Last year, we were shocked by the world news, and as the COVID-19 pandemic started to spread out, cities went under lockdowns, companies were forced to shut down physical operations, and we had to stay home to comply with social distancing measures and health protocols.
With much of the world forced to stay inside, people were looking for new alternatives to entertain themselves while still maintaining their social connections.
What was always regarded, and sometimes stereotyped, as isolating and unsociable, now is being seen as a powerful form of entertainment, and even a promising educational tool: video games.
When William Higinbotham created the world’s first video game – Tennis for Two – in 1958, he couldn’t imagine that he was giving birth to something that would become a billion-dollar industry, an important entertainment market, and a lifeline for millions of people during a global pandemic 63 years later.
Of course, the history of gaming is much richer than just the last few months, but the pandemic has initiated a period of outstanding growth for the sector, and has led to gaming tendencies all over the world.
According to recent surveys, people played much more video games during the pandemic, which led to companies being able to thrive during the period, and even record growth figures, despite the financial crisis that came with COVID-19.
To get a better understanding of what happened to the industry during this period, let’s take a look at some statistics regarding the gaming market, and some of the new trends that came up. But what’s clear is that with many of us stuck at home, the world refound its love for video games.
Some Enlightening Stats
In February, market research firm Ipsos conducted a survey with 4,000 U.S. adults for the Entertainment Software Association, and found out that more than half of players – 55 percent – played more games during the pandemic, and 90 percent of them said they will continue playing after the country opens up.
The study also found that video games were a source of stress relief for 55 percent of participants, and a form of distraction from the world news for 48 percent of them.
According to a survey conducted by G2A.com, the world’s largest online marketplace for gamers, there was a 200 percent increase in the number of people aged over 60 searching for games on their platform, and 93 percent of people under 18 admitted to gaming regularly.
It’s also interesting to note that 67 percent of American adults consider themselves gamers, and the average video game player is 31 years old, according to Ipsos’ survey. Another survey, this time conducted by online magazine Inverse with a universe of 2,900 readers, aimed to understand the gamers’ habits during this period.
According to it, 77.1 percent said they play more video games than they did before, and nobody played less. Another interesting fact is that COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020, the day after Activision released Call of Duty: Warzone, and a little over a week before Nintendo released Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
In this same survey, 61 percent of people said one of these two games was the most comforting game in quarantine. The Ipsos’ survey found that for 71 percent of parents surveyed, video games also served as an escape and break for children.
Additionally, 59 percent of parents said their children played educational games. But some of the most interesting statistics shed a light on a polemical subject: gaming being used as an educational tool, as 66 percent of parents said video games facilitated the transition to distance learning.
A New Role
We all know the role of gaming as an entertainment alternative, but another aspect that has really evolved during the pandemic is its true potential inside a classroom.
Another survey by G2A.com earlier this year, found that almost half of the teachers in the United Kingdom and the United States have turned to gaming to try to engage their students during periods of virtual learning, with 91 percent even claiming it has helped.
Despite some erroneous beliefs that gaming could represent a hurdle to education, in reality, video games might become a powerful tool for teachers and academic institutions, through educational games and gamified learning processes.
Apart from that, many of the most popular titles today are already designed to facilitate learning, and have even included educational modes to encourage players to learn something while playing.
A perfect example of that is Sid Meier’s Civilization, which includes the “Civilopedia”, an in-game knowledge resource that teaches players everything about the game, and even details the historical events and concepts featured in the game.