentary on other people playing games.

YouTube is a great place for people who want to post their videos and get reviews from other gamers. The gamers can follow each other and communicate effectively, which is a huge positive in light of all the negatives involved in social distancing.

Social gaming

Many people like to play alone most of the time. Social gaming has always existed but has risen to new heights ever since the start of the pandemic. Most games support multiple players which means that people are able to play with their friends on the same game, from any position in the world.

Some games even contain online chats where gamers are able to communicate with each other and devise strategic plans in order to make their gaming experience much better.

Social gaming allows for people to feel like they are apart of something or a group. Many people often think that gamers are lonely people, but contrarily, they are never really alone as there is almost always someone online and available to play with.

Female gamers

There has always been a popular stereotype floating around that gamers mostly consist of males of all ages and barely any females. During the Covid pandemic, the video gaming industry has seen a rapid increase in the number of female gamers. Girls and women of all ages are taking a greater interest in online gaming as they would also like to enjoy socializing with their friends and enjoying various games.

According to the Co-Founder of Halla Yalla, Nadeem Baksh, almost half of all gamers are now female, with a whopping 46% of them occupying the spectrum.

Female gamers are excelling in popular online sports games such as EA FIFA and action shooting games like PUBG, games that weren’t typically played by females during previous years. Females have even started their own e-sports teams in countries in the Middle East. They are achieving new titles and breaking new records yearly.

With the PS5 being out for quite some time now, new exciting games are on the rise which is compelling even more people to join the gaming world. From everyday casual online games like Candy Crush and Farm Heroes to more detailed and extensive ones like Fortnite or PUBG, the increasing popularity of online games will certainly grow further this year and in the years to come.