How The Coronavirus is Affecting The Gaming Industry

Source: Medium

When you take a look at all industries worldwide, the COVID-19 outbreak has impacted them quite a lot. But, besides some postponed and canceled events, the outbreak did not impact the gaming industry as much, which in a way, makes it recession-resistant.

If you are wondering what is happening to the gaming industry, as well as what events you might not be able to attend this year, the list below might help you. Let’s take a look at the list:

Source: DotAfrog

The Impact on Gaming Companies

  1. The Number of Purchases Has Risen

Nowadays, we all need to remain home in order to stay safe, and this can lead to individuals feeling stressed and anxious. And since we cannot go out and see our family members and friends, we look for other ways that can help us escape the universe of boredom.

This situation, of course, prompted people to buy newer and older video games for a wide range of consoles. When the outbreak happened in Spain and Italy, there was a large spike of digital purchases, especially for the PS4 console and the PC. Sadly, this is not expected to stop anytime soon, especially since experts believe that it might last for at least 3 more weeks.

Source: DNA India
  1. An Increase of In-Game Purchases

Besides games selling more – and faster – there was an improvement of in-game purchases as well. These transactions are incredibly important and beneficial for gaming companies since it helps them generate additional revenue, and in a way, compensate for the loss they might have. Additionally, players can get benefits from it as well, since they, for example, finish some quests that they could not.

  1. Classic Games Are Back

World of Warcraft, League of Legends, The Elder Scrolls franchise, and Call of Duty are becoming increasingly popular again. One of the reasons for this happening is because we have a lot of time to think. I, for example, thought of a very old one that I loved playing when I was a kid called Titan Quest. The nostalgic feeling, of course, made me purchase it, which turned out to be an exciting and fun experience.

  1. Some Companies Switched to Creating Mobile Apps

Some gaming companies had to completely postpone the production of a game, which is why they opted for creating mobile apps. If you open the App Store, you’ll be able to see a wide range of newly released games. You should definitely try some of them, especially since they might be released by some big developers.

Source: Richestsoft

The Impact On Players Worldwide

  1. It Pushes Them To Be Better

Some games are a bit more challenging than others, which is why a lot of people play specific levels and quests several times before they succeed. The need for succeeding is what pushes them to try harder, which in return helps them improve their gaming skills and knowledge.

  1. More Boosts Available

If you have been a gamer for some time, you probably know what these boosts are. But, for those who do not know, they allow you to, for example, level up your character or your boost your current rank. This can allow you to finish quest faster or beat other players in PvP games. If you are interested in these services, you can visit boosthive.com for more info on WoW classic power leveling.

Source: Forbes
  1. People Working From Home Have More Time For Playing

If you work constantly hindered you from playing or finishing a video game, now might be a good time to catch up on them – you will, after all, have to stay at your home. This means that you should not waste any more time and start playing that video game that you started ages ago.

  1. It Allows You to “Hang Out” With Your Friends

Some games can feature multiple players, which is why you can play it with your friends! They also usually feature chatting options, hence, you can spend some quality time with your friends while entertaining yourselves at the same time. I tried this recently with my friends, and it turned out to be the smartest thing we did.

A Few Negative Impacts on The Gaming Industry And Communities

Besides the aforementioned “positive” impacts, there are, of course, a few negative ones. Including:

  1. A Lot of Events Got Postponed…

Naturally, a lot of countries implemented a lot of social distancing rules, which is why a lot of large events had to be postponed. The dates of the events will probably be published after the COVID-19 outbreak finishes. The organizers of the events all assure their audiences that the events will definitely take place.

Source: T3.com
  1. …And A Lot of Them Canceled

Some events have been completely canceled such as the E3, the largest gaming event in the world. It was incredibly anticipated worldwide, especially since it should have happened before the launches of the new Xbox and PlayStation consoles. So, you might want to find a list of canceled events, especially if you have a ticket to one of them.

  1. Some Games Might Not Be Released

Before you get upset, there is a pretty good reason for this happening – some companies need to have high sales of physical copies in order to survive. This is why some of them chose not to release them now, but later on. This is also happening to the movie industry – they depend on their ticket sales to succeed.

Source: TV Rubin

Conclusion

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a lot of negative impacts on industries worldwide, so, it is only natural that it impacted the gaming industry as well. Although some events were postponed and canceled, the are so many positive things that we can enjoy, including hanging out with our friends while playing games and becoming better at them by practicing a lot.

So, now that you know that the gaming industry won’t be completely hindered by the Coronavirus outbreak, do not lose any more time. Instead, try thinking about a game that you played as a teenager and see if you can find to purchase it online. Trust me, it will be endlessly fun!