The gaming world has always been its own secret society in a way, but thankfully, coronavirus lockdowns have brought more people into that world.
It’s not that surprising if you really think about it. Everyone’s stuck in the house and are very unsure of how “safe” outside is at the given moment. This element obviously plays a massive part in the 75% increase in gaming usage reported by a recent Verizon report.
But this increasing alone time doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing.
Most of us associate this increase with a long list of unsavory side effects that one might experience from prolonged gaming sessions. But in all actuality, gaming exercises your problem-solving skills, enhances your memory, and increases your ability to “think quickly”.
Gaming As An Escape
With that being said, more and more are participating in online gaming, so there’s been a sharp increase in gaming revenue. Even though millions of people have lost their jobs, gaming revenue was still able to reach 977 million dollars!
It seems that gaming has become something that passes the time but something that can take one’s mind off of the unstable state of our country. Think about it, you can pick up that controller, and before you know it, 3 or 4 hours have passed!
Developers Run Into A Problem
You would think everything was great over at some of those companies raking in the BIG bucks given this extraordinary situation, but there’s a problem. The developers, coders, and other vital positions and roles that go into producing some of the games you’ve come to know and love, well, they’re running into issues just like the rest of us when it comes to working from home––kids, time delegation, and other issues.
Gaming companies are finding that they’re having an increasingly hard time keeping up with the demand with the new stipulations that coronavirus has put on their employees.
Another issue that companies have run into have been production issues with China. As we all know, China is responsible for manufacturing a large amount of technology for America, and video game consoles and accessories are included.
For example, Sony is set to release the new Playstation 5 later this year. They haven’t alluded to any actual push-backs. Still, they have stated that the pandemic has affected their timeline in some ways. The latter probably has much to do with this console’s hike in price.
Where the previous Playstation console would run you anywhere from 300-400 dollars, this console will run you around $499-549. They’ve also indicated that they would be producing fewer consoles as a result of the pandemic––to be able to stay on track with their release date.
Microsoft is set to release the Xbox Series X later this year as well. They’ve stated that the virus hasn’t slowed production of the console, but remains responsible for significantly slowing games production.
Dozens Of Gaming Events Cancelled
As we all know, public health officials have instructed that all large gatherings are avoided, and we all stay six feet apart. This is something that all companies have not taken lightly, and as of late, we’ve seen hundreds of gaming events postponed as a result of the pandemic.
This can be upsetting to the gamers who are eager to attend and catch a glimpse of what’s to come. It was an excellent way for retailers to gauge how many copies of a particular game they wanted to buy, too. It’s also where some of the software developers and distributors could count on seeing a return on their investment.
These conferences are a way for those intertwined in the gaming industry to come together and make all of the pieces fit. One of the largest gaming conferences is the E3 conference that’s held annually in Los Angeles. Since the pandemic, E3 has already seen a decrease in companies that want to participate in the event.
These companies have shifted towards using those hefty funds to events solely occupied by their company––without having to share the limelight with hundreds of other companies and products under the same roof. In light of this, many people wonder if E3 will be able to recover from COVID complications.
A Few Things To Think About
We’ve all been finding new ways to keep ourselves occupied during these times. Whatever it is that you’ve been choosing to do with your time, it’s probably become your own little personal escape. It’s perfectly normal to experience anxiety and stress when thinking about the current state of coronavirus.
Next time you find yourself becoming wrapped up in these types of feelings, try a CBDfx tincture. During times like these, sometimes it’s necessary to go outside the box and try new things to hold things together.
This too shall pass friends, but in the meantime––who’s online and wants to play?