Almost two years have passed since an outbreak of a new coronavirus infection was reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan. During this time, the virus has spread around the world, disrupting society, economy, and leaving the health systems of many countries stretched to their limits. Humanity had to adapt to the new conditions, and key sectors of the economy were looking for ways to reduce the effects of the crisis.
But the gaming industry, gambling, and the whole online entertainment segment was experiencing a real boom. Digital Entertainment began to rapidly develop and improve its service, and during the quarantine period, it went through a lot of changes. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at five ways the pandemic has affected the gaming industry in the last years.
1. Rapid Growth in the Number of Players
In 2020, billions of people were locked in four walls and found an opportunity to relax through computer games and online gambling. And this is not surprising, because life in isolation can cause bad consequences on health and the general state of the human condition. Without regular social contacts, people may feel stressed, anxious, depressed, and even sick. But video games can bring players a lot of positive emotions and endorphins, thereby stabilizing their condition and mood. This is why the gaming industry has increased its audience several times during the pandemic.
Today, the segment has also seen a rise in user activity: the duration of gaming sessions has increased. This means that gamers are spending more time playing and less time on other types of leisure. On the one hand, it has a positive influence on the industry growth dynamics, but on the other hand, gamers can suffer from undesirable effects of long-lasting consequences and even addiction.
2. Expansion of the Game Range
As the number of new players grows, the gaming industry is forced to adjust to the needs and interests of all customers. To do so companies are expanding their game catalogs and online casinos are implementing new technologies like live gambling with real dealers. Now every player can easily find any video game of interest in just a few clicks.
By far, the most popular games are shooters, MMORPG, and classic casino entertainments. Also, during the quarantine period dramatically increased the number of thematic slots on gaming platforms. Developers began to create slots based on the most current TV series, music bands, memes, and other interesting topics.
3. Development of Bonus Programs
Gambling platforms and gaming distributors quickly adapted to the situation and began luring potential customers with various bonuses. From the first days of the quarantine, players were able to easily find casino websites with free spins for 1 dollar in Canada and other countries around the world. Generous bonuses and profitable promotional programs increased the number of active players by several dozen times. Of course, the casino’s revenues also increased to the highest levels. And this encourages gambling companies to further develop their bonus programs and give out prizes to all newcomers.
4. Cancellation of Events
The cancellation and postponement of trade shows like E3, the Taipei Game Show, and dozens of other offline events in 2020 may have negatively impacted not only the event industry but also the relationship between small developers and publishers. It especially affected the creators of indie projects, for whom such offline events are a proven way to find funding and support. E-sports teams also found themselves in a difficult situation, as they had to switch from their usual format to online forms of tournaments and competitions.
Due to the disruption of the workflow, many game developers also postponed releases of their products. Most often this was due to governmental restrictions, but sometimes companies waited for the right time when players would have a better chance to pay for the game once the situation stabilized.
5. Adoption of New Technologies
Big corporations, including Microsoft, Playstation, and Apple have begun investing heavily in the development of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies, which can take the gaming industry to the next level. Covid has boosted their testing and launch of the first pilot projects. However, it is not yet clear how such technologies will be implemented for the user. Right now, players have a lot of difficulties: they need to buy a VR helmet, find enough space and install special sensors. Simplifying the technology will take at least another 3-5 years.
Augmented reality technology is also actively developing in the online gambling industry. Several well-known casinos have already adopted such a feature on their websites. But most platforms are still just beginning to implement the technology of live games with real croupiers. In fact, quarantine accelerated the process of gambling digitalization and more and more players today can make money online and feel the atmosphere of a real casino without leaving home.
Conclusion
Although the Covid had a negative impact on most of the important segments of the world economy, it generated a powerful boost for some areas. The gaming industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world, and the pandemic has further accelerated this process. During the nearly two years of the quarantine, the number of active players increased by several times, along with the industry’s profits. Gambling websites and gaming platforms have become much more convenient and offer players many more entertainment options.
This trend of growth in the gaming field will continue even after the various restrictions related to the pandemic are lifted. And this is because gaming now seems to be a much more profitable and affordable pastime than many other options.
About the Author: Mila Roy is a specialist in the field of gambling and online entertainment. She works as a Content Strategist at Gamblizard company, which is collecting bonus offers for gamblers. Mila also curates a team of writers who create professional online casino reviews.