Global averages show that the typical gamer plays for more than six hours each week. Additional studies conducted after the COVID-19 pandemic, though, showed a spike in those statistics. With the increasing presence of safety protocols, stay-at-home quarantines, and social distancing, it seems as if more people decided to connect with other gamers online. The temporary closings and operational changes of popular hangout spots led consumers to devote more time to gaming in various ways.
Online Gaming Satisfies the Psychological Need of Connections
The psychological need for connections and contacts with other humans is why gaming platforms have thrived during the pandemic. Multiple studies prove that people can suffer from social loneliness if they feel cut off or removed from their supportive network of colleagues, co-workers, friends, and family. Using any safe means of connecting with others can lighten the load. It can also drastically reduce the symptoms of this condition. Consumers find creative ways to stay connected and avoid the darkness of extended isolation – such as letter writing, phone calls, video chats, and online gaming. As a result, players looking to find the best online casino in India, can also find comfort in connecting with fellow gamblers and gamers.
Online Gambling Spiked by Boredom and Financial Distress
It is interesting to see how the online gambling industry boosted traffic and usage from pandemic lockdowns. Studies showed that engaged gamblers spent more money and time during the lockdown. One report credited this boost to the contributing factors of isolation, boredom, and financial distress – three key igniters of the standard gambling experience. For instance, the consumers needing to find the best online casino in India used trusted websites and resources like AskGamblers for insight. As with other types of online gaming, the advantage of the social aspect is irrefutable.
This boosted interest in online gambling also led to an increased awareness of responsible decision-making. Instead of allowing the impulse to drive them, novice and experienced gamblers conducted thorough research and relied on insightful resources to master the games’ art and overall strategic side.
Online Chats & Shared Streaming Lead to More Gaming
Online chat communities and communication channels have grown astronomically during the pandemic for the same reason. The need to contact, connect, and communicate with other people is something that many may have overlooked or underappreciated before the pandemic lockdown began. Stay-at-home orders and self-isolation, though, made the need for social interaction crystal clear. It is not surprising that online and gaming chat applications and other online communication tools exponentially increased in popularity. For instance, one gaming chat app (Discord) reported increased usage specifically from the regions experiencing a higher daily impact on the people that lived there.
Chatting with one another leads to online gaming since you will likely search for activities to do with the people in your chat. Think about the vast number of video conference game nights and family reunion trivia games that have been played within the past year alone. Gaming platforms and online streaming have capitalized on this and taken full advantage of the boosted traffic. For instance, Discord modified the application’s Go Live function by quadrupling the number of people allowed to privately stream and screen share per account. It will not be surprising to see how other gaming platforms and media companies make similar changes.
Unexpected Increase in Time Available for Recreation
Another unexpected occurrence caused by the pandemic and lockdown protocol is the additional free time created. With local businesses closing down, telecommuting, and decreased public gatherings, consumers were left with extended periods of free time. Without the same level of time commitments experienced in the pre-lockdown era, consumers could spend more time playing video games. Some sceptics who refused to play video games before the pandemic reconsidered their decision and started playing to occupy their time. There has even been a boost in sales of older gaming consoles and systems, perhaps for the love of nostalgia created by these devices. As the pandemic continues globally, this type of traffic and time consumption will continue to rise.
Downtimes and Disconnects Became Viral News Headlines
An adage indicates that you will never truly appreciate what you have until you no longer have it. I also noticed the effect that the lockdown had on gaming platforms and overall saw the impact that the lockdown had on gaming platforms and overall traffic during numerous system crashes, downtimes, and server disconnects that plagued the gaming community. The news of gaming platforms and networks crashing sparked viral headlines from lagging system updates to popular game download releases. Social media feeds started to overflow with consumer complaints and status checks. Proved the extent of consumer attachment to gaming platforms repeatedly with each system outage and unexpected disconnect.
This has also caused video game distributors and streaming networks – such as stream – to rethink their strategies to prevent home network congestions. For instance, scheduled updates to games not played recently scheduled updates to games not actively played recently at off-peak local times. This relatively small change allowed consumers to download games without impairing local Wi-Fi networks’ speed and performance.
Boosted Sales of Cloud-Based Solutions & Storage Devices
The boosted traffic of gaming platforms and the increased popularity of online streaming have also grown online storage sales. With the rapid increase of game downloads and updates, the average consumer may burn through their available storage sooner than expected. The rise in consumption boosted cloud-based online solutions and storage devices (such as external hard drives) that work well with gaming consoles and platforms. It also encouraged gamers to consider investing more in streaming options than full game downloads.
The pandemic lockdown created a massive ripple effect within many industries and businesses around the world. It forced many companies to permanently close and created opportunities for other industries to remain open and thrive. It will be interesting to see how else the gaming world is revolutionized by the boosted interest, engagement, and overall traffic caused by the lockdown.
